Internet Marketing Blog

SEO for Small Business – Don’t let Google Ruin Your Life: Chapter 1

Recently I was in conversation with my college friend. He just became an entrepreneur recently. He looked very concerned about his website and traffic. However not sure about what to do, He wanted more visits from Search Engines. Because most of them are free and are considered to be “Pre-Qualified Leads”. He was ready to pay huge dollars to some SEO guy for Search Engine Optimization of his website. And I thought Search Engines are ruining lives of Small Business Owners (not directly by the way). But still so many Small Business Owners and Startups are facing challenge of a life time to chase search engines.

Google-Asylum

I thought of writing something that will equip all small businesses to understand that SEO or Search Marketing is not a “Rocket Science” but an art. Understanding that if you are designing your website for search engines that is the worst thing you could do to your business. Because there is no assurance that search engines will get you traffic. But I advice to design your website for your customers. If your customers feel connected, you may get traffic from so many other sources like bookmarking, blogs, etc. Now let’s get going!!!!

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Basically any Search Engine like Google, Bing or Yahoo sends traffic to your website through two areas:

1. Organic, Natural or Free Placement
2. In-Organic or Paid Placement

But understanding the fact that if you are not listed on first 2 pages for any search, chances are almost nil that you might get a visit. So there are 3 important functions of Search Engine Optimization or Search Engine Marketing:

1. On-Page Optimization
2. Off-Page Optimization or Link Building
3. Sponsored Placement Optimization or Pay Per Click (PPC) Campaign Optimization

We will discuss about the first function on this post and followed by other two posts for remaining functions.

On-Page Search Engine Optimization

1. Marketing Persona Research / Website Framework

Just to make my post influencing I use such heavy words, but to be pretty frank this is quite easy task. You have to write down few problems that your customers are facing for which your product is the best. Then decide what elements you need to place in your website and which can be trashed. Decide on the website navigation, site structure, colors and style which will be best for your customers.

Example: If you are Hotelier and your customers are business travelers so your website should look different than for family or leisure travelers. Your customers should first identify with your website.

You can register a domain either with your brand name or according to the interest of your customer.

2. Keyword Research

Now you have figured out for which particular customer you are designing your website or for different set of customers. Figure out what they will search.

Example: A business traveler will search “business hotels in Tampa” and family travelers will “family hotels in Tampa” but very few “hotel in Tampa” or “xyz hotel Tampa” unless they know your hotel (and if they know you why will they go to search engine).

Now note down atleast 4 good keywords or search-words for each product or service. What is good, with good search volume and low competition of course but should be perfect to your small business niche.

Use Google’s free keyword tool to figure out the search volume and competition. 

3. URL writing

On first step we discussed to get a domain to which your customers will identify. Use the most important keyword in your domain registration. Find out What is domain?

Now Write URL of product pages effectively but accordingly using selected keywords.

Example: “www.yourwebsite.com/business-hotels-tampa” for business traveler segment and “www.yourwebsite.com/family-vacations-tampa” for family travelers

Use top category immediately after domain and sub categories after that

Example: “www.yourwebsite.com/family-vacations-tampa/spa-service”

4. Title Tag Optimization

Use your keyword while writing title tag in the html coding for pages, its very easy.  Just use maximum 90 charcters including space to write a title and make sure each page get different title. It’s like naming your pages. When we don’t name two drinks same why with website pages?

<title>Best Family Vacations in Tampa | Your Hotel</title>

5. Meta Tag Optimization

Meta tag is also an easy html element. Meta tag is something like describing your page in just 120 characters. So write unique meta tag describing your page, or product.

<meta name=“description” content=“Your hotels is the Best family vacation in Tampa providing ………………………………………………………..services.”/>

6. Keyword Tag Optimization

Keyword tag is just to add some more value to your page. Just add 10 related keywords comma separated.

<meta name=”keyword” content=“family hotels, tampa hotels, leisure and spa services, maxican food, chinese food”

7. Content Optimization

Writing text content of the webpages should be done in accordance to selected keywords effectively and should not cross 8-10% density amongst the total content of the webpage. The content or text copy in your website should at the same time be written for your customers not for your business partners.

8. Image Optimization

Images are very important to communicate with customers in effective way. Images also help to make the webpage look colorful and exciting. Choose images wisely which will help customers to feel associated. Just add name of image related to the keyword selected and small description of image via alt tag.

<a href=”/”><img src=”/images/family-vacation.jpg” alt=”family vacations in tampa” width=”215″ height=”60″ /></a>

9. Sitemap

Using site map for customers (html version) can be useful and handy. Your site map should be easy to understand with categories and other possible segmentation of your complete product list. So visitors of your web site find any service or product easily.

On-Page work is almost done now, but we will continue the series with other two functions on next posts, so keep tuned in.

Following posts

• Off-Page Optimization or Link Building and
• Sponsored Placement Optimization or Pay Per Click (PPC) Campaign Optimization

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