Knowing what Google is seeking with its Local algorithm provides major intelligence to small and mid-size business (SMB) marketers regarding how to position themselves for optimum exposure to Google searches. In a major study that encompassed data from 150 U.S. cities and tracking over 100,000 websites, two significant elements emerge as critical to earning Page 1 status in Google searches … reviews and engagement.

In this article we’ll start with a recap of key elements revealed by the study and then move to practical steps to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and maximize the volume of prospects in your sales funnel.

Reviews

Clearly, reviews are a driving factor in Google My Business ranking results. Among the reasons this is so, is that hot or trendy local businesses are likely to enjoy skyrocketing reviews. Reviews are likely to have even more positive impact when they include a keyword your business is trying to rank for coupled with a city you are working to rank in

Apparently Google rewards optimized anchor text around both keywords and city which points to winning contenders for Page 1 status have likely invested in third-party, professional SEO services (more on that later).

All of this point to the necessity to focus on a review program and working how to get keywords and cities included in your reviews.

Invest In Your Website

So far we’ve talked about content as it relates to the key elements of reviews and engagement. This is all part and parcel of having a well-rounded SEO strategy with a predominant emphasis on your website. The study concludes that generally SMBs don’t get high marks when it comes to their websites. A simple example is not including a term you want to rank for on the page you want to rank.

Businesses that perform well in Google My Business ranking results have invested in SEO to ensure they are optimizing their meta tags and making sure their website is mobile friendly and other design elements that drive ranking outcomes.

Conclusion

The study irrefutably illustrates the need for the foundational building blocks of a Local SEO campaign to help SMB marketers prioritize their investments in time, money and content and thereby maximize their ranking to drive traffic to their website and enhance their conversion rate.

SEO and You

OK, so the case has been made very clear … People start their search for a product or service with Google. That underscores the importance for you to be visible where folks are looking for you … and that means your website.

SEO is directed toward getting better rankings in the Google search engine results pages. Success with SEO is realized in the longer term as it takes time to be recognized by the search engines as delivering relevant content.

So let’s take a look at how you can elevate your placement on Google with SEO, singularly the main component of search engine marketing. Our objective is to identify how to enhance your online marketing and drive traffic to your website.

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

“Content is king” is the mantra to embrace … meaning be sure to include details of all your products and services and other related information on your website to improve your site’s visibility to search engines and their users. That will help your site to show up more often in searches by folks seeking what you offer in products, services or education.

The good news is that SEO is free. You may choose to do-it-yourself or enlist the aid of an expert to guide you through the process. In addition to search listing being free, no one can “buy” their way in to a better ranking. Google is committed to search content being maintained as useful and trustworthy.

You can further demonstrate that your site and content is relevant to the interests of online searchers by having other sites link to yours, e.g. testimonials, product/service reviews and informational blogs.

Keyword Research: Keywords are the foundation for your SEO campaign, and researching the keywords and key phrases that your target audience is searching for is critical. The premier tool is Google AdWords Keyword Tool .

It is simple to use. Enter some words you believe to be key, and the tool automatically generates a cluster of suggested keywords. Focus your efforts on a select few that seem relevant and demonstrate a decent search volume.

Next step is click on www.Google.com  and one at a time enter each of your keywords. Note the number of web results for each. Finally, calculate the competition ratio by dividing the ‘Global search volume’ by the ‘Number of web results’ . Keywords with the higher ratios are the ones to optimize.

Takeaways

So we’ve covered a lot of ground making the case for SMB marketers on the critical need to position themselves for optimum exposure to Google searches. Singularly, the big gun that will get you on Page 1 of Google is SEO.

That means you will be at the top of the vendors list when your customers, prospects and referral resources are searching for what you can deliver. If you are not at the top of the vendors list, i.e. Page 1 of Google , then you just lost a customer to a competitor who has successfully done what is necessary to occupy that critical position.

Now your choices are do-it-yourself or enlist the aid and invest in third-party, professional SEO services. It is likely that you are already wearing several hats as a business owner and ladling in yet another marketing responsibility is probably not an option … particularly if you have to master the learning curve of effective SEO.

SEO strategy and execution is a profession unto itself. You are well-advised to seek proven expertise just as you do with your accountant, attorney or other trusted advisors.

Third Marble Marketing is primed to be your SEO “go-to” resource. Give us a call or drop an email. We’ll respond promptly … at no charge for initial consultation.