SEO for Mom & Pop Businesses
Many small business owners wonder what they can do to improve their search engine rankings to drive more traffic to their website and business. Here are some of the most cost effective strategies for businesses on a budget.
DO KEYWORD RESEARCH
Use free or low-cost tools like Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords for your industry. Optimize your website content and Google Business listing by adding these keywords when you write content, descriptions and articles. There are many free tools online that will allow you to do some quick keyword research: wordtracker.com, ChatGPT, and https://ahrefs.com/free-seo-tools are just a few.
Sample Keywords for your industry:
Example Industry: Custom Closet Organization & Storage
Custom closet systems near me, custom closet systems, custom wood closet systems, diy closet systems, custom closets in san diego, closet organization, closet design, how to organize your closet, closet organization ideas, home depot closet, shoe organizer for closet, diy closet organizer, walk in closet organizer, garage organization, small closet organizer, best way to organize clothes in closet, wardrobe customization, closet installation, closet renovation, garage shelving, garage cabinets, garage makeover, pantry organization
Tip: SEO experts will research to find keywords that have a high volume of search traffic but low organic competition - if you use these keywords, you are more likely to show up on the early pages of search results.
Tip: Keyword Research is a great way to get topic ideas for your next blog or social media post.
2. OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE
The structure and content of your website greatly determines how google will rank you for relevance. Ensure your website has well-structured, user-friendly content with proper title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags. Make sure your website works well in mobile format.
Resources:
General Info about writing title tags & meta descriptions
WIX - Adding SEO title tags and meta descriptions to your pages
Squarespace - Adding SEO tags and descriptions to your pages
3. OPTIMIZE GOOGLE BUSINESS LISTING
Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing. Google assesses how well a business's information matches the user's search query. This includes the keywords in the business name, categories, and description fields. The completeness and accuracy of the information in your Google business listing are important. This includes business hours, categories, photos, service descriptions and other details. Add as much information and detail as possible.
4. REGULARLY ADD QUALITY CONTENT TO YOUR WEBSITE
This is one of the most impactful things you can do to improve your search rankings over time. Regularly publish informative, valuable content related to your business niche. Blog posts, how-to guides, and other informative content can help improve your website's visibility.
Here are some sample topics to write about when adding content to your website or blog.
Content Topic Strategy Example:
Key Pillar Topic: Custom Home Organization
Sub Topics: Closet Design, Garage Layouts, Small Space Storage, Food Storage, Declutter Techniques, Organize your Home and Organize your Mind (mental wellbeing)
Article/Blog Post Ideas:
5 things you should consider when designing your dream closet
3 ways you can bring mental wellbeing by organizing key spaces in your home
Save money on food bills by reimagining food storage in your home
DIY ideas to fit more stuff in a small closet
Spring Cleaning Checklist
Tip: if you plan on writing a lot, be sure to activate the blog feature on your website. The blog tool will make it easy to write and post articles without having to design a whole new page. If the content you are writing is foundational for all of your customers, consider turning it into a permanent webpage. The good news is that google will crawl both types of content/pages to determine your search ranking.
5. ASK OTHER BUSINESSES/WEBSITES TO LINK TO YOUR SITE
Network with other local businesses and consider partnerships or collaborations. Guest posting on related blogs and obtaining backlinks can improve your website's authority.
Ideas:
create a “partners” or “resources” page on your website where you’ll offer other businesses the opportunity to be listed on your website, in return, you ask them to list your business and website link on their site.
Join groups, trade associations, business listing websites that will list your website URL
6. ASK EVERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER TO REVIEW YOUR BUSINESS ON GOOGLE
You can positively impact rankings by encouraging customers to leave reviews. Also, don’t forget to respond to reviews both good and bad ones. Even a simple response like “Thanks so much for taking the time to review my business Stacy!” will improve your google rankings. Google likes to see engagement from both the customer and the business.
Ideas:
To make it easier for your customers to leave a review, send them an email request and include the link to your google business listing in the email.
When you make the “ask” to leave a review, play to their desire to support local small businesses, and don’t be afraid to say that your business and family relies on these reviews to keep the business healthy.
Mail your customers a physical “Thank you” card after the job is done. Hand write the note and ask them to share a review on google. A mailed thank you card is very personal and people will feel more connected to you and willing to help.
7. USE CONSISTENT CONTACT INFO ACROSS THE WEB
Having accurate business information listed on various online directories, like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other industry-specific platforms, can boost a business's credibility and rankings.
8. TAKE YOUR SEO & MARKETING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Hire a virtual SEO expert
Before hiring an expensive agency, you could try a local SEO package from a freelancer on a platform like Fiverr or Upwork.
Rewrite the messaging on your homepage
Revamp the content on your homepage to clarify the problems that you solve for your customers and what benefits/rewards they’ll see if they choose to work with you. Read “Building a Story Brand” by Donald Miller for a DIY approach to remessaging your own website.
Turn your articles and checklists into Lead Generators
When you share valuable content online, request that readers give their email address before downloading. You can also begin to use an inexpensive tool like MailChimp to automatically collect these leads and send them marketing emails later.
Build and grow your email list
Find new local contacts (email addresses) any way you can and start sending them emails at least once per month. You can keep your contacts in a simple excel spreadsheet or use a tool like MailChimp to pre-write and schedule emails to go out to your entire list of contacts automatically.
