Sustainable SEO for Small Business

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), structuring your online content to improve search rankings with Google (or Bing), is a topic about which many small businesses have questions.   We are often asked about the importance SEO or if it can be ignored without too much consequence.  And when a small business owner asks that question, it usually means they are ignoring SEO and they hope it isn't hurting their business. 


The answer: SEO is important.  But even more important are content and marketing.  And when you get the content and marketing right, the SEO will start to fall into place.


First, lets cover some basics about search rankings.


When someone does a search, two sets of results are provided by Google: 1) web pages, and 2) advertisements - both of which have been determined by Google to be relevant to the search query.  


Since Google's main (multi-billion dollar) business is advertising where they control all aspects of approving and placing the ads, they can be confident of the ad relevance.  Google has to infer the relevance of the websites to be shown for the search results - primarily, they make this determination through proprietary algorithms and methodologies.  


But they can use a little help - and to that end, Google announces what factors they look for.*  And so you know, they really work best with text-based content. 

Sometimes SEO is presented as a plan to outsmart Google - to force your pages higher in their search results - based on what Google has announced and what has been inferred.  This type of plan often includes the need for convoluted language on your website and blog, links back and forth to other sites, and often a high-priced service offering its own algorithms and  proprietary research methodologies.  This is a synthetic approach to SEO - determining the content of your online presence to satisfy Google.


We recommend a more natural, sustainable approach to SEO.  All of your online content should be designed with the customer in mind.  When you are speaking their language, addressing their concerns, and providing valuable solutions to their problems your online content will naturally resonate and will be relevant to their searches.  It will naturally include many, if not most, of the relevant keywords.


The key is to really take the time to understand and speak in the voice of the customer.  Sounds easy, but not everyone does it effectively.  And their concerns will change over time, too.  You have to stay connected with customers to keep your finger on the pulse of your business.


The other key is to put your content out there.  And we recommend engaging with as many Google properties as you can.  Google will ultimately find most everything that is out there on the web, but working with their properties will make it easier for Google to validate your information.  The Google properties are: 

1. Google Webmaster - registers your validated site with Google, optimization tools
2. Google Places - provides validated local information about your business
3. Google Blogger
4. Google+ - social results are influencing search results
5. Google Adwords - nothing validates relevance like your willingness to pay for an ad
6. YouTube - for video content

Lastly, we recommend a Google Analytics account, too.  In addition to the information about number of visits and other powerful information, Visitor Flow will show how visitors move through your site after they land.

Be smart about your customers and your content.  Don't try to outsmart Google.  Get SEO help if you need it, but be wary of programs that sound too good to be true or require your content to be unnatural.

*(Google has a great video on SEO)