The cornerstone (and lionshare!) of any small business marketing campaign is a coordinated effort to rank in Google search results. While the numbers seem to change daily, experts do agree that people use Google about 65% of the time when searching on the internet. You want to ensure that when your customers and potential customers search for your goods and services, your presence pops up on the coveted first page.
The way that results are presented to searchers is a complex and top-secret algorithm. The most important thing you can do for your business is follow best practices for creating high quality content. Creating high quality relevant content will catch Google’s attention and position you as an expert with your clients and customers.
Next on your list of importance is playing in what I have termed the Google Sandbox. This includes Google My Business and YouTube. With a coordinated effort connecting all of these sandbox toys to your website, Google will reward your site in the search results.
Google is rewarding businesses in search for actively playing with Google products. For instance, if you have an active Google My Business account (posting relevant content and obtaining reviews) Google sees that as good activity and gives value to your website (if appropriately connected to your Google My Business profile. Your site, and even your posts can rank in search results.
Below is a list of Google properties that your small business should engage with on a regular basis. Panicked that you can’t get to all of it right away? Don’t worry, using my resources and dedicating a little bit of time, you will not only be up and running but maximizing your time for the benefit of your business.
• Google My Business
Google has condensed Google Local and Google+ into one platform called Google My Business. Your account should be verified and then each section filled out with keyword rich and unique information about your business. You should then post original ideas and even answer questions. The beauty is that these posts can then rank in Google search. Google My Business is a free and invaluable tool.
- YouTube
Hate the idea of creating video? Time to put that in the past. Videos that are keyword rich and provide great content can be a treasure trove of SEO gold for any business. They should be at least 90 seconds and do not need to be any longer than 5 minutes to be effective. Pick one focused topic for your each video (hint – create a video for each blog of the same topic). Make sure that you upload the video correctly to YouTube (taking advantage of all the bells and whistles) and then embed the YouTube link into your website for SEO gold!
I know, it all seems very overwhelming. I can help. Book a call with me to get you out of digital overwhelm and building a solid presence on internet to bring customers into your storefront or office and your phone ringing off the hook!
