SEO Tips for Small Businesses with Small Budgets

SEO can be a confusing topic. It can also be a very expensive topic, especially for Gold Coast small business owners who have to worry about every dollar they spend. But even if you have a limited SEO budget or NO budget at all, it’s important to understand that you can increase your website’s rankings without it costing a fortune. In fact, there are plenty of things you can do yourself that won’t cost a cent!

By knowing at least the basics of SEO you can make sure your website is optimised for search engines and reaching your target audience. In this post, we’ll provide some simple tips for small businesses on how to improve their SEO without breaking the bank.

1. Start by tracking visitors to your website

Tracking visitors to your website is an important first step in understanding your audience and optimising your website for better search engine results.

Small businesses often have limited budgets for marketing and SEO, so it is important to make the most of free tools like Google Analytics. Google Analytics enables you to track how people find and use your website. It also lets you know how many people visit your website and where they are from.

Start by adding Analytics to your website – you can find a guide here. Once you have installed Analytics on your website, you can use it to track which keywords people are using to find your website, what pages they are viewing, and how long they are staying on your site. Armed with this information, you can make changes to your website that will improve your ranking on search engine results pages and attract more visitors.

By taking the time to understand your audience and track your website’s performance, you can make changes that will have a big impact on your bottom line.

2. Perform keyword research to determine what people are searching for related to your business

If you want your small business to be found online, it’s important to perform keyword research to determine what terms people are using to search for businesses like yours. You can use free tools like Google Analytics and Google AdWords Keyword Planner to see what keywords are being used most often and how much competition there is for each keyword.

Once you know which keywords are most popular, you can use them throughout your website, from the titles and headers to the body text and website descriptions (see point 3.).

By including these keywords throughout your site, you’ll make it more likely that people will find your site when they’re searching for businesses like yours. And that could mean more customers and more sales for your business.

3. Optimise your website’s title and meta description tags

You’re well on your way to improving your website’s Google rankings, and so far it hasn’t cost you a cent! Now that you have performed keyword research and determined what keywords people are using, it’s time time to implement these keywords in your website.

One way to do this is by careful selection of your website’s title and meta description tags. When it comes to SEO, titles and descriptions are important. They’re what appears in the search results, so it’s important to make sure they’re keyword-rich and relevant to your content.

This is especially important for small businesses with small budgets because you need to make the most of every opportunity to rank in the search results. Make sure your titles and descriptions are accurate, keyword-rich, and persuasive. This will help you to improve your click-through rate (CTR), which is a key ranking factor for SEO.

Here are a few tips:

• Use keyword-rich titles that accurately describe your page content.
• Write unique meta descriptions for each page, using persuasive language to entice click-throughs.
• Use relevant keywords throughout your website copy to signal to search engines what your site is about.

By following these simple tips, you can help ensure that your website appears higher on search engine results pages and that potential customers are able to find your site.

4. Publish high-quality content on a regular basis

As a small business owner, you know that generating traffic to your website is essential for driving sales and growing your business. However, with a limited budget, it can be difficult to compete with larger businesses when it comes to marketing and advertising.

Luckily, one of the most effective ways to improve your website’s visibility without breaking the bank is to publish high-quality content on a regular basis. This could include blog posts, infographics, ebooks, and more. Best of all, this won’t cost you any more than your time.

Writing high-quality content will not only help to improve your website’s ranking in search engine results, but it will also give visitors a reason to keep coming back.

If you struggle to write, you can hire a professional writer or editor to help you create engaging and informative articles, blog posts, and web pages. Ignition Media offers affordable copywriting and blog content services to help you in this respect. Contact us today for a free quote.

5. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly

Ok, so this might not be free or cheap, but if you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, why are you even bothering?

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Did you know that more than 60% of all online searches today are performed on a mobile? Therefore, if you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, you’re not reaching 60% of your potential audience.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to make sure your site is mobile-friendly. First, make sure your design is responsive, meaning it will adjust to fit any screen size. If it doesn’t, please give Ignition Media a call on 07 55 687 515 for a free quote. As mobile website experts, we can create a mobile-friendly website to fit your budget, however big or small that may be. Second, use large font sizes and buttons so that people can easily tap on them with their fingers. Finally, avoid using Flash or other technologies that aren’t compatible with mobile devices.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your website is accessible to the growing number of mobile users.

6. Use social media to promote your content

Just because you have a small budget doesn’t mean you can’t compete with the big boys when it comes to SEO.

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to promote your content and improve your website’s Google ranking. When you publish high-quality content, make sure to share it on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Doing so will not only help to increase traffic to your website, but it will also signal to search engines that your content is being shared and liked by others, which could help to improve your ranking.

Plus, it’s a great way to build relationships with potential and current customers, and BEST OF ALL, it’s 100% Free! So there’s no excuse!. Don’t be afraid to use social media to your advantage when it comes to SEO. It can be a powerful tool for small businesses with small budgets.

7. Build links back to your website from other websites

One of the most effective ways to improve your SEO without breaking the bank is to build links back to your website from other websites.  This signals to search engines that your site is popular and relevant, which will help to improve your ranking.

There are a few ways to do this. One is to reach out to other websites in your industry via email and offer to guest blog or write an article for them. This will give you an opportunity to include a link back to your own site. Another is to directory listings and local business directories (see point 9.). These links may not be as valuable as those from more popular sites, but they can still help to improve your ranking. Finally, you can use social media to build links. When you share your content on social media, make sure to include a link back to your website. This will help people to find your site and also signal to search engines that your site is popular and relevant.

This is another free tip that won’t cost you any more than your time.

8. Add your business to local business directories

If you want your small business to be found online, it’s important to ensure you’re listed in as many local business directories as possible. The majority are free to list in so there’s no reason not to take advantage of this cost-effective SEO tip!

Adding your business to local (regional and Australian) business directories is an easy and affordable way to improve your SEO and increase traffic to your website. Plus, it’s great for building links back to your site (see point 7).

There are a few ways to find relevant directories. One is to do a Google search for “local business directories + your city”. Another is to use a service like Moz Local, which will help you to find and submit your business to the most relevant directories (at a cost).

To help you get started, below is a list of my top 10 free local business directories:

1. https://www.hotfrog.com.au
2. https://au.showmelocal.com
3. https://goldcoast.yalwa.com.au
4. https://www.cylex-australia.com
5. https://truelocal.com.au/
6. https://www.businesslistings.net.au/
7. https://businesslistingnow.com/
8. https://localbd.com.au/
9. https://www.goldcoastdirectory.com/
10. https://www.dlook.com.au/

9. Create a Google My Business Listing

One of the most important things a small business can do to improve its chances of being found online is to create a Google My Business listing. This is a free listing that allows businesses to control how they appear in Google Maps and search results. And believe me, you want this as these results are the first results shown on Google, and THEY’RE FREE!

In order to create a Google My Business listing, you need to have a Google account and sign up for Google My Business. You’ll need to provide your business name, address, phone number, website, and category. You also have the option of adding photos, videos, and other information about your business.

Once a listing is created and has been verified, you can use it to manage your online presence and track your performance. Additionally, you can respond to customer reviews and messages.

Creating a Google My Business listing is a simple and effective way to improve your SEO performance with a small (or no) SEO budget.

Click here to set up your Google My Business listing today!

10. Monitor your website’s analytics to track your progress and make necessary adjustments

One of the most important things you can do to ensure your website is successful is to monitor your progress. By tracking your website’s analytics, you can see how well your website is performing and make necessary adjustments.

There are a number of free and paid tools available that can help you track your website’s analytics. Google Analytics, as mentioned, is a popular free option that provides detailed information about your website’s traffic. Another option is to use a plugin like Yoast SEO, which will track your website’s SEO progress and show you where you need to improve. If you have a website made by Ignition Media, you will have access to both Google Analytics and Yoast SEO.

Whatever method you choose, monitoring your website’s analytics is essential for ensuring your website’s success.

Conclusion

There you have it! These are just some of the SEO tips and tricks that small businesses can use to improve their online visibility and ranking on a small budget.

While there is no magic bullet when it comes to SEO, by following these tips and tricks, you can give your website the best chance possible of being found online.

If you need help with your website’s SEO or would like more information about how we can help, contact us today! We offer a free initial consultation where we will assess your website and provide you with a customised quote.