SEO

If you’ve got a website, you need to be doing SEO. It’s as simple as that. Search engine optimisation can help your website to feature prominently on search engines like Google.

So if you have a flower shop in Wigan, it’s about optimising your website so that when someone types in “flower shop in Wigan” on Google, your website is at or near the top of the results list. Without SEO, you may not appear at all.

SEO is a fast-moving discipline and there’s a lot of competition for the pole positions online. So SEO is something that has to be done regularly and it pays to keep up with the latest SEO tools and techniques. And that includes being active on social media as well as optimising your website with keywords.

What is Search Engine Optimisation or SEO?

We’ve got a whole range of content to help small businesses with SEO — from beginners’ guides to more in-depth SEO strategy.

If you are an SEO novice, start by reading this article — What is SEO and why should you be doing it? by one of our SEO experts James Gurd. It includes all the SEO must-haves for your website. It’s also worth watching this four-minute video — What can SEO do for your business?

Keywords for search engine optimisation

It’s important to understand which words and phrases are commonly used in searches for your type of product or service. The Google Keyword tool can help you find the best words and phrases.

Keyword research — a beginner’s guide by SEO expert John Straw is a great place to learn about keywords. For more advice, read our ten-point guide, How to choose the best keywords for your website.

Building links to boost online traffic

Google rewards websites that link to other relevant sites and especially those that attract a lot of links too. You can actively increase the number of good links in and out of your site to boost traffic. Find out how by reading John Straw’s article on Link building tips and strategies. Or check out James Gurd’s article, Building links to boost your website ranking.

Using SEO to improve local search results

The internet may be global, but most small firms are casting their net in their local area and their SEO strategy needs to reflect this. We’ve got lots of good articles on local search issues including: Reach the top of local search rankings and How to use Google Places listings to find customers.

Improving your SEO strategy

If you are ready to take your SEO strategy to the next level, set aside some time to read this excellent piece by Glen Allsopp, The ultimate guide to keyword research. It’s a bit long but it is well worth it.

Having problems with SEO? Check out these useful articles — Three SEO mistakes you must avoid and Why have my search engine rankings dropped?

Finally, it’s vital to keep up with the latest developments. SEO is a fast-changing discipline. Read John Straw’s blog, Reflected glory: the changing face of SEO.

More on this topic:

• What is SEO and why should you be doing it?
• Nine steps to choosing keywords for Google AdWords
• Q&A: Search engine optimisation

Find more articles, videos and tools in the Resources box.