Looking for an search engine optimisation (SEO) expert to get your website on the top of a Google search in Cranbrook BC or your local city?

Would you like your business to be shown on the first page of a Google search engine results page? (That’s the first page you see after doing a Google search on your smartphone, computer or tablet)
Are you wondering why your business doesn’t have a pin on Google maps related to your business?
Would you like your business to have a pin show up on an iPhone or Android smartphone map search for your services?
Would you like your website to be generating high quality leads and sales?

If you answered yes to any of these questions read on. You probably found this page using a google search and clicking on a SERP (Search engine results page) listing. That can happen for your website just as easily.

Here’s the good news: Google wants to rank your business on the first page of a related search

Do you have customers coming into your store, or calling your business every day? If so then you will have customers searching for your business online. Google knows this and their mandate is to show the most relevant links for what people type (or speak) into their smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. That means Google wants to show a link of your business website when people search for your business. Google loves content (words, pictures, and videos) and if you provide useful relevant content about your business and the services you provide you will have the opportunity to dominate a google search page. Optimising that content for search is called search engine optimisation (SEO).

Good content + SEO = high google rank on a Search Engine Results Page.

SEO tip #1: Have you claimed your Google my Business listing?

Google actually gives preference to small business with a physical location. One way they do this is with their free Google my Business listing. Actually, Google may already have your business showing up on their map. However, they allow business owners to claim their listing which will give you the opportunity to add photos, enhance your description and list your business hours. Many businesses have not taken this one simple step that will provide Google with the information they need to put you on the map. Here’s a guide I wrote on how to claim your free business listing on Google, Apple maps, Yelp and TripAdvisor.

SEO tip #2: Do you have your business hours listed for each day of the week on your about us page?

Do you know the #1 reason most of your customers are searching for your business? The answer is they want to know what hours you are open. You would be surprised how many websites make very basic information like business name, address, phone number and hours of operation hard to find. Or worse yet, they are not accurate. Another basic tip is to have your business name, address and phone number (Sometimes referred to as your NAP) listed in the footer of every web page you have on your business. That will be a signal to Google that the content on this page is related to your business.

SEO tip #3: Take an SEO audit of your website.

Do you know how well your website is ranking on Google right now? A good place to start is with an SEO audit of your website which will provide you with a benchmark of how well your website is showing up on Google right now. It will also show you areas that you can improve. Then you can see results from any improvements you make to your website.

Here are a few simple questions that you should know about your website:

Can you find your website with a basic search of your business name? (I have seen website listings on Google link to a website that has expired or that was never posted!)
Does your business show up on the first page of a Google search for at least one of your key services in your city? (e.g.: type the following into a google search bar “[your key service] in [name of your city]”)
Is your website mobile friendly? (Is it responsive to changing where the pictures and text appear on a smartphone vs a desktop computer)
Do you know how many visitors are referred to your website by a Google search? (A healthy small business website should get at least 50% of your traffic by search)
Do you know your top 10 most viewed web pages last month? Last year?
Do you receive a report of your website activity on a monthly basis showing you how many visitors came to your online store, where they went, how long they stayed and if they took an action?

If you answered yes to all of these questions then congratulations, you have the tools at your fingertips to dominate your online marketing efforts and turn visitors into customers. If on the other hand, you answered no to any of those questions then I have a follow-up question for you: Would you like to know this information?

Of course, simply knowing the answers to the above questions isn’t enough. The second step of SEO is having the right content to attract Google searches.

Remember the SEO equation:

Good content + SEO = high Google rank on a Search Engine Results Page.

Does your website have the right content?

The goal of your content shouldn’t just be so that you show up on the top page of a Google listing. Why not? Because you need to think about what comes after the click. What happens after someone sees your link, clicks on it and then arrives at your website. Will they find the information they are looking for? Will they be able to trust your business from what they see? Will they take an action that will lead to a sale?

Your goals and Google’s are aligned. How so? Remember that Google wants to show the most relevant content. They are watching which pages people click on and if they find what they are looking for. (A high bounce rate is one indicator of a page where people aren’t finding what they are looking for). Google will then give preference to the pages that provide the most stickiness. If a page has weak content, Google will, in turn, reward someone else’s page.

Content tip #1: Does your website have separate pages for each of your key services?

Keep in mind the real reason people search online. They are not looking for businesses to donate their hard earned money to. They are looking for solutions for their specific problems. Rather than try to cram everything your business does on your homepage, it is better to build landing pages about each specific service you offer. For example, you may be a plumbing company that provides plumbing and heating services. When your potential customers need a new furnace they are not searching for “plumbers near me” they will search for “furnace installers near me” or ‘who is the best furnace company near me.” If you want to dominate that search term then you need to consider the intent of the person doing the search and build a landing page that talks specifically about furnaces.

Would you like to see your website improve its google search rankings?

Would you like to have an SEO audit and see a report card on how your website is performing on Google right now? Would it be helpful to have some suggestions on how to build a magnetic landing page that will get your website near the top of a Google search? If so, send me an email to hello@brandinggeek.ca for a free SEO audit and content recommendation. In exchange, I would like to have 20 minutes of your time for a curiosity conversation about your digital marketing challenges. I’m not trying to sell you anything, rather as a Branding Geek, I’m looking to do research about the challenges that small business have in marketing their services in a world where everyone has a powerful computer in their pocket (otherwise known as a smartphone) in their pocket at all times. I have helped a number of small businesses improve their Google search ranking and turn those leads into sales. If that sounds like it could benefit your business then let’s chat.

Kerry Shellborn, the Branding Geek