You have a website, and you are open for business. Now you need more customers and Google can help.
Many people use the internet to find the products and services that they need. Businesses that show up on the first or second page of the Google search results have a far greater chance of being noticed by customers than those that are harder to find on Google’s back pages. Therefore, the goal of any small business is to rank as high in the Google search pecking order as possible.
One of the most important parts of a small businesses’ advertising goals is to appear in a prominent place in the list of businesses Google displays on its search results page. Fortunately, there are many things an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) expert can do to help any small business rise in the ranks.
Google is a search engine. The ultimate goal is to use that search engine to have your business’ website appear on the first page of Google for as many relevant keyword phrases as possible. Obtaining this objective, will bring you more customers and, thereby, increasing your profits.
You need to be on the front page, period.
When a person enters a phrase into the Google search box, Google presents ten titles, links, and descriptions to the seeker. Google tries to display the best matches for what the viewer is looking for. There are paid ads on Google’s pages but “organic” (free) results 1 through 10 are the choicest real estate on the internet, and every business owner strives to reside there.
The good news for small businesses is that Google’s algorithm for determining who gets the first-page slot is not random. On the contrary, the algorithm is predicable in experienced hands. It is not a matter of chance or luck. Therefore, if you know what Google is looking for and you give Google exactly what it wants, you will rank high in the search results.
Here is an important nuance that small business owners should be aware of: Google lists web pages, not entire websites. SEO experts think regarding ranking individual web pages by optimizing them to capture highly visible slots.
Google doesn’t care if your website is beautiful or ugly (to humans). It doesn’t care if it’s pink or blue. It can be flashy or dull. However, Google does care if your web pages have the SEO factors it is looking for and if your page will meet the needs and expectations of people who are searching for specific information related to your industry.
Who are Your Online Competition?
Surprisingly, your offline competition may not be the same as your online competition. There may be a big dog down the street that keeps gobbling up the customers, but he may have a very weak online presence because he doesn’t understand the principles of SEO. If you can gain stronger position on the internet than he has, you can snatch
Even if the big dog has a good position on the Google search page, you can improve your status and give him a run for his money. No matter how new or small your company may be, you can compete with other businesses for a sweet spot on Google’s front page. It is done by discovering what your competition is doing to gain their first page position and doing it better.
What is Your Competition Doing to Conquer Google?
An SEO expert knows how to go behind the scenes to view what the first page spot holders in your industry are doing in relationship to their online presence. These companies are obviously giving Google some of what it wants to find.
Armed with this information, your website can follow suit – and do even better – to outrank them and overtake their position. This will give you more visibility on the web, resulting in more customers and higher revenue.
What Factors are Analyzed?
[1] We Compile a List of Relevant Keyword Phrases
Together with you, we compile a list of keyword phrases that describe your business. We then research how often people enter these phrases into the Google search box. We also look for other phrases that are used that you may not have thought of.
[2] We Create a List of Your Online Competitors Using the Keyword List from Step 1
We then examine what businesses appear on Google’s first page for each of the popular keyword phrase. We also analyze the lesser used phrases to see if you can capitalize on any of them.
When we find a slot you can capture, we include it in our SEO Competitive Analysis Report. If you fail to go for easy-to-obtain slots, it’s like leaving money on the table and walking away. We will show you exactly what can be done to gain those higher positions on various Google search pages.
[3] We Look Behind the Scenes to See What Your Competition is Doing
With the list of online competitors we compiled in step 2, we will put our SEO expertise into high gear. We will look deeply behind the scenes to see what keywords each of your competitors are using to help them get onto the first or second page of the Google search results.
NAP: This stands for name, address and phone number and dealing with these three data points is not something that should be left to chance. Google is very particular about how your name, address and phone number (also called citations) are displayed across the web.
I will examine your competitors’ NAP presence to see if how well they are doing and where their citations are being displayed. Our Analysis Report will reveal to you how you can do better than your competition is doing.
MAPS: It’s important that maps displaying your company’s location are 100% accurate. If your competitors’ businesses are shown on a map in the Google search results and your business is not, your SEO expert will know how to remedy this problem.
REVIEWS: When it comes to business, it matters what people think and say about our products and services. It’s also revealing what people are saying about your competition! Google takes into account how many reviews you have and where they are found on the web. Be aware that a few negative reviews are common with any business.
An SEO expert will show you how to get more reviews and where they should be posted. He can also help you to set up a page on your website that links to the good reviews about you and your business that have been published around the web.
These are just some of the valuable services a real SEO expert can do for you. The information we will put in your SEO Competitive Analysis Report will allow you to see where you are on the road to giving Google what it wants from a small business website.
Equally important, this report will show you what your competition is doing that places him ahead of you in the Google ranking order. With this information and more, you will not be guessing what is needed to move up in the ranks, striving for the coveted 1 through 10 slots. With the correct SEO steps, it is even possible to rank more than one of your pages in these slots!
Get in touch and be FOUND Online!
If you own a small business, Contact me to discuss what you want to accomplish for your online presence. I have the skills and the knowledge to analyze where your website is currently at, what your competition is doing to rank well with Google, and exactly what behind-the-scenes improvements can be done to your website to cause it to gain a more prominent position.
