Gone are the days when competing with big enterprises seemed impossible and required a lot of money. Thanks to the Internet, small businesses can now go head-to-head with industry giants without breaking the bank. This is not to say that competition is no longer cutthroat in the business world; it still is. But if you know how to leverage the power of the Internet, then you can gain more profits, grow your customers and establish a formidable business. One of the strategies you can employ to achieve these things is search engine optimisation (SEO).

To build a strong online presence, search engine optimisation must be part of your digital marketing strategy. With proper SEO techniques, you can rank well on and even end up at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). So, whether you’re launching a new company or running an established small business in your community, make SEO a part of your overall marketing strategy. Just be sure to avoid the common SEO mistakes small business commit to ensure that you reap the benefits of this endeavour.

Not Getting Professional SEO Specialists

Finding tutorials and tips on search engine optimisation is easy with the use of the Internet. Given the abundance and accessibility of SEO-related information, some business owners think that this endeavour is easy as 1-2-3 and opt to do it on their own. The truth, however, is that SEO, with its ever-evolving rules, is difficult and complicated. It is not something you learn overnight nor master in several months.

Running a comprehensive and successful SEO campaign entails technical know-how, experience and a specific skill set. Simply put, it requires the expertise of professionals. If you do not have extensive knowledge of and experience in search engine optimisation, 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.

Hiring the Wrong People

Due to the growing need for SEO, companies offering this service have exponentially increased over the years: traditional marketing enterprises, advertising companies and web development firms, to name a few. There is even an abundance of SEO packages which are “too good to be true”.

To ensure that you get results and not empty promises, be thorough when selecting your SEO service provider. As mentioned earlier, SEO demands a high level of expertise. Hence, it is imperative that the company you hire has experienced SEO professionals at the helm. Furthermore, ensure that the SEO company has a proven record of delivering good results. Read testimonials from their clients. Keep in mind, hiring the wrong people for your SEO is just as bad as not getting professionals.

Making SEO an Afterthought

Do not wait until you launch your website to plan or start your SEO effort. You do not create a site just for your current customers to reach you online but also for other users to know that you exist. This is where SEO comes in; it helps you widen your reach and consequently, grow your clients. However, this only becomes possible if a comprehensive SEO strategy is employed. This means putting SEO at the core of your website development plan.

The same should be done if you are redesigning or relaunching your site. For your site not to lose its current rankings and traffic, proper SEO planning must be done on top of setting up 301/302 redirects. Moreover, when building or redesigning your site, it is highly recommended that you tap a web designer who understands SEO.

Expecting Results Overnight

Be wary of firms offering instant results or immediate first page rankings. You must understand that in this endeavour results do not happen overnight. It is not a short-term play that is going to bring quick and big rewards.

In SEO, achieving good and lasting results take time and a lot of patience. Hence, when you invest in SEO, you must understand that this is a long-term strategy that can bring in great rewards when done the right way. In fact, reports indicate that SEO is still one of the digital marketing avenues that delivers the biggest returns.

Not Publishing Fresh Content

It’s no secret that stringing together words to produce powerful and compelling content that attracts search engines and people is not an easy feat. This is why some opt to use ripped off copy. Do not do this! Plagiarising content can result in your website getting penalised and ranking low.

It is also essential that you regularly produce original and meaningful content. Even if your website is currently doing well, you still need to provide fresh content frequently. Aside from giving customers reason to visit your site, publishing new materials regularly is also preferred by search engines.

Learn more about SEO mistakes small businesses must avoid. Talk to our experienced and professional SEO specialists! Call us at 089 466 2000 or 01 960 9023 today!