It is the frustration of every new small business owner. You open up your shop and now you have to convince new customers to trust you over your online competitors. But, unlike a storefront, online browsers cannot simply drive by your site. You have to start prepared, if you want them to find you. With these tips, you can enter the SEO game the right way and find a leg up on your established competition.
Write Deep
The first thing you must do is develop your website. Starting a business is overwhelming, but this is not an instance where you can afford to wait. If you cannot hire someone to build a site for you, use one of the many tools available to you (e.g. WordPress) to get your business where your customers can see it. Then you need to add content, which is far more effective than it seems. Have you ever gone to a site where half the pages say “under construction?” Did you stay to find out more? ‘Nuff said. The trick to SEO copywriting is to fill all the pieces that Google is looking for in its master algorithm. This means keyword-rich title tags, meta descriptions, and content. Since you lose business the longer you wait, start with as much content as you can. Hire writers to provide a quick series of blog posts at first, so that people have something to read when they come to visit.
Establish Breadth
But, having the most awesome website out there will not mean much if your customers do not know where you are. Remember that buyers use many different sources to get the latest information on cool places to shop, not just a quick Google search. That means you must have your name on the popular review sites. And you need to build a social media presence. You can start with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Then, consider your target demographic’s preferences and go from there. Offer giveaways for fans who leave reviews on Yelp, Urbanspoon, and the like. You will get your early customers to help you create your online presence and cement their loyalty to you.
Keep It Up, For SEO’s Sake
SEO copywriting is not at all like those tetra-paks of milk that mysteriously do not require refrigeration. If you leave your site out for too long, the SEO goes bad. That is the crux of Google’s algorithm: regular updates to your site with well-written content. As such, maintenance is really important. Set reminders on your phone to check your Facebook and Twitter pages, and post something weekly. Arrange for writers to provide you with blog posts at least monthly. And then check out the site from time to time to make sure that links still work and everything looks great.
Thankfully, playing the game of SEO is not particularly difficult, if you follow the rules. Just plan to build a site with lots of good information and SEO copywriting. Then get the word out on various platforms. Finally, take the time to maintain your information. You will become the breath of fresh air that your prospective customers have been waiting for.
Holly S is a wordmaster who likes interesting-sounding terms such as “kerfuffle,” “cattywampus” and “oppugn.”
