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The Necessity of SEO in Small Business

The Necessity of SEO in Small Business

Running a small business can be tough for anyone, especially those who have few resources and a very limited budget.  However, the Internet has opened up opportunities for many who may not have had the opportunity previously to run a business.  Still, it is important to know how to use Internet resources in order to make a business successful.  Among these resources is SEO, search engine optimization, in order to help smaller businesses be found on the Internet.

SEO Rankings

Search engine optimization is important first of all because businesses found closer to the top of the rankings of popular search engines draw more business.  Unless looking for a specific business, many people may stop a search after one or two pages, so those who are not ranked as highly may be overlooked.  This is why keyword searches have to place a website high into the rankings of search engines like Google.

Social Media

SEO also includes areas such as social media.  More people are beginning to get their information from sites like Facebook and Twitter.  Tumblr may also become quite important in the social media world since its much talked about acquisition by Yahoo.  In any case, any small business needs to make sure it has a social media presence that is not only found on the site but also comes up in a search engine keyword search.

Simple steps such as filling out the information in “About” and “Information” sections of social media sites can help raise the SEO profile.  It is important to use words and phrases someone would search for relevant to the business in these sections so that someone looking for information can easily find it.  Other information such as location, contact information and links to the website also need to be included on social media sites.

Link Building

Another way to optimize search engine results is to provide links to the website and other media outlets via other sites. It is important to include links on other outlets such as Hub Pages or eZine Articles with articles that contain information relevant to the business.  Not only does this connect the business with an “expert,” but making information shareable also spreads a business’ presence around the web to a range of outlets.

Review Pages

Review pages such as Yelp are becoming more popular all the time.  Many people check sites such as this before deciding whether or not a business is worth dealing with.  Of course, getting good reviews is based on reputation, so the business has to offer the kinds of products and services that will help associate it with good reviews.  For instance, local restaurants may want to come up in a search such as “good local cuisine” for a city.

Local Listings

This also means that it is important to make sure small businesses can be found in search engines that cater to local business.  The Google+ Business Page is very important and small businesses need to make sure they can be found within these pages.  The Local Google+ Page is also essential because there is more of a direct connection with a business’ physical location.

Directories that feature local listings are just as important as social media pages, so the kinds of information included in social media need to be included in local directories, particularly information such as physical addresses and local phone numbers.  Other information such as specific services and/or products is also necessary.  Potential clients and customers should have an easy time finding smaller businesses in local directories even if they compete with larger companies that provide similar services and/or products.

Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he describes SEO for small businesses and aims to encourage further study with an MBA in information systems.

Joshua Turner
 

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