In a separate blog post, I shared results of a survey that explained how over 40% of small businesses are crying for help to get more traction online.
The most common complaint is that their business doesn’t come up on Google, Bing, Yahoo or other search engines (SE’s) when they attempt to find themselves. That problem can be overcome with just three initiatives. But first, I recommend that you take these first two steps.
First, go to http://www.semrush.com/ and put your URL in their search bar (it’s free). If nothing is found, then yes, you have a problem to fix. On the other hand, if your website is found, you’ll be given a lot of great statistics including a list of the keywords that bring up your website.
Second, go to www.adwords.google.com to search for keywords. If you don’t have an account, set one up. It’s free. After you get your account established, then look for “Tools and Analysis” and drop the menu down to “Keyword Tool.” Type in a word or phrase and in seconds you’ll get a report from Google telling you how many searches are conducted monthly on that word or phrase. They’ll also give you keyword ideas you may not have considered. I suggest you use phrases, and be sure to include your city and other detailed phrases. One search should lead to another as you begin to imagine how people are searching for businesses like yours.
Armed with this information, you can begin these three steps to enhance your odds of being found online.
1. Make sure your website Page Title is working for you. The Page Title is 70 characters that appear at the top of your website that most people never see. They must be “just right” so Google, Bing, Yahoo and other SE’s find you. Use the keywords you found at Google Adwords. Most likely, you won’t need to put your business name in these keywords. The SE’s will find your business name in your text on your home page (make sure it’s there!). And for goodness sakes, make sure the title bar doesn’t say “Home” as so many websites do.
2. Register your website with Google Places, Bing Local, Yahoo Local Listings and other SE’s. It’s easy to set up an account, but be ready to fill in information about your business and verify your account. The investment of time can pay off big for a business.
3. Add a video on your home page. The attention span of consumers is getting shorter all the time. Your prospective customers want to watch a short video about your organization. A minute or two will do. A video on a website is proven to increase your ranking by the SE’s. You don’t have to spend a fortune on the video, but make sure it is of good enough quality that prospective customers will take you seriously and credibly. Make sure you load your video to YouTube and embed it from YouTube to your website. With the right optimization using those keywords, you can be found on YouTube as well.
Implement these three steps and you’ll be on the way toward people finding your business online.
What are your challenges with your business being found online? Please share your challenges, and your successes, in the comment section below.
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Gary Hennerberg has helped to turnaround marketing performance
of businesses of all sizes for over 20 years. After a foundation of working in
direct response marketing, he has broadened his reach and navigates between
traditional direct mail marketing, email marketing, video marketing, SEO, and
other online marketing initiatives.
