SEO can be quite tricky to tackle on your own. But, if you’re a small business owner, then you might not have the cash currently to invest in a professional SEO team. It’s a step you might want to take in the future, but we realize it’s not for everyone (at the moment). Here are some tips for your SEO Efforts.
Still, there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re not sabotaging your SEO Efforts. If you’re committing any of the mistakes below, then you’ll want to fix them as soon as possible. If you’re not a professional it can be hard to distinguish between what actually works and what’s an outdated strategy.
But, if you want to do yourself (and your rankings) a favor, then you’ll keep reading to make sure there’s no holes in your current search strategy.
1. Business Directory Errors
Business directories are the bread and butter of local SEO. But, having inconsistent directory information is actually going to harm your business. If you’ve moved, or switched phone numbers, then you need to update your information so it’s accurate across every listing.
Yes, this might take a lot of tedious work, but it’s time well spent, since having accurate Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) is Google’s biggest local ranking factor.
2. No Directory Information
Maybe you’re brand new to this whole local SEO thing and you don’t even know what directories are. Don’t worry, we have you covered. Directories are essentially online Yellow Pages. They’re places that are either relevant to your local community, or relevant to your niche where you can list your company’s information. To get you started here’s a nice list to dive into.
In some cases a directory may even outrank your website, so you’ll want to have a complete profile, that way visitors can find out the necessary information about your business.
3. Non-Valuable Content
Google values content that readers love. And frankly your short content that’s stuffed with keywords isn’t cutting it. This doesn’t mean that every post you write needs to be over 1,000 words long, but you need each post to provide value to your readers.
Sometimes this calls for short content. Other times this means you’ll need to create a multiple thousand word resource guide.
The important thing is that it answers your readers questions and provides them with a valuable take away.
4. No Mobile Integration
Mobile is the future, and that future is already here. You probably should have updated your site to a responsive design yesterday. But, if you have an outdated website it isn’t too late.
Google is now penalizing sites that don’t cater to the mobile audience. The best way to gauge how well your site is performing across the mobile spectrum is to run your site through Google’s mobile friendliness test.
Making sure your site is mobile friendly will give your rankings a nice boost.
5. Lack of Local Reviews
Reviews are a very important aspect of local rankings. When you search for a local business the listings are often dominated by businesses that have the highest number of reviews.
SEO Efforts Conclusions
Sometimes all it takes to garner more reviews is to ask. Make it a habit to ask current and past customers to leave a review online about what it was like working with you.
If you think it’s time to invest in your local search engine presence, then get in touch with our team today. We love to help with your SEO Efforts and local businesses in the Jacksonville area create a thriving presence online.
