Most small business owners include at least a basic website in their early business launch strategy.  For many this is the largest investment the young company will make, and they are often frustrated when the new site does not rank highly on a Google search.   With more than 700,000,000 sites worldwide, it is not surprising to see these young companies get lost in the shuffle.

So how do you rise to the top of the stack?  There are many answers to this question, and the rules shift as often as Google adjusts their algorithms which drive search results.  It can be a daunting task for the average business owner to stay on top of the game, which is why companies like Deep Ripples, which dedicate themselves full time to staying on top of the question, have found a niche in the marketplace.

For the average business owner, there are however, a few basic rules which give you a starting point on how to  “get in the SEO” game. While these tactics won’t always guarantee a first place listing, used consistently it will move you significantly in your niche.  “R” s you learned in school, (Reading, wRiting, aRithmatic)  formed the basis for everything else you learned, so do the 3 “R’s” of SEO (Relevancy, Recency, and Related Links)

• Relevancy – Your web copy and blog posts should contain key words your clients and prospects are likely to use when searching for your firm.  This sounds simple, but sometimes, we miss the obvious.  I had a client who designed a product which was an alternative to a “vent damper”.  He didn’t want any association with the actual term.  Unfortunately since consumers did not know his product existed, they couldn’t find him.  We rewrote his home copy to say: Unlike traditional vent dampers, our product….  Suddenly, people could find his site.
• Recency – New content goes to to the top of the list.  While it is unproductive to update your home page every day, you should have a strategy for adding new content on a regular basis.  This is why blogs have become so popular for small business owners.   A fresh blog post, containing relevant information, gives visitors, and Google a reason to come back.
• Related Links – The Internet is a collaborative community, and you are judged by the company you keep. To improve visibility,  work with your strategic partners to add links on their sites and reciprocate with links on yours.  Share the love, with references to associates who have products and services which are RELEVANT to your target audience.  Also consider a few links to national trade associations, and organizations even if they don’t link back, this does give a level of authority and credibility to your site.   Another tactic is to write comments on other related blogs.  Again, this creates a positive impression of you ( assuming the comment adds value to the original post) and it creates a link back to your site.

Want to learn more?  Check out Aaron Douglas’ class: SEO for SBO’s