Small, local business sometimes need a little extra help in marketing themselves in the digital marketplace. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a valuable tool that can give you an advantage over your competition in the online world of digital marketing. Here are some of the biggest mistakes that businesses make when utilizing SEO to promote themselves.

Using the Wrong Keywords

Using the right keywords on your website and in social media posts makes it easier for you to rank in Google searches. One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is using generic keywords that are used by millions of other businesses online. If you’re a small, local business, you can’t expect to show up on the first page of Google search results by using basic keywords. Instead, include the city in which your business is located, or make your keywords longer and more specific.

Forgetting to Link to Your Website

Optimizing your website for SEO is another tool that people often forget about. You can use metadata to include the title of your webpage and a description of services in search results, instead of just a generic link to your page. This makes your link stand out from the rest, as more information is provided in the search result to invite people to visit your website. You can also link to your website in every social media post and blog post so it’s always easy for people to end up on your website, no matter what search result they’re getting.

Ignoring Your Blog

Writing a blog on your website is another great way to make sure that your keywords are showing up in Google searches. You can utilize a blog to provide detailed, specific information about your services, while also using SEO keywords to ensure your blog posts show up in Google searches. When potential customers search Google for your keywords, they will see a result that looks timely, friendly, and informative, rather than just a static link to a webpage.

Not Optimizing for Mobile

More and more people are using their smartphones to find information on the web, but if your website and social media pages are not optimized for mobile, they may not be showing up correctly in web searches made on cell phones. The quickest way to lose a customer’s interest is by linking to a page that doesn’t load, loads slowly, or loads incorrectly when viewed on a mobile device. A digital marketing expert can make sure that your SEO includes results that are optimized for mobile.

Not Encouraging Sharing

Writing content that uses valuable SEO keywords and is also engaging and interesting can be difficult. It is quickly clear to customers if they have clicked on a link that provides generic or poorly written information that was only created for clicks. You need to create engaging, informative content for your blog and social media – content that encourages your followers to share it with friends and family. Not only do your customers want to see well-written content, but Google also needs enough copy on each page of your site in order to know what your page is about and to include it in searches. A few poorly written sentences on a forgotten website or blog will never show up in Google search results.

Ignoring the Experts

While you can find a wealth of information and advice online that can help you get started with SEO and digital marketing, you should also know when to consult an expert. Sometimes you’ll get better results if you get advice right at the beginning, before you start making some of these common SEO mistakes. You can always get a leg up from the experts and then go it alone once you have a better understanding of SEO tools and digital marketing.

At Smargasy, we’re experts in SEO, and we can cultivate onsite SEO as well as local SEO that will ensure your website and social media pages are optimized for search engines. You can use these tools to build and grow your business for years to come! We also offer an array of other digital marketing services for local businesses, such as content marketing, social media advertising, email marketing, and reputation marketing. Contact us today for more information about our services.