The Best Guide to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for Small Businesses

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Online visibility plays a crucial role in the success of any business in today’s e-commerce world, and whether you’re a small business owner or an aspiring entrepreneur, understanding the ins and outs of online visibility for your brand can take your business to new heights. SEO especially is one important way to position your brand in the online space and attract valuable organic traffic. In other words, when potential customers are searching organically for what you might be selling, SEO is the way to make sure that they find you.

So, how does a business owner go about the entire process of SEO? What does SEO even mean for small businesses? Stick with us, as we answer all these questions!

In this guide to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for small businesses, we’ll cover:

1. What SEO means for small businesses

2. Benefits of SEO for small businesses

3. How to optimise your website

4. How to find the right keywords for your business

5. How to check your website traffic and the right tools to use

What is SEO for Small Businesses?

Image Source: Mauco Online

Think about every time you made a search on a search engine like Google. (Other search engines like Yahoo and Bing still work fine, but most Nigerians use Google). When Google pulls up some results for your search, you open the first link to find answers to your search. You could go back to the second result, or the third one, or change your search term completely. But, the websites that appear have optimised their web pages so that you can find them when you perform a search in relation to what they’re about. This is SEO.

SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimisation, is the practice of improving a website's visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). It's like giving your website a boost so that search engines can find, understand, and rank it higher when people search for relevant topics. As a business, SEO is a great way to bring in customers, without having to spend any amount on marketing.

What are the Benefits of SEO for Small Businesses?

You may wonder what the benefits of SEO are for your business, or why you should be bothering with it at at all. According to a report by TechCity, 45% of people who shop online in Nigeria researched their last purchase online. Because the search culture is growing, and online shopping is exponentially growing along with it, you should position your brand in a way that will be found when these searches occur. Let’s look at some benefits of SEO for small businesses.

1. Increased Website Visibility: SEO helps small businesses improve their website's visibility in search engine results. This means more people are likely to find and visit your website, potentially leading to more customers or clients.

2. Cost-effective Marketing: Compared to traditional advertising methods, SEO can be a cost-effective marketing strategy for small businesses. It allows you to target specific keywords and reach potential customers who are actively searching for your products or services.

3. Targeted Traffic: SEO helps attract targeted traffic to a small business's website. By optimising for relevant keywords and providing valuable content, you can attract visitors who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. This can result in higher conversion rates and more sales.

4. Brand Building and Credibility: When a small business appears higher in search engine results, it enhances its brand visibility and credibility. Being present in top search rankings often gives the impression that the business is trustworthy, established, and an authority in its industry.

5. Long-term Results and Sustainable Growth: Unlike some other marketing strategies

   that provide short-term results, SEO is a long-term investment. By consistently applying SEO practices and optimising your website, your business can achieve sustainable growth and maintain its online presence over time.

How to Optimise Your Small Business Website for SEO

After establishing the importance of SEO for your business, the next question is how you can optimise your business website to improve its visibility and attract more potential customers. Here are the steps you need to get started.

1. Perform Keyword Research

Start by identifying relevant keywords that your target audience may use to search for products or services similar to what your small business offers. Tools like Google Keyword Planner or Moz Keyword Explorer can assist you in finding popular and relevant keywords. Further down this article, we’ll break down how to use Google Keyword Planner to find the keywords you need for your business.

2. Optimise your Web Pages

Pay attention to your web pages, as they are important and send signals to Google on what your page is about. This includes incorporating your target keywords naturally into titles or product titles, headings, meta descriptions, and URL structures. Ensure that your website's content is well-structured, informative, and easy to read for both search engines and visitors.

Related: How to Optimise your Bumpa Website for More Visibility on Google in 2023!

3. Create High-Quality Content

Developing high-quality and engaging content is essential for SEO. Consider creating blog posts, product pages, or landing pages that provide valuable information related to your business. Use your target keywords strategically within the content to improve relevancy and increase the chances of ranking higher in search results. You can also use free platforms like Medium to create content and link back to your website.

4. Improve Website Speed and Mobile-Friendliness

A fast-loading website and a mobile-friendly design are crucial for both user experience and SEO. Optimise your website's speed by minimising unnecessary plugins, optimising product image quality and sizes, and leveraging caching techniques. Additionally, ensure that your website is responsive and displays well on different devices.

Pro tip: Bumpa websites are mobile-friendly and fast! But don’t take our word for it. Download the app to set up your own website and see for yourself.

5. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites directing to yours, and they’re very important for SEO. To get these, focus on creating valuable content that others would want to link to and share. You can also reach out to influencers, industry bloggers, or local directories for potential linking opportunities. Remember, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to backlinks.

6. Optimise for Local Searches

If your small business has a physical location, optimising for local searches is essential. Claim and optimise your Google My Business listing, include your business address on your website and encourage customers to leave reviews. This will help improve your visibility in local search results and increase your chances of attracting local customers.

7. Regularly Monitor and Analyse

Keep track of your website's SEO performance by monitoring key metrics like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates. Utilise tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to gain insights into your website's performance and make data-driven decisions to further optimise your SEO strategy.

Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires patience and continuous effort. You constantly need to research, optimise and monitor.

How to Find the Right & Best Keywords for Your Business

Understanding how to optimise your website is one thing. Getting the right keywords to help you rank is even more important.

For example, if you sell shoes in Lagos, you want the customers who come to your website to be people who want to buy shoes, not foodstuff. So you should be targeting people who are searching for shoes. But how do you find them? By doing keyword research, to see what they’re searching for. One of the best, free tools for this is Google Keyword Planner.

Setting it up is easy, and you can do that in the following steps.

1. Sign in to your Google account on your browser. Then, visit the Google Keyword Planner page to access the tool. Click on ‘Visit Keyword Planner’.

2. On the Keyword Planner dashboard, you'll find two options: "Discover new keywords" and "Get search volume and forecasts." Choose the tool that suits your needs, which in this case is the first one.

3. Enter keywords or websites. This will help Google generate keyword ideas or provide search volume data for the entered terms. If for example, you sell shoes, enter the keyword shoes. When you hit the button, make sure to adjust the location and time period you want to search for.

4. Explore the keyword ideas provided by Google. You can filter results based on metrics such as average monthly searches, competition level, and bid estimates to find the most relevant keywords for your purposes.

5. Use the insights gained from Keyword Planner to optimise your website content, and blog posts or guide your SEO strategy. Select keywords with sufficient search volume and relevance to your business.

How to Check Your Website Traffic with the Right Tools

One of the most important metrics to track after you’ve started implementing your SEO strategies is your website traffic. This helps you know if your strategy is working, what pages are bringing people to your website, and whether they’re even converting. For example, if you see that a lot of people are visiting your website but not making a purchase, it might mean that you’re targeting the wrong people, or there’s something wrong with your web pages. All these can only be known by checking.

So, how do you check your website traffic for your small business?

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics tool that collects and analyses data about website visitors and their behavior. By installing a tracking code on the website, Google Analytics gathers data such as visitor demographics, page visits, and interactions. The collected data undergoes processing and is presented in comprehensive reports, allowing you to understand your audience, measure website performance, and make informed decisions like optimising pages and improving user experience.

Related: Setting Up Google Analytics

2. Bumpa

Perfect for business owners with a Bumpa website, Bumpa analytics comes pre-installed for you. This means that you do not need to set up anything else, to get data for website performance after downloading your Bumpa app and setting up your store. The Bumpa analytics provides you insights like online store visits, which lets you see how many people have visited your website.

Related: Discover 10 Things Bumpa App Can Do for Your Business in 1 Minute!

3. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free web service that helps website owners monitor and optimise their presence in Google search results. After verifying website ownership, it provides valuable data on performance, including impressions, clicks, and average position in search results. With URL inspection, website owners can check the indexation status of their website, as well as the last time their website was crawled. This comprehensive tool will help you diagnose and improve your website's performance, ensuring a smooth and effective presence in Google search results.

Related: Setting up Google Search Console

With these 3 tools combined together, tracking the performance of your SEO strategy for your small business becomes easier, helping you get the best out of your optimisation, and converting more visitors into paying customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you do local SEO for small businesses?

To effectively implement local SEO for small businesses, there are several important steps to consider. First, ensure accurate and consistent Name, Address, and Phone Number listings across all online directories and platforms. Optimise the website with relevant keywords, metadata, and location-specific content. Create and optimise a Google My Business page, providing accurate business information, uploading high-quality photos, and encouraging customer reviews. Utilise local keywords in website content, URLs, and page titles. Finally, build local citations by having the business listed in relevant directories and obtaining backlinks from reputable local websites.

2. Does SEO really work for small businesses?

Absolutely! SEO can be highly effective for small businesses by increasing online visibility, driving targeted traffic, and generating more leads and customers.

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