If you don’t understand by now why SEO is so important for small business, then it’s time to stop, sit up and take note. Search Engine Optimisation can make or break your website. And in 2019, if your website doesn’t perform at its best, you’re leaving a huge chunk of money on the table.
Guaranteed… Your competitors are taking it seriously.
While those that specialise in SEO will try to make the topic sound as complicated as possible – to justify the high price tag for their services – there is one sure-fire strategy that will ensure your site ranks highly on Google and other search engines.
Great content.
Here are 7 reasons why great content is the key to SEO (according to Google):
#1 Google loves quality content
Google ranks well-written, substantial and topical content higher than any other factor for SEO. Content is number 1. This alone should be motivation enough to ensure the writing (copy) on your website is professional, persuasive but above all educational. Give the reader insight into who you are, what you do and what your industry is about, and you will give yourself every chance of being ranked as an authority in your field.
#2 Keyword research is alive and well in 2019
Knowing what your potential customers are typing into the search bar (and how often) when they are looking for your product or service, and then writing this into your website, is crucial because this how they will find your business. Also, by researching what keywords your competitors use, you can either copy what they’re doing or choose to focus on longer search phrases so as not to compete directly with them. The latter is an excellent strategy if you’re new to the industry or your competitor has already established themselves as an authority.
#3 Words and phrases will help your business get found
It’s not about stuffing as many keywords as possible; this tactic will be viewed unfavourably not only by Google but site visitors as well. It’s about key search phrases. Rarely do people type one or two words anymore. They’re far more likely to type in a complete phrase. By understanding what potential customers are looking for, you can tailor your content to include the words from these common phrases so that Google will present your website as a possible option to these searches.
SIDENOTE: By 2020, experts predict, up to 50% of all search requests will come from Voice Search as more people adopt technology such as Siri (Apple), Alexis (Google) and Echo (Amazon) – smart speaker devices. By focusing on conversational copywriting with key search phrases, this will significantly improve the visibility of your website.
#4 Fresh content ranks higher
Having a regularly updated blog on your website with interesting articles relevant to your industry will improve your Google ranking. When the Google crawler indexes your website and discovers fresh content, it will know your site is active, relevant and topical. This is precisely what Google is looking for to present as a result of potential customer searches. As well as this, having a blog will allow you to use more key phrases which will help to drive qualified customers back to your main website improving engagement and conversion.
#5 Vertical content increases engagement
Vertical content refers to other types of content such as images, video and local news. Again, Google rewards quality content that keeps your website visitors on the web page, consuming your information and reducing visitor bounce rates. By having informative videos, images, and news updates related to your industry, your business will rank as an authority, which has a flow-on effect because the humans visiting your website will believe this too.
#6 Content allows you to answer direct questions
Creating content for your website that answers specific questions about your product or service can result in Google presenting your web page as a ‘Featured Snippet’. Not only will your website rank highly but Google will also give a summary of the actual content on your website as an answer to a specific search query which is an incredibly powerful way for smaller businesses to out-rank large competitors in organic search. Again, research is vital. Knowing your target market and adapting your website to appeal to their needs and wants will improve your rankings and overall conversion as well.
#7 Google doesn’t like ‘thin’ content
Every page of your website needs to be well-written and have substantial detail. 200-300 words minimum for each page is optimal because anything less, Google will lower the rank of your webpage for not having enough content. The reason for this; Google’s mission is to present the best quality and most relevant information on the internet. So, keep in mind, everything is essential. Correct grammar, sentence structure and paragraph spacing are seen to be helpful for people searching the web, so Google looks for this as well.
In summary, this list should provide a lot of confidence for small business owners looking to improve the search performance of their website. If you feel this is too complex and time consuming for you, it may be an idea to discuss the option of hiring a copywriter with your business coach. Enlisting the skills of a professional writer could be well worth the expense because the right content on your website can drive traffic, create engagement and increase conversion. Your website should be the hardest working ‘salesperson’ your business employs. Let it work for you so that you can focus on building your business.
About the Author
Matt McGregor is a dedicated freelance SEO copywriter from Melbourne – determined to write authentic, unique and original ideas for website content that sparks in-depth discussion. Specialising in SEO website copywriting for business coaching and sales training platforms, Matt has many years’ experience in high-pressure sales and high-level customer service environments.
