SEO for small and medium-sized enterprises

You may not know it, but nowadays, SEO for small and medium-sized businesses is a marketing strategy worth investing in.

As you may have experienced firsthand, being an SME these days is not easy: you need to be on the ball at all times and deal with incredible competition. Especially in the COVID-19 era when most consumers purchase goods and services online.

For this reason, it is essential to direct one’s resources toward a well-structured marketing strategy that can bring concrete results over time.

In this respect, SEO le for small and medium-sized businesses is a real gold mine due to its tools for building a strong customer network and organic visibility on search engines based on geolocation.

Obviously, for SEO applied to a small and/or medium-sized business to be successful, it must be fine-tuned by a professional.

Thanks to our long experience as SEO strategist and continuous training, we are able to create or implement a winning strategy that takes into account the needs of your business.

In this article, we at Visilay want to share with you some of the marketing tactics we usually apply in the small and medium business sector.

What is SEO?

Brand awareness, keyword, search engine optimization, copywriting, you name it…

By now, since 2017, these words have become part of everyday language. But of course knowing what they mean is not the same as knowing SEO.

Indeed, answering the question “what is SEO?” accurately and comprehensively is not easy.

When we talk about SEO, we are referring to a complex and extremely layered discipline that, yes, is related to optimizing your site for search engines through keywords, quality content and good geolocation, but also to much more.

The tools of SEO are many, and to use them to best effect, it is necessary to know them thoroughly.

In fact, the needs of a small and medium-sized business will not be the same as those of a multinational corporation, so it is important to choose the right approach when putting together an SEO strategy in this regard.

You will therefore understand that improvising yourself as an SEO expert is not only difficult but also counterproductive.

This is also why, as we have already mentioned to you, turning to professionals is the best way to make a certain investment: saving time and money.

For example, when we work on an SEO strategy for SMEs, we are used to starting with the following points , which we consider somewhat like the foundations of the strategy itself:

• A well-structured website that is fast and optimized for mobile devices;
• Content capable of adding value to the user;
• Content marketing strategy through information channels (blogs) capable of connecting the company to a wider audience;
• On-page optimization of titles and meta descriptions;
• Local SEO to grow business in the target area;
• Creating a reliable profile with a backlink strategy;
• Show credibility through reviews, portfolios, and testimonials.

These elements of SEO will then need to be declined to the specific case: from creating the website design and links, to processing the content.

Hence its complexity and, of course, its usefulness.

What is the best SEO for your small business?

Search engines are the daily access portal that, every day, billions and billions of users use to search for products and services.

In this sense, research is how companies are contacted by potential customers.

It is no coincidence that one of the goals of a sound SEO strategy for small and medium-sized businesses should be to make them visible on the Web, so that they appear on search engines.

However, speaking of SMEs, it is necessary to identify the most appropriate marketing approach because, in the same area, there may be results that refer to established customers.

Hence the importance of focusing on other tools as well, such as geolocation.

Here are some considerations that are good to make before any strategy is put in place:

• Budget: you may not have the budget to compete with national competitors, but you could work well locally;
• Speed with which you get results: with SEO you should not rush, especially in very competitive markets;
• Ad competition: a good strategy must take into account that, as of today, ads take up a lot of screen space;
• Big competitors: as we have already mentioned, you may not be able to compete with titans but that does not mean it is impossible to carve out a niche market.

Therefore, the skill of a good SEO consultant is to identify not only the strengths of the SME, but also its “shortcomings” by also turning them into points in favor of the enterprise.

Lack in fact is by no means synonymous with negativity, but simply with a reality that by its very nature does not want to compete in larger markets but in well-identified consumer niches.

If, for example, a company that produces artisanal products does not work with large with large retailers, that’s okay; the important thing is to focus on other channels.

It follows, therefore, that before any strategy is put in place, it is a good idea to proceed with an analysis, otherwise known as an SEO Audit, so as to analyze the site, identify any critical issues and then proceed with a customized plan.

In some cases, for example, an approach that sees the combined use of PPC (pay-per-click) and SEO can prove successful.

How to choose an SEO consultant?

We have already mentioned that it is necessary to rely on professionals in the field to put in place an SEO strategy for small and medium-sized businesses.

But how to choose the most suitable figure?

There are plenty of agencies and freelancers on the web to date posing as experts in this field; however, it will be up to you to skim through, going by client reviews and feedback, portfolio and fields of interest.

In fact, if you are the owner of an SME, it will not be convenient for you to contact a company that is accustomed to working with multinationals: on the one hand because they might not respond to you, and on the other hand because they would not know how to offer you the services you need.

Speaking of the latter, good SEO consultants is in charge of directing and guiding you in choosing a winning strategy but you have to be the first to study a bit to get an idea of the direction in which to ferry your business.

That is why when interfacing with SEO professionals it is advisable to ask a lot of questions.

These are the ones we get most often.

1) How will you improve my company’s SEO?

There is no correct answer to this question.

Honest SEO specialists will offer you a solution after performing an analysis of the site: so checks that allow you to understand the level of optimization.

So you will understand that the improvement will be there, but the results may also be diluted over time because it all depends on the starting status.

2) What area of SEO do you specialize in?

SEO has many areas.

As we have said, an SME should definitely focus on locality and niches in target .

Asking this question will help you understand whether the counselor is really able to meet your needs.

3) What specifically will you do each month?

A good SEO strategy must strike the right balance between technicalities and communication.

A good consultant will therefore have to offer you yes technical checks and optimization for devices, but also creation of engaging content.

4) What strategies do you use to build links?

This question is important because backlink strategies are a great way for a site to gain authority .

We usually respond by talking about natural links to reliable sites, perhaps through the guest post mode.

5) Do you adhere to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines?

This question is a bit of a trick question, but it is useful to see if the interlocutor is really informed and knowledgeable about SEO.

Usually inexperienced consultants are unable to answer.

6) Can you show me examples of companies similar to mine that you have worked with?

It is very useful to ask for examples of case histories similar to yours-that way you can see how the consultant operates and whether or not the strategy adopted might be right for you.

7) How do you work to monitor progress?

When working in SEO, consistency is key.

Ask this question to understand how your interlocutor is used to working to bring more organic traffic to your pages, perhaps with a strategy based on finding the best ranking keywords.

8) Do you work on a contract basis?

It is always inadvisable to sign a contract when you do not know a consultant, unless you have firm references.

If you cannot work on a project basis request a clause that allows you to terminate after 3 months, so you can get an idea of how the professional you contacted works.

9) How often will you give me feedback?

That depends, every SEO consultant is used to working in his own way.

You also need to know that freelancers and companies handle this very differently.

For us, communication with the client is crucial, so we make it a point to consistently communicate feedback, results, progress and future planning.

10) How often do you conduct revisions?

SEO is in flux, so a good consultant will need to be able to tweak your strategy to keep you growing .

This question will help you better understand how the consultant you are talking to is used to working when it comes to goals.

Can you do SEO on your own?

We’ll never get tired of repeating it… SEO is a very complex area indeed, so no, it’s not advisable to take care of it yourself, maybe thinking you’ll save some money.

First of all, it’s not at all certain that you would save money, and then you would lose time because-rightly, not having experience in the field, you would find yourself doing things for which you don’t have the skills.

Would you ever dream of defending yourself in court without having any legal experience? Probably not…

Consequently, we reiterate that relying on a competent, serious and constantly updated professional can really be the turning point for your business.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t inquire on your own, so you can understand even better what direction to go in together with your chosen SEO consultant.

So our advice is to take a look to get a better idea of what is going on when implementing an SEO strategy.

By doing so you will make yourself a much more knowledgeable customer and able to make specific requests.

Here are some resources you might consult in English:

• Moz Beginners Guide to SEO
• Search Engine Land’s Guide to SEO
• Local SEO Guide – How to rank your local business
• Backlinko Link Building Guide – 2017

If you want to go deeper, we also suggest two interesting readings:

• The Art of SEO – Mastering Search Engine Optimization
• The Ultimate Guide to Link Building

You won’t become an SEO expert, but you’ll certainly have a better sense of what to ask the consultant for but also an understanding of the strategies he or she will implement.

SEO-friendly websites for small and medium-sized businesses

The choice of platform is critical to building a high-performing website for your small and medium-sized business.

Depending on your business needs, it is advisable to opt for WordPress or Magento, although nowadays there are also other viable solutions that allow you to achieve interesting results.

These include self-provisioning platforms such as Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace.

Again, as we have already told you, choosing an SEO consultant is the best choice.

The best SEO tools for small and medium-sized businesses

Doing SEO means going to work on a multitude of elements: from keywords, to text creation, to links.

These are some of the SEO tools that can be useful in carrying out any optimization strategy.

1. Screaming Frog – SEO Spider: tool that provides information on broken links, page titles, meta descriptions, URLs and more.
2. Moz.com: very comprehensive tool for monitoring link ranking and analysis.
3. Google Search Console: tool to provide 360-degree diagnostics.
4. Ubersuggest: keyword research and analysis tool.
5. Answer the Public: this tool also allows users to search for keywords, but using prefixes, which are very useful for identifying questions users ask.
6. Google: the search engine bar itself can provide interesting information about where to point and why.
7. Majest/Ahrefs: tools that give information about who is linking to your competitors, so perfect for an authority-building campaign.

Remember that none of these tools, taken individually, will be able to work miracles.

As we have already mentioned, this must be supported by a tailor-made SEO strategy for your business designed to grow the business over time.

What are the best tips to improve your SEO in 30 days?

Through our long experience in SEO, we have realized that yes, every business has its own needs but there are common ways of operating that can really improve optimization in a month’s work.

Of course, this must then be declined to the specific case.

Here are what they are:

1. Register with Google Search Console;
2. Register on Bing Webmaster Tools;
3. Apply for or create a Google My Business tab;
4. Doing keyword research;
5. Organize keywords by page;
6. Select long-tail chave words;
7. Testing keywords with PPC;
8. Optimizing page titles;
9. Optimizing meta descritpions;
10. Requesting links from partners.

SEO for small and medium-sized businesses tailored to you

So you must have realized that there is no one-size-fits-all SEO strategy for small and medium-sized businesses.

Exactly how there is no business like yours.

Our job, as SEO consultants, is to capture your specifics by combining them with a winning communication strategy and the technicalities typical of this field.

What is our goal?

Support you 360 degrees not only to generate leads, but to actually increase your conversions through accurate Audit, keyword and competitor analysis, but also backlinks and high-quality content.

By contacting us you can tell us about your business, what sets it apart, and what goals you would like to achieve in the near future.

Together with you we will devise a growth plan tailored to your logistical and budget needs.

If you would like to learn more about SEO for small and medium-sized businesses, do not hesitate to ask us for a consultation with a quote, always free, personalized and without obligation.