For a long time, if rookie entrepreneurs want to launch a business in the Philippines, they have to invest in a large building, hire staff and professionals, and create marketing promotions and advertisements.
The trickier part is when they try to make a large-scale change, such as selling their product or service online. Before, the only available option was to invest in a vast building and pay for expensive advertisements.
And even then, they still cannot be sure that they will survive because they are in a highly competitive industry where the bottom line is profit.
However, because of the recent development and progression of technology, business owners now have a new way to reach their target market — an easy way that does not require significant investments or paying for pricey advertisements.
Experts call it to search engine optimization. Find out how the initial initiatives optimize your new business.
The Challenge For Newly-Launched Businesses During Pandemic
Depending on where they are on their entrepreneurial journey, the difficulty level can be different when trying to sell a product.
If you are running a startup, having a marketing strategy is one of the most critical things on your checklist. You have to get your target market’s attention and draw their focus towards your product or service.
But, in the event of a pandemic, it will be much harder to reach them through normal marketing strategies because these people are focused on staying indoors or trying to protect themselves against the unknown. They are busy on ‘essentials’ and cutting unnecessary expenses. This is the challenge that rookie entrepreneurs have to face.
There are, however, alternatives to reaching out to the maximum audience. Some of these alternatives include:
SEO is a time-tested way for business owners to make their business visible in search engines. The idea behind SEO is to get your product or service in front of people. Here’s how:
A Simple SEO Checklist For A New Small Business
Finally, you’ve decided to take a risk with SEO. So now here comes the real deal — where are you going to start? What do you need to do first?
With a well-structured SEO roadmap, this checklist will significantly help you build a robust SEO strategy and guide you through the whole process.
1. Perform an SEO Audit.
First, you need to create a good website structure and prepare all technical elements before doing anything else. The technical factors include Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEO plugins, XML sitemap, and robot.txt file.
These elements will ensure that your website is visible to search engine spiders and bots.
Set up your Google Analytics
Before you give your site to Google and let them know about everything working for you, you need to have access to Google Analytics.
You will then be able to track everything such as:
- See how people are finding and landing on your site.
- See traffic sources and pages they typically visit.
- Find out what keywords they are using to find the services or products you offer.
Install Google Search Console
After you have set up your Google Analytics, you can proceed to install Google Search Console. This tool from Google will help you monitor your site’s presence in Google SERPs and monitor webmaster level messages from the search giant.
Utilize short and descriptive URLs
Another thing you should be doing as soon as you launch your site is to be sure that all the URLs, including the sitemap file, are short and easy to remember. This will help with future link building and search engine optimization, especially when trying to figure out more about keywords that people are using to find your site.
For example, which one of the following URLs is easier to remember?
www.goseo.com/947534606/02!e534600 or www. goseo.com/services/
The difference between these two URLs is a matter of one character. However, if you try to remember the long URL and type it on a mobile device, you might key in the wrong one.
Add an SEO plugin
Though the internal search of Google is pretty smart and can help you, it cannot be entirely relied on. Because if Google’s algorithm changes and you have not updated your site, you won’t be able to rank even though it is still relevant.
Create the Robot.txt File
The robots.txt file is a simple yet powerful file that helps to enable and disable search engine bots to crawl and index your site. Aside from that, the robots.txt file also helps to prevent search engines from visiting particular pages of your site that you don’t want it to visit.
XML sitemap file
Google gives preference to the URL in question, whereas other websites have it initially. Having a sitemap file is also a good way to identify that your site will appear on Google faster.
2. Add Title and Description Tags.
After you have created a good site structure and technical elements, it’s time to add the metadata. It includes title and description tags.
Title Tags
It is a simple way for you to rank higher in search engines. For example, if your business name is Pharmasave Pharmacy, then adding “Pharmasave Pharmacy” in the title tag will automatically increase your page rankings.
In terms of SEO Page Title Analysis, it has been proven that short yet descriptive titles will help your business pages on Google.
Description Tags
This is your chance to tell the search engine spiders and bots what your business is all about.
You have to be as descriptive and informative as possible. Take time to make an appealing description that will grab the audience attention and make them click on your page.
Another tip is to add alt text so search engine spiders can better understand what you are trying to convey. The alt-text should not be about the visual element of the image since search engine spiders or bots cannot read it.
Title tags and descriptions are among the most important aspects of SEO. It will tell search engine spiders and bots how your page is relevant to the keywords they are searching.
3. Create an H1 Tag with your primary keyword.
The title tag is not your only chance to show relevance, especially to the right keywords. You have other chances as well. One of these is the H1 tag.
H1 stands for Headline 1, and it is what you write in the bold text under your primary keyword or product category. By being this prominent and recognizable in search engines, you will get better ranking positions.
The H1 Tag is also known as the #1 factor when ranking pages at Google. This is why H1 is known as the “SEO Gold”. We highly suggest including your main keyword in the H1 tag and considering using shorter titles.
4. Build Links to internal and external resources.
Link building is a vital element of SEO that you cannot neglect.
Take some time to review all your backlinks, as well as any websites linking to your site. They should be fixed and possibly removed if they don’t have a good quality or are using keyword stuffing. Of course, keep an eye on the page rankings of those websites too.
Although it’s not something that will directly improve your site’s ranking positions, the link relationship between them will, in turn, improve their page ranks and search engine visibility which will eventually boost yours as well.
Internal links are not just for internal pages but can also link to other important pages or categories. You must remember to use relevant keywords as anchor text.
External links are links that point to your site from other websites. Always note what keywords people are using when linking to your website. Find websites that have the same topics and link build by leaving comments, adding content, and building relationships with them.
5. Fix all possible technical SEO issues
When we say, technical SEO, it means taking a look at SEO tactics that affect the load speed of your website and make it load faster.
A variety of factors can hamper your site’s overall performance, such as link building, duplicate content, broken links, and so on. As a result, Google’s algorithm will see less value and importance in your website.
You’ll need to take care of all these areas to gain more authority in SERPs.
Broken pages and links
Have you ever experienced clicking a link leading you to a different webpage? This is called a broken link or broken page. They are made when a web page is moved to another website, deleted, or changed URL structure.
When a link is broken or pointing at the wrong place, the search engine spiders and bots won’t find and index your website. It will have a huge impact on your SERPs.
Any dead links that you find on your site should be fixed as soon as possible.
Poor site loading time
Slow website loading time is one of the main reasons why users leave your site. Unfortunately, Google’s algorithm also penalizes sites with bad loading time and ranks them lower in search results.
Google wants users to experience a fast, efficient, and convenient browsing experience. If your site takes too long to load and frustrates people, they will most likely bounce off and look elsewhere. Fixing this issue isn’t easy, but you can take steps to improve your website’s loading speed.
Crawl errors
Crawl errors are caused by pages that are blocked, restricted, or misconfigured.
This is a common occurrence for sites that update their content frequently. A high number of crawl errors might mean that search engine spiders and bots are unable to access your site as intended and thus won’t index it fully.
Multiple crawl errors can also indicate that you have too over-optimized your site keywords or are using too many inbound links. Fixing these issues requires time and effort.
Not mobile-optimized website
Google has already addressed the importance of mobile-friendly sites. Google has announced that its algorithm will consider how well your site is performing on mobile and desktop devices.
In addition to performance and loading speed issues, having a mobile-friendly website could mean the difference between simple site access versus an improved user experience.
Small local businesses who want to improve their online presence should make it mobile-friendly since that’s where people tend to spend most of their time, especially on smartphones.
Use HTTPs
Above all, stick with the latest and use HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) as it keeps your website safe from hackers.
HTTPs encrypt your data, so anyone trying to steal sensitive information will face some obstacle and won’t be able to get to it.
When people see a site without an SSL certificate, they think that their personal information could be stolen, so they tend to leave and search elsewhere. Don’t let this happen since Google already took action against unsecured sites back in 2014.
6. Do Website Page Optimization
The next step is to make sure that your website pages are optimized. Keep reading to find out how.
Find your main keyword
The hunt for your main keyword is a vital step. Keywords serve as the foundation of your SEO campaign. These are often the first words or phrases that show up on Google search results, so you should pick something related to your website’s topic.
When finding good keywords, you need to consider several factors, including the volume of searches, the amount of traffic to your website, and how often your keywords appear in Google search queries.
You may want to narrow down your keyword by searching for similar phrases in the Google Keyword Planner. It will give you a rough estimate of how often they are explored and the average cost-per-click (CPC). Then, use your key products and services as your guide and compare them to your competitors to better understand the average CPC.
Target longtail keyword variations
Longtail keywords are an important part of SEO. These are phrases that contain three or more words. Unfortunately, because these are quite specific, the search volume for many of them is pretty low.
However, they have a higher conversion rate because most people search for your product and services directly, unlike generic keywords where people browse around and explore things. Longtail keywords also allow you to rank for more terms at a time, which means you’re able to hold your spot in SERPs longer.
Don’t forget to understand the search intent
How your website is being used and what people are searching for is also important for considering longtail keyword targets. A search intent helps you to understand better which keywords to choose and how to write content around them.
By diving beyond the core meaning of the term, you can see why people use that word and describe the situation and emotions they feel in detail. This will allow you to write more compelling content that they are looking for since it satisfies their need and keeps them on your website.
Good copies are more crucial than ever
What you write down is also important. You should make sure that your content is informative and relevant to the topic at hand. It’s all about being transparent, direct and honest.
Search engines want to find out what your site is about to determine how it should be ranked. Search engines won’t be impressed if the content isn’t helpful and relevant. This is why you need to make sure you know who your target audience is.
Schema Markup
Ever wondered why some pages rank better than others? Well, this is where schema markup comes in. The schema language defines the structure of your website’s metadata. This includes how you should organize your page titles, title tags and descriptions, and how you should describe your products and services.
To make it possible for search engines to understand your schema, you need to add the schema.org markup on top of your HTML pages. These form a set of structured data containing valuable information that search engines such as Google can improve its search results.
7. Establish Citation and Manage Local Business Listings
SEO is not just about what you do on your website. It is about how visible you are to visitors and search engines, especially on local search.
In this regard, one thing that can help is capitalizing on local citations – from local directories to magazine listings and everything in between.
Here are a few tips for getting started with citation building:
- Choose your citations carefully. Some citations are considered more valuable than others, so make sure they reflect what matters most to you (e.g. local press, content marketing, social media links).
- Make sure to include multiple citations for each citation type. If you choose well, you can find the exact combination that best describes your website and how it relates to your target audience so that search engines will give you higher rankings.
- Make sure that local directories are also benefiting from link building. If a directory is showing up for search queries, chances are it’s because people are linking to it from somewhere else – such as other directories or on other websites.
On the other hand, the less you have to pay for a citation, the better. This is why creating link strategies and reports for your website can be useful.
Google My Business is a convenient way to create and manage local business listings for your website. You can also use a local citation service to help you create citations for your businesses through their software – this is also important if you want to build a higher level of trust with Google (or other search engines).
If you have no idea how to go about it, but you do know that you need to build links to your website, we can help you. As one of the trusted SEO companies in the Philippines, we assist in building link strategies. In addition, we also help our clients manage their online reputation.
8. Launch a link building campaign and promotion
Link building is important. The challenge is figuring out how to make it happen.
Here are some ways to get started:
- Find link opportunities and potential sources.
Thinking about link opportunities is also a process of identifying likely places for link partnerships to come. These can include content syndication, guest posts, resource links, etc.
In addition, you should also know if you want links on sites with a particular focus (e.g. local, B2B), or if you want to build links to your website from sites that are about a similar topic but different enough that you don’t worry about competition.
It’s also important to remember who you want to target in the first place. Do you want other websites to link to your site? Do you want social media influencers and bloggers to share your content?
All of this will influence the kinds of opportunities and sources.
- Try to reverse engineer your competitors’ tactics.
An adage says to “learn from your competitors’ mistakes.” So, if you’re thinking about how to build a link campaign, the first step is to examine the link profiles of your competitors and ask yourself:
- Are their link acquisition tactics working? Monitoring their activities and seeing how they’re doing it can give you some ideas on what might work for you.
- Are they doing things right, and can you use their tactics or tweak them to your own needs?
- Are they doing things wrong, and if so, are there tactics you think might be better?
- Make a list of all link sources that could help you get more links.
If you want more links, the next step is to make a list of link sources that can help you get those links. Many kinds of websites provide content for syndication or guest posts (i.e. they may have a “submit content” page).
In addition, you should also make sure that you know who to contact at each website or service that you plan to reach out to. It’s also important to note that you may need to prioritize which sites will give you the best results if your list is extremely long.
- Get good customer reviews.
As a business owner, you should know that user reviews are the top factors in increasing conversions. This is also the case for how we find information on the internet. If a product or service gets good reviews, we will be more likely to trust it and buy what it offers.
- Craft high-quality images and videos.
To enhance the overall user experience, all users want quick-loading pages and rich media content. It can also be a way to increase the probability of people clicking on links. In this regard, you can leverage high-quality images and videos by considering the following:
- Sharing articles that offer a unique angle on a subject (e.g., feature angles/insights, specific content that’s more than just an overview).
- Publishing in smaller content chunks (i.e., instead of publishing one large article with ten subheadings, publish several at once).
9. Utilize SEO + Paid Advertising
The powerful mix of SEO and paid advertising can yield impressive results. But many businesses don’t realize that “search engine optimization” works best when your organic and paid strategies work together to create a complete strategy.
In this case, you can achieve tremendous ROI on your total advertising spend by combining the power of pay-per-click with organic search traffic (e.g. paying for targeted advertisement while simultaneously focusing on content marketing, link building, etc.).
Wrapping Up
The art of making your small business visible online is a long-term process. But, if you have the right resources and take the time to learn, your company’s success is not that far away. You have to start somewhere.
An SEO company in the Philippines will help you understand how to build a solid online presence for your business. We can also optimize your site with the best practices in the industry to ensure that you can gain more exposure in search engines.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is SEO good for small businesses?
SEO is good for all businesses, but the more competition a company has, the harder it will be to rank on page one of search engines. A small business will have a more challenging time ranking on page one versus a large company like Facebook.
How does SEO work for small businesses?
Regardless of what business you’re in, SEO is more about the quality and type of content your website creates. Therefore, a mix of industry-specific and general SEO techniques are needed for any business, big or small.
Finding the right SEO company in the Philippines will help you find the best combination of techniques that help your website get found by those searching for what you offer.
Can I do SEO on my own?
Yes. However, once you start down the path of learning SEO, you’ll start to see how complicated it is. It’s a multi-discipline science. From keyword analysis to link building strategies, there’s a long list of factors that go into making a website more search engine friendly.
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