SEO for Small Businesses

SEO The Basics: What is SEO?

SEO is the practice of enhancing your website so it appears higher in Google search results when potential customers search for what you offer. It involves using relevant keywords, creating helpful content, and optimizing your site's technical performance so search engines can find and rank your business.

SEO In Action: When users see a result closer to the top of the page they subconsciously acknowledge that the search engines are listing their best results first. For example, if a user were to search for “coffee,” Starbucks would pop up first!

SEO The Basics: Why is SEO Important?

SEO is important because it drives free, ongoing traffic to your website, unlike paid ads that stop working the moment you stop paying. Good SEO builds credibility and trust—businesses that rank higher in search results are often perceived as more established and reliable.

How Do I Start? 

The following 3 guiding principles of SEO will help propel your business’s online presence:

1. On-Page SEO: Make your content work for you → Refining your site’s structure and keywords helps reach the right audience.

   • Use clear titles, specific wording, and location that say what you offer

   • Link between your pages, such as your homepage to your services

2. Off-Page SEO: Build trust and further your reach → Boost your site’s reputation and visibility outside your own website.

   • Ask your customer to leave reviews on Google or Yelp

   • Stay active on social media with helpful or engaging posts

3. Technical SEO: Make your website fast and customer-friendly → Ensure that your website runs smoothly so search engines can understand it. 

   • Use a mobile-friendly layout like Wix or Shopify

   • Set up Google Search Console and submit your sitemap

SEO The Basics: Key Words

Keywords help your page stand out, as they provide the user with the direct information they are looking for via search engines! Keywords are the exact phrases customers type when searching for your product (e.g “AC repair” not “HVAC services”). Here’s how to incorporate effective keywords: 

• Research some keywords that are relevant to your website

• Use a Keyword Tool or Artificial Intelligence to find keywords with low competitiveness and moderate traffic. Words with a low competitiveness score are easier to leverage in order to gain traction for your website.

• Explore the following resources to help narrow your keyword search: 

  • Google Keyword Planner (Requires account set up)

  • WordStream Free Keyword Tool

  • Keyword Surfer Chrome Extension

  • Ubersuggest (Paid)

• Aim for 1-3 keywords per topic and/or website page.

SEO The Basics: Key Performance Metrics

Understanding key performance metrics is critical to track the success of your SEO efforts. You can analyze the following metrics and compare results pre and post SEO to better understand your website’s performance: 

Impressions - # of times your content appears on someone’s screen

Reach - # of people who saw the post

Engagement Rate - amount of reactions (clicks, likes, comments, shares, etc.) divided by # of followers

Click-through Rate -  % of people who clicked on the post. # of clicks divided by # of impressions.

Bounce Rate - % of visitors who leave without taking any further action.

Conversion Rate - % of users who  complete a desired action (signing up, making a purchase, downloading content, etc.)

SEO The Basics: Quick Tips

The SEO journey involves long-term results —be prepared to wait 3-6 months to show significant results! Additionally, remember that consistency is key; regularly updating content, earning reviews, and maintaining your site beats occasional big efforts. Moreover, don’t forget to consider mobile users. Over 60% of searches occur on mobile devices, so make sure your website functions on a phone!

SEO can feel overwhelming at first, but start small with one issue at a time. Refrain from cramming too many keywords in, as this may make content unreadable and lower your ranking. Ultimately, effective SEO is about finding a sweet spot between organic language and metric-conscious key words. 

For more SEO knowledge or other small business support, explore our Arizona Microcredit Initiative free educational workshops. Arizona Microcredit Initiative (AMI) has consulting and microloan support for yourself and your business. If you have any more questions, you can schedule an appointment today through https://www.azmicrocredit.org/schedule-a-consultation-1 or reach out to us at info@azmicrocredit.org.