Ranking higher in search results can seem impossible for small businesses. However, search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and best practices do more than increase your visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs). Proper SEO implementation can increase foot traffic to local shops and deliver seamless mobile experiences.
SEO can be divided into four categories, each vital to your digital marketing strategy. Explore these four types of SEO practices, see what common mistakes to avoid, and learn how to optimize your small business website.
On-page SEO: content and website optimization
On-page SEO optimization involves creating a keyword strategy and optimizing website elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and content structure to improve rankings and enhance user experience. It’s a foundational SEO strategy and an excellent place for beginners to practice SEO.
Small business on-page SEO checklist
Before optimizing your website, conduct keyword research to identify relevant, high-value search terms and develop an SEO strategy.
Prioritize these on-page SEO factors:
- Keyword-rich title tags: This is a shortened version of your page title that appears in SERPs. Keep your main keyword near the beginning, use a secondary keyword if it sounds natural, add power words, and stay under 60 characters.
- Internal links: Cross-linking boosts SEO by improving search engine crawlability and site visitor engagement. Link to related pages and use anchor text that tells them what to expect.
- Images: Help search engines index images and ensure your photos don’t slow down site speeds. Google’s image recommendations include “descriptive filenames, titles, and alt text.”
- Content optimization: Write high-quality, original, search-optimized content based on search intent. Consider why someone searches for a term, then answer those questions. Remember to include a call to action (CTA) to drive engagement.
Off-page SEO: building authority and trust
Think of off-page SEO as an online version of word-of-mouth referrals. These SEO activities occur outside of your website, signaling to search engines (and humans) that your brand is credible and relevant. Off-page SEO strategies can improve your brand reputation, increase rankings, and drive traffic.
Practical tips for off-page SEO
Getting high-quality backlinks is vital to your off-page SEO efforts. But writing guest posts and collaborating with local bloggers or influencers aren’t the only ways to build trust with customers and enhance your reputation.
Off-page SEO tactics include:
- Be an expert source for niche-specific articles and publications by responding to requests on MentionMatch (formerly Help a B2B Writer) or Qwoted.
- Get listed in local business directories such as your local chambers of commerce, Yelp, and Angi.
- Collect (and reply promptly to) customer reviews on your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), Yelp, and industry-specific review platforms.
- Encourage customer engagement on social media to build brand awareness, showing search engines that your company is relevant and trusted.
Local SEO: attracting nearby customers
Small businesses can compete with big brands using local SEO techniques. It’s even more crucial if you have a physical storefront or serve a regional audience. A local SEO strategy helps your small business website appear in searches like “hot wings near me.”
Steps for local SEO success
To benefit from local SEO, personalize content to meet your community’s needs as their expert in your industry.
Local SEO tactics include:
- Ensure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all platforms, including business listings and local directories.
- Develop local content geared toward your community with geotargeted keywords, but make sure the content adds value to your readers.
- Create and optimize your Google Business Profile, including separate listings if you have multiple business locations.
Technical SEO: the foundation of a high-ranking site
Technical SEO keeps your website secure and accessible, which are core elements for designing your website user experience (UX). But you must monitor website health and performance regularly. Plug-ins, theme updates, and other issues can impact UX and hurt your technical SEO efforts.
Top technical SEO best practices
Evaluate your website for SEO to identify and prioritize site errors, like slow loading times. A web developer, SEO firm, or tech-savvy staffer can help with advanced SEO techniques, such as optimizing JavaScript and CSS to improve page rendering speed.
SEO beginners can:
- Check for broken links regularly.
- Use canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues.
- Implement structured data markup to help search engines understand your content.
- Assess website accessibility.
Think of off-page SEO as an online version of word-of-mouth referrals. These SEO activities occur outside of your website, signaling to search engines (and humans) that your brand is credible and relevant.
How to prioritize which type of SEO to tackle first when you have limited time
When strapped for time, address core technical issues first, then focus on low-effort, high-impact local, on-page, or content SEO tasks. For example, an e-commerce store may prioritize SEO on existing pages and product descriptions, whereas a brick-and-mortar retailer may start with a Google Business Profile and location pages.
Both types of businesses need secure, mobile-optimized websites designed with accessibility in mind. Follow these steps to create a to-do list that helps you maximize visibility quickly.
Fix the foundation before building on it
Google must be able to crawl your website and confirm your business identity. Likewise, visitors should be able to view your site on any device. Consider using digital marketing tools, like Screaming Frog, that prioritize technical tasks.
Start by performing an SEO audit to identify critical issues, like 404s, slow-loading images, or elements that are too close together. Fix site-wide errors first, then move on to individual pages.
Focus on the right on-page tactics: Local vs. national SEO
Your current SEO progress and type of business affect what comes next. Generally, a local business benefits from focusing on local on-page SEO first. This includes activities like adding city-specific keywords to contact pages and the website’s footer. A larger e-commerce store may prioritize a national strategy that involves content marketing and backlink building.
Common SEO mistakes to avoid
Even your best SEO efforts can be undone by common mistakes.
Avoid SEO errors like:
- Ignoring keyword intent: Choose relevant keywords to reach the right audience.
- Having a slow website: Use lightweight apps and tools to improve loading times.
- Buying backlinks: Get organic mentions and links instead of risking penalties.
- Skipping mobile optimization: Make sure your site looks great on all devices.
Best free and low-cost SEO tools for small businesses
Track SEO performance with paid or free keyword and website monitoring tools. The best SEO solutions for beginners have simple user interfaces and in-app tips, so you can act quickly on insights.
Consider free SEO tools for budget-friendly keyword research, basic technical audits, and content ideas. Paid applications offer better workflow automations and reporting tools. Here are a few examples of small business SEO tools.
Seline Analytics: best Google Analytics alternative
Seline Analytics is a cookieless Google Analytics alternative that provides insights into user journeys, marketing campaign performance, and more. A real-time dashboard shows visitor details, while a built-in assistant that’s powered by artificial intelligence (AI) answers questions about your data.
- Best for: Startups, e-commerce shops, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers.
- Pricing: Starts at $9 per month for 10,000 page views or custom events. Seven-day free trial.
- Key features: Revenue analytics, website visitor tracking, authenticated user profiles, and funnel monitoring.
Ahrefs: best for on-page optimization
Ahrefs offers over a dozen free tools, including an on-page SEO report, redirect tracer, and broken link checker. The SEO toolbar works with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers. It analyzes content structure and outgoing links so you can find and fix headings or indexation issues.
- Best for: SEO beginners, content creators, and small business website owners.
- Pricing: Free SEO tools with paid plans starting at $129 per month.
- Key features: Browser extension, AI visibility checker, website traffic estimates, keyword rank checker, and keyword research.
Keyword.io: best for identifying long-tail search terms
Keyword.io is a long-tail keyword research tool. It generates suggestions from search engines and third-party marketplaces, like Amazon, YouTube, and eBay. You can get keywords to understand trends on different platforms or research product demand.
- Best for: YouTube creators, dropshippers, marketplace sellers, and budget-conscious marketers.
- Pricing: Free with no sign-up required.
- Key features: Instant keyword results for Wikipedia, Fiverr, Walmart, Google, eBay, Amazon, TikTok, YouTube, Bing, and more.
SEOquake by SEMrush: best for optimizing local search rankings
SEOquake is a free browser plugin with a SERP overlay feature for viewing local search rankings. It works with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers on computers, iPhones, and iPads. You can use SEOquake to analyze keywords on web pages and audit your site’s on-page elements.
- Best for: brick-and-mortar businesses and digital marketers.
- Pricing: Free browser extension.
- Key features: SERP metrics, internal and external link analysis, SEO audit, keyword density report, and domain and page metrics.
Screaming Frog: best for technical site audits
Screaming Frog offers software that crawls and audits websites for technical SEO issues. The free plan analyzes up to 500 URLs. It assigns tasks a priority level (low, medium, or high) and categorizes them as issues, warnings, or opportunities. You can use free tools for auditing multiple domains.
- Best for: SEO professionals, marketing agencies, and website owners.
- Pricing: Free version or paid plan costing $279 per license per year.
- Key features: Duplicate content finder, page title and metadata analysis, site map generation, broken link finder, and progress tracking.
How to measure SEO success: the metrics that actually matter
By optimizing your website, you’re helping customers find your products and services. But you must measure your optimization tactics and refine your SEO strategy to ensure continued progress.
SEO and website analytics tools can help monitor these metrics:
- Keyword rankings: Where your website appears in SERPs for important terms.
- Organic traffic: The number of visitors coming to your site from various sources.
- Bounce rate: How long people stay on your site before clicking away.
- Backlink growth: The number of high-quality sites that link to yours.
- Conversion rates: How many sign-ups, purchases, or business goals achieved.
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