The Importance of Online Business Visibility
We are living in a digital age and if you and your business are not yet on board, it is time to jump on.
Your customers are online and so are your competitors. Small business owners can tap into the goldmine of the digital world to increase their reach, visibility and revenue. Not only are your customers online searching for businesses like yours, but they are also sharing their experiences which will potentially get more customers to find you. They are leaving reviews and sharing information which will result in further visibility.
If your business is not online, how will the thousands of people searching for your products and services find you? How much revenue are you potentially missing out on because of your lack of online presence? Your small business’ marketing campaign needs search engine optimization as an essential way to promote your business.
What is SEO
The first step to making your business visible online is to leverage the power of search engine optimization.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the art of optimizing your online content with keywords related to your business, products or services. This ensures that whenever a search engine user enters those keywords in a search engine, your website or online profiles will show up if optimized well.
The major thing to note about SEO is to find the right keywords for your business. Keyword research can be conducted using Google’s very own Keyword Planner. Keyword Planner helps you to refine the keywords for your business as well as introduce you to new ones that customers are using in search engines. Pay close attention to these and keep them handy as they are the foundation upon which you will build your online presence in order to be found by your target market.
Create an SEO-Friendly Google My Business Page
Using Google’s many resources is crucial to climbing the ranks on Google’s Search Engine. One such resource is the Google My Business platform. On this platform, businesses can set up free profiles, which are listed at the top of the search engine results page whenever a relevant keyword is used to search for a product or service. This is a commonly used digital marketing strategy used to generate organic visits and sales at an online or physical location.
To create an SEO-friendly Google My Business Profile, the following are essential:
- A complete business description. Take advantage of this section to put as much detailed description as you can. Visitors to your profile must immediately see what your business is about and the content should entice them to call you or visit your website or physical location. You get 750 characters. Ensure the content is keyword-rich. If you are unsure of how to do this, contact us for our content writing services. We create content for all digital marketing channels.
- Complete your business information – this is your business’ name, location, contact information, hours of operation and category. This information should be current and updated regularly. Users are likely to hit the ‘call’ or ‘visit website’ buttons. They will not search online for another phone number or a working website link. These are your digital assets and you should always protect them.
- Add search-engine-optimized images to your profile. Whatever images you upload to your Google My Business profile should be optimized with the relevant keywords. You optimize an image by saving it as a keyword or keyphrase. The ‘alt text’ for the image must also be optimized.
- When search engine users search for that keyword, your images will show on the ‘images’ page. This applies your logo, images of you with customers, alone, images of your storefront, and any other you upload.
- Add videos—again, these should be saved as a keyword or keyphrase. These videos must be relevant to your business as they will be an online representation of your brand.
Pro-tip for business marketing – pay attention to your insights page to see how people are finding your business. You will see the search queries used and you can adjust the keywords used in your optimization plan as needed.
Ensure All Your Online Content is Optimized with Relevant Keywords
Google My Business isn’t the only online platform you need to consider when you want to make people find your business online. Your website, social media pages, listings in online directories and all other web content should be optimized. A good content marketing strategy should be included in every digital marketing plan.
If you don’t know how to do this, hire evlos. We solve digital marketing problems. Getting it right is crucial— it is easier to start from scratch than to have to fix things later on.
Create High-Quality Content Often
We know this part might not be the easiest for you. You have a business to run and customers to serve, but creating high-quality content is essential. You need to consistently put content out in order to rank well for your keywords and to give your audience fresh content to see.
A search engine’s job is to help people find answers to whatever they need. Create content in various formats – videos, blog posts, images, and other digital media, if you want to be seen as the thought leader that provides high-quality information to your audience. A digital marketer or social media marketer will be helpful if you’re not sure of the type of content to create for your business.
Though you ultimately want to optimize your content to increase your reach, don’t forget the local audience waiting to purchase your products and services. Local searches have a high purchase intent. When locals search for your business, they are ready to make a purchase. 78% of local mobile searches result in an in-person or online purchase. Online marketing methods can still be used to reach the people close to you.
Traditional Marketing vs. Online Marketing?
Both have benefits, but the reach of online marketing cannot be outdone. Focus your search engine optimization on your best keywords and build your customer base. Adjust your keywords when needed and invest in a digital marketing campaign for your business.
evlos digital is here to answer any question you may have. We have helped many businesses see incredible success with their search engine optimization campaigns. Contact us for more information.