7 Ways A Small Business Can Compete With A Giant On The Basis Of SEO

Small businesses often feel that they may not be able to compete with bigger competitors in terms of cost advantage, marketing, distribution and human resources. However, one platform where small and big businesses both stand equally in terms of capabilities is that of search engine optimization or SEO. While small businesses are at an innate disadvantage in certain domains, they can come out successful in the realm of SEO, and listed below are seven ways a small business can build their SEO score:

 

1.  Optimize your website

Small businesses should start by optimizing their website to improve its user interface, user experience and make it mobile-friendly. They should also ensure that their website has a small loading time and is responsive. They should ensure a systematic URL structure, and ensure that none of the links on their website are broken.

 

2.  Perform keyword research

You should not decide on keywords randomly or on intuition. In fact, you should conduct a keyword research in which you determine what keywords your users are likely to search for that are relevant to your company and product. Choose your keywords in accordance with your research to ensure that you make the most out of your SEO efforts.

 

3.  Opt for long tail keyword strategy

While as a small business you may struggle to compete with bigger competitors in terms of smaller keywords, you should opt for a long tail keyword strategy which would be highly useful if your business is a local or regional one. You may also choose to add your location in your keyword for better results.

 

4.  Focus on content marketing

A major part of search engine optimization comprises content marketing. Small businesses should ensure that their website features relevant and useful content for their target market. In fact, focus on what your average and ideal customer is like, and then try to create content according to their personality and preference. You could also create a content calendar and feature the same on your social media profiles, and the following link is a useful resource for businesses looking to create social media content calendars https://firstpage.com.au/learning-centre/social-media/9-ways-to-build-a-social-media-content-calendar/

 

5.  Work on your online reputation

Google takes into account your online reputation as well while giving you a suitable ranking. Hence, you should pay attention to your online reputation and ask your loyal customers to give you a review online. Other than the obvious SEO aspect, reviews and recommendations are also of great help for new customers who need help trusting your company and your products or services.

 

6.  Refrain from black hat SEO practices

Companies that partake in black hat SEO practices are bound to get noticed by Google one day or another, and hence could risk getting banned from the search engine’s platform altogether. Black hat SEO practices are those that defy Google’s acceptable rules for SEO efforts.

 

7.  Try guest blogging

Guest blogging is another innovative technique that involves blogging about your company and products on high authority and reputed websites. When Google’s crawlers search the internet for relevant and high quality content, they tend to rank your website higher if it has links to other high authority websites.