Having an online presence these days is a must for companies of all sizes, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Being on the Internet means reaching more clients, increasing profits and growing the business. All these things are what SME owners like you want to happen.

You have to understand, however, that building a strong online presence is not just about creating a website. It also requires effective SEO strategies.

Here’s the deal:

Your website is just like your store in the real world. It is where customers learn about your products and possibly make a transaction. However, these customers won’t find you on the Internet if your website is not optimised for search engines.

Suffice to say, SEO is a powerful tool. It is an equaliser that enables SMEs like yours to compete with established brands. When you leverage SEO, you can build a dominant presence online and even outperform your biggest competitor.

If you are ready to take your business to a whole new level, below are some tips on how to improve your site’s organic search visibility.

Do It Right

The Internet is inundated with information on how to rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs). Some of these tips include the so-called black hat SEO – an approach that does not adhere to the rules of search engines. It can be tempting to try this strategy as it promises immediate results. However, employing this approach has a serious drawback.

Search engines punish sites that use black hat SEO practices. For example, Google penalises websites which are believed to be gaming their way to the top of the search results. Often, this means a significant drop in rankings. In rare cases, it can result in your site getting banned.

So, when you optimise your site, do it the right way. Only use white hat SEO strategies or techniques which are well within Google’s guidelines.

Remember:

There are no shortcuts to ranking high on SERPs. Achieving long-lasting SEO results does not happen overnight. The truth is that it takes months before optimisation efforts come to fruition.

Work with SEO Specialists

Yes, SEO is not rocket science, but it is also not something everyone easily understands. Moreover, it is not a field you can become an expert in just by watching or reading tutorials on the Internet.

SEO can be complex and unpredictable especially since changes are always happening. This is why it is best for business owners like you to hire an SEO specialist instead of doing the work yourself.

“Running a comprehensive and successful SEO campaign entails technical know-how, experience and a specific skill set.”

“…it’s best to hire reputable SEO specialists to get guaranteed results. Furthermore, by letting experts handle your SEO campaign, you get to focus on other important matters in your company like your day-to-day operations.”

Of course, simply hiring someone who calls himself an SEO expert won’t be enough. You have to find a real SEO company or specialist. How do you do this?

“Check if it is a legitimate enterprise with years of experience doing SEO and other digital marketing initiatives. The company and its specialists should have an in-depth knowledge of the different levels of SEO as well as white hat practices. Most importantly, they should have a verifiable record of SEO success, i.e., case studies, testimonials from clients, etc. To get these valuable details, you need to research about and interview your prospective consultant.”

Take note:

Only real SEO experts can deliver the results you want. So, make sure you do your due diligence when selecting a company or specialist to work with.

Doing it right and working with legitimate SEO specialists – these are just some of the things you can do to build an online presence. If you want to learn more tips, read part 2 of this blog.

Need an SEO specialist experienced in helping Irish SMEs? Call us at today at 089 466 2000 or 01 960 9023 and talk to our trusted experts!

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay