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If you want to give your small business a boost in 2021, there are a few things you should be focussing on to maximise the impact of your SEO strategy. Let us tell you how to get the most from your SEO agency this year…
If you really want your SEO efforts to succeed this year, you need to define your business goals.
Many small business owners will set up their online marketing with ambiguous objectives to get more business or increase sales. Most decent SEO strategies are designed to increase all website traffic, and this will naturally increase conversations. However, if you have a clearly defined goal, you can focus your efforts more concisely and see better, more measurable results.
For example, if you’re a plumber and you make most of your money from new boiler installations, your SEO should be largely targeting this area of your business. Of course you should be marketing your other services too, but if you make very little profit on emergency call outs, it makes sense to spend less of your budget in this area.
By setting clear goals and communicating these with your SEO team, you will be able to receive targeted reports that evidence the steps taken toward each goal and their success.
Google displays search results based on the searcher’s intent. So, for example, if someone searches for ‘Dog Walking’ their intent could be that they are looking for scenic dog walking routes to enjoy a Sunday afternoon stroll with their pet. Or they could be looking for a dog walking service.
You’re more likely to appear higher up in the search results if the keywords you target match the searcher’s intent. So if you offer a dog walking service, your marketing team can tailor your SEO strategy to match this commercial search intent, and you will perform better in the rankings.
However, those people searching for scenic dog walking routes are still looking for informational content from a trusted source. By providing content on your website that meets this searcher’s intent as well, you are exposing your brand and business to potential customers who may want a dog walking service later on.
Informational content helps to build your authority with Google and your reputation with potential customers, so working with your SEO team to invest your budget in content related to, but not directly linked to one of your services, will help to build your rankings longer term.
If your website has been around for a long time, or you built it using a self-build service, there’s a possibility it is not not mobile-friendly. Mobile search traffic makes up the majority of all search queries, so you must work with your marketing team to ensure your website is accessible and effective when viewed on a mobile device.
Not only will this increase your chances of making a sale (we know users will not stay long on your website if it is not mobile-friendly), it will also improve your authority score with Google and in turn, increase your rankings.
Getting a professional on board can ensure your website is up to scratch, and up to speed! A dynamic layout will ensure that no matter what device the user is loading, they get the same content in an easily accessible way.
Search engines quickly adapt to ensure they are making the most from their paid marketing offerings. This means that some traditional SEO techniques, like having different content for your mobile and desktop users, or loading your copy with excessive keywords, quickly evolve from being best practice, to methods that will result in penalties.
That’s why it’s essential to use a trusted and experienced SEO specialist who has the experience to adapt their practices in line with new algorithms and best practices.
So if your SEO team are telling you to try something new, that the techniques you have been using are outdated or that your website needs to change to stay relevant – believe them! It might mean that you have to step out of your comfort zone and invest your budget in a different direction, but it will be worthwhile.
Good quality backlinks from reputable websites are one of the best things your SEO strategy can generate for your business. However, if your current SEO strategy includes buying backlinks, there’s a very good chance that your website will be penalised.
Many of the sites offering paid-for backlinks have already been devalued by Google, so paying for links back to your website is not only a waste of money, as their effectiveness is void, it may even result in rankings dropping significantly when Google follows them to your website and penalises your domain.
Even if you think you’re safe and your backlinks are working, this cheats technique to digital marketing may come back to haunt you. If you aren’t even sure where the links you’re paying for are coming from, it will be even more difficult to remove them when you are finally discovered and penalised.
Instead of investing in link farms and shady link building techniques, contact a professional and reputable SEO specialist who can help you build links in an honest and effective way. Good quality links, with purpose and relevance may take longer to establish, but their results will be longer lasting and much safer for your rankings.
If you’ve read something that makes you think you need some specialist help to make the most of your SEO budget, the team at Evolution Media are here to help. With years of experience in the industry, we can identify where the potential issues are with your current strategy and recommend the best direction to take to achieve your goals. Get in touch today for an initial audit, or just a chat about current best practices in SEO.
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