As a small business owner, you’ve probably heard that it’s important to have a high quality website, and for that website to have Search Engine Optimization (SEO). But what exactly does that mean, and is SEO actually important for growing your company?
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll go over the basics of SEO, how it could benefit your business, and some online tools and resources you can use to get started.
What is SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of making your website easier to find on search engines like Google. When potential customers search for products or services that you offer, SEO ensures your website ranks higher in the search results, increasing your visibility and attracting more website visitors.
There are two types of SEO: paid and organic. While paid SEO is just what it sounds like (paying to get your website listed higher on search engine results pages), organic SEO aims to improve your rankings through free strategies. There are many strategies included under the umbrella term “Organic SEO,” but generally, when people are talking about organic SEO, they are referring to the process of using specific keywords within your website content to catch the attention of the search engine algorithms and signal that your site is relevant to a user’s search. There are also other factors that affect search engine rankings, such as page load time, the age of your site, length of content, and more. These ranking factors change over time and Google has not publically released the full list of factors, so even the top organic SEO experts are experimenting to some extent and cannot guarantee specific results.
Why SEO Matters for Small Businesses
SEO can be a cost-effective way to attract new customers. Unlike paid ads, which stop driving traffic once your budget runs out, SEO can provide long-lasting results. For small businesses competing against larger companies, SEO can increase online visibility and drive targeted traffic to your website. This can be particularly true if your business is focused on a specific geographic area, in which case, using “Local SEO” strategies can make your website even more likely to be found.
Why SEO Isn’t a Magic Bullet
It’s important to remember that, while SEO can be effective in getting your website listed higher in search engine results, it won’t necessarily increase the number of visitors who click on your site in those results (called Click Through Rate), or the number of people who stay on your website, view your products or services, and complete the sales process. To improve metrics in those areas, you will likely need to invest in things like website design, website content, photography, and the overall “user experience” of your website.
Getting Started with SEO
As a small business owner, you can experiment with improving your SEO on your own, or you can hire a company like ATX Web Designs that specializes in these strategies. If you want to take the DIY approach, here is a step-by-step approach to help you begin optimizing your website for search engines, with some useful tools to make the process easier:
- Keyword Research: Keywords are the foundation of SEO. You need to understand the words and phrases your customers are using to search for businesses like yours. Tools like Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account) and Ubersuggest (offers free features with a paid premium option) can help you discover high-value keywords for your business. Focus on long-tail keywords—specific phrases that are less competitive and more likely to lead to conversions. For example, instead of targeting “plumber,” aim for “emergency plumber in Austin, TX.”
- Optimize On-Page SEO: On-page SEO involves optimizing the content and structure of your web pages. Here are a few tips:
- Include your target keywords in key areas such as the page title, meta description, headers, and within the content.
- Write content naturally, and avoid overusing keywords (a practice called keyword stuffing).
- Make sure your content is valuable and engaging to keep visitors on your site longer.
- Tools like Yoast SEO (free for basic features) for WordPress can help you optimize your on-page SEO by analyzing keyword use, readability, and more.
- Create Quality Content: Content is key to SEO success. By regularly publishing helpful blog posts, videos, or infographics, you can engage your audience and give search engines more content to index. Platforms like Grammarly (offers free and premium plans) help you ensure your writing is clear and concise. Meanwhile, AnswerThePublic (offers free and paid plans) can provide insights into the types of questions people are asking in your industry, which you can answer through blog content.
- Improve Site Speed and Mobile Friendliness Google considers website speed and mobile-friendliness as ranking factors. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights (free) to check your website’s speed and see suggestions for improvement. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, Google could penalize your ranking, so it’s critical to ensure your site works well across all devices.
- Optimize for Local SEO If your business serves a local area, optimizing for local search is vital. Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is one of the easiest ways to improve local SEO. This free tool allows you to appear in local search results and provide essential business information such as your address, phone number, and hours of operation.
- Build Backlinks Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—are one of the most important ranking factors for SEO. Tools like Ahrefs (paid, with limited free features) and Moz Link Explorer (offers free and paid plans) can help you analyze your backlink profile and discover opportunities to build more high-quality links. Focus on earning links from reputable websites in your industry, as they boost your site’s credibility.
- Track Your SEO Progress Monitoring your SEO performance is key to success. Google Search Console (free) is a powerful tool that allows you to track keyword rankings, search traffic, and any issues Google encounters while crawling your site. Another helpful tool is SEMrush (offers free features with a paid premium plan), which provides insights into keyword rankings, backlink profiles, and competitor analysis.
Final Thoughts
SEO is a powerful tool for small businesses. By utilizing the right strategies and tools, you can improve your website’s search visibility and attract more customers over time. With the free and paid tools mentioned here, you can manage your SEO more effectively without needing a large budget. Remember, SEO is a long-term investment, but even small improvements can significantly impact your site’s traffic and rankings. By taking these steps, you’ll be well on your way to SEO success, helping more people discover your small business online.
Questions about SEO and how to increase your website traffic? Reach out to ATX Web Designs today!
