Hi Folks Dave Waring here from Fitsmallbusiness.com
with today's lesson of the day.
In our last video we begin a new series on online marketing
with a look at how Google's search engine results work
in today's video gonna continue that discussion
with a look at the seven steps you can take to rank your small business website
in Google search results so let's get started. Step 1:
Claim Setup Verify and Link Up
your business's Google+ local page. Your business's Google+ local page
allows you to tell Google directly which are correct business information is
so they can show you correctly on Google Maps and Google search
Most businesses were already have a Google+ local page
which you can find by searching Google+ local. I've included a link where you can
do that and the resources like blow this video
If your page shows up after searching Google+ local
then there will be a manage this page button
on the right hand side which you can click to claim ownership of the page.
Once you've done that follow our steps for setting up your Google+ local page
which you can find a link to in the resources link below this video.
If the page did not show up when you search Google+ local for your business
then you can use those same instructions to set up a new page from scratch
Step 2, Do Your Local Keyword Research
Keywords are the words and phrases the customers type into Google
when looking for your business and all the products and services your business
offers
By signing up for a free Google AdWords account you can get access to Google's
keyword tool
which gives an approximate number of searches that a particular keyword gets
in a given month.
I've included a link we can get a free Google AdWords account in the resources
link below this video.
There's some important things to keep in mind we're doing keyword research
Think about things from the customer's perspective. Stay away from industry
jargon
Select the exact search option on the left hand side of the keyword tool
for the most accurate picture of the approximate number of searches
In bigger cities is going to be very hard to rank for the keywords that show
the most searches in Google's keyword tool.
Is therefore often better to go after "long tail keywords".
For example in New York City it is going to be easier to rank for the term
Brooklyn sedation dentist then it will be to rank for
NYC dentists. I have included a great article and video on how to come up with
a list of keywords for your business
in the resources link below this video Step 3:
Optimizer Google+ Local Page. Rework the tagline and About Us section of your
Google+ Local page,
So that they include your keywords. Don't just put in a list of keywords
Google is smarter than that. As long as it flows naturally however
you should be able to include at least her top 5 keywords and these two
sections
if not more. Also keep these keywords in mind when saving
images and videos, and the titles and descriptions you use when uploading those
images and videos to your Google+ page
Step 4: Optimize Your Small Business Bebsite
There are few key things with how your web site is set up
that you want to make sure in place so that it ranks highly in Google's local
search results
Make sure that every page of your site has your business name
address and phone number with local area code.
Make sure the information isn't text and not an image so it can be seen by
Google
Check whois.com to make sure that your website is registered to your
business address
Whenever possible include your location in your website 70 Character title
tags.
Put your primary keywords, areas your business serves,
and phone number in your 165 character meta descriptions.
If you are running wordpress then you can use Yoast's Free SEO plugin
to easily modify your title tags and meta descriptions.
Embed a Google Map on your contact us page
by searching for your business on Google Maps and then clicking the link icon at
the top left
to get the embed code. I have included links where you can learn more
about
title tags and meta descriptions as well as for you can download the YOAST SEO
plugin
in the resources link below this video. Step 5: Get Structured Citations.
Once you've completed the first three steps Google should know what terms to
rank your small business website
and Google Local page for. Now you need to increase the chances that your site
will show up first
when people search for your keywords. The primary way that you do this
is by attending links and citations to your site.
Structured citations are when your business is listed in places such as
business directories and Internet Yellow Pages
Often times structured citations include a link to your website,
but not always. Google looks at structured citations
and the consistency of those citations across the web
to determine things like you're correct address and phone number.
With this in mind you want to make sure that you are always using the same
address and contact information
everywhere across the web. I've included a link to the top 50 directories that
every business should consider submitting themselves to
in the resources link below this video. In addition to these national
directories
you also want to submit your site to local and industry specific directories
You can find these by searching Google using the following format:
your city + directory
and your industry + and directory
Step 6: Get Unstructured Citations
Unlike submitting your site to a business directory where full
information will be placed in a structured format.
Snstructured citations will be things like a mention of your business in a
local newspaper article, press release,
online job board and things like that
Unstructured citations are important because they let Google know that people
are talking about your business,
a key factor in ranking higher in the local search results.
Here some ideas for places where you can obtain unstructured citations.
Yelp and Google+ local customer reviews
Events, press releases, your bio information on sites like Linkedin.
and charities you contribute too. I've included two additional articles on how
you can get unstructured citations
in the resources link below this video. Step 7
Get Reviews For Your Business On Google Plus and Yelp
There are many different review sites out there, however from our experience
Google+
and Yelp are the two most important from a local SEO ranking standpoint.
So how do you get reviews for you Google+ local and Yelp pages?
Don't be shy about just asking your customers for a reviews.
Add links to your review pages from your website.
Include please give us a review links in your emails.
Send out customer feedback surveys and then asked for reviews from those who
gave you high marks.
I have included another another article on how to ask for review in the resources like
blow this video.
Now it's time to go out and get cracking. Remember that marketing your small
business online is a long-term journey,
so don't feel like you have to do everything at once. Break it up into
bite-size pieces
do a little each week and you'll start to see your rankings improve in no time.
That's our video for today if you have any questions or comments please feel
free to leave me in the comments section below.
Also be sure to stay tuned for the next video in the series
where we discuss how to advertise your business in Google search results.
For more on how to be a successful entrepreneur also be sure to visit us at
fitsmallbusiness.com today. Thanks for watching!!