Every day, millions of consumers use search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing to look up local businesses to help meet their needs. Small business owners can improve their online discoverability and attract new customers by harnessing the power of search engine optimization – commonly referred to as SEO.Here are a few simple and easy SEO tactics to try to help boost your business’s organic search ranking and increase the number of visitors coming to your site.

1. Develop content with SEO keywords

Search engines use keywords to direct Internet users to relevant websites to help solve their online queries. Wondering how to find the right SEO keywords to use on your website? Think about your prospective customers and what sort of language they typically use to find your products or services. Or, you can use Google Keyword Planner to identify common phrases that are most relevant for your industry. Identify primary and secondary keywords and try using these specific terms throughout your website text in a natural way. The more frequently you use these keywords, the easier it is for search engines to index and rank your pages, but don’t overdo it. Search engines can penalize your website if they find evidence of ‘keyword stuffing.’ Creating original blog content is one of the best ways for businesses to integrate keyword-rich copy online organically.

2. Develop a link building strategy

To determine a website’s credibility, search engines use sophisticated crawlers to scan HTML code on each piece of content. While it’s good to add plenty of internal links on your website, it’s even more important to increase the number of inbound links to your site (links from external sources). When trusted third-party websites and local business directories backlink to your content, this signifies that your business is a credible source that deserves a higher ranking.

3. Claim your Google My Business listing

The vast majority of Internet searches happen on Google, which means setting up a free Google My Business profile is one of the easiest ways to enhance your visibility and capture more traffic online. Each Google My Business (GMB) listing includes essential directory information – address, phone number, hours of operations – alongside photos and customer reviews. It’s important to keep your listing as up-to-date as possible to ensure your GMB account doesn’t get suspended. You can also optimize your listing by using popular keywords as much as possible, while ensuring the content feels organic. Of course, a GMB account should be one of many online listings you set up as part of your digital marketing plan.

4. Hire an SEO expert

When it comes to understanding and harnessing the power of SEO, many entrepreneurs enlist digital experts who can provide specialized SEO services for small businesses. Yellow Pages is the largest digital marketing agency in Canada, helping small business owners optimize their content and track their success through SEO. Our team of dedicated digital specialists can work with you to set up and manage customized SEO campaigns, implement link-building tactics to enhance your site credibility, and track results in real-time using sophisticated analytics.

Want to learn more about how to increase your web traffic from search engines and convert new customer leads through SEO? Get a free consultation today with one of Yellow Pages’ digital experts by calling 1-877-553-6883.