Implementing an Affordable SEO Strategy
How to get to the top of Google without spending a fortune!
Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is a common term nowadays, and whilst many small business owners know what it means, the process of optimising your website so it gets to the top of Google.
However understanding the processes and actions required to get your company to the top of the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) is less clear. Because of this, many small business websites are not optimised as well as they could be.
This is either because they are trying to rank for a search term that either generates no traffic or has no commercial intent.
SEO doesn’t have to be a dark art. The concepts and practices are pretty simple. To understand more about search engine optimisation, you can visit the SEO page of our website.
Optimise your website for growth
Optimising your website for the search terms (keywords) that will help you generate leads and grow your business is a challenge. This is especially true for small businesses that don’t have huge budgets and need an affordable SEO service.
Your website is the foundation of any digital marketing strategy. You will need to invest in search engine optimisation to ensure that your website is easily found among the other 1.9 billion websites online today.
However, search engine optimisation doesn’t have to break the bank. There are several affordable SEO services on the market that can help you grow your business.
Why Invest in Search Engine Optimisation
There are over 1.9 billion websites online, and this number is increasing all the time. So unless you do something unique, your website is unlikely to be found by your potential customers. This is where an SEO agency will help. Search engine optimisation will help you to ensure your website is on the first page of Google, preferably in the top spot.
You do not necessarily need a large budget, there is much you can do to enhance your rankings in Google without spending huge amounts of money.
The first question you will need to answer is, what keywords do you want to rank for? Keyword research is essential to answer this question. Otherwise, you run the risk of ranking for terms that are never searched for. It sounds obvious, but you want to rank for terms that are being searched for by people that require your services.
However, you have to balance this against the likelihood of you being able to rank for it in a reasonable amount of time. Most small businesses can’t spend five years trying to rank for a highly competitive keyword.
You will also want to rank for a keyword with commercial intent. For example, the keyword’ web design’ has thousands of searches every month, but not all people typing it into Google are looking for a new website!
As a general rule, search terms with a geographic or commercial term included tend to have commercial intent. For example, Web design costs in Bournemouth or SEO agency Bournemouth are more likely to indicate that the person searching is looking to engage with a company that can help them with those services!
An experienced SEO agency can advise you on the best keywords or search terms to rank your website for.
How much are SEO services
Search engine optimisation doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are many affordable SEO options on the market. However, you do get what you pay for. SEO requires a lot of work, so generally, the more you pay an SEO agency, the more time they will allocate to optimising your website. Which, in turn will enable you to see better results more quickly.
SEO packages generally range from £250 to several thousand pounds per month. It depends on how many keywords you are trying to rank for, how competitive those keywords are and how quickly you want to climb the rankings.
Affordable SEO is not cheap SEO
If an SEO service sounds too cheap, it will probably be a waste of money. Every company and website is different and will require a different SEO strategy. A one size fits all, cookie-cutter SEO service is unlikely to deliver any results for your business.
Don’t be tempted by SEO services that sound too good to be true. At best, they will be a waste of time and money. At worst, they may negatively impact your website’s ranking and brand, especially if they use black hat techniques. Black Hat SEO is a term that describes practices against the rules and guidelines issued by search engines like Google.
Look around and speak to several SEO agencies to find the best fit for your business. You will eventually find a reputable agency that can provide you with an affordable SEO service that is right for your business.
SEO or Local SEO
Local SEO is a subset of Search engine optimisation specifically tailored for locally based businesses. Unlike traditional SEO, local SEO relies heavily on geographically targeted keywords and phrases and incorporates elements like local reviews, maps, and local directories into its strategies. Local SEO strategies also include activities like claiming and optimising local business listing pages (e.g. Google Business Profile) and building local citations (mentions of your business and contact info on online directories)
For example, if you are a Bournemouth based business and only targeting local customers, trying to rank for keywords nationally will be a waste of time and effort.
Focusing purely on Local SEO strategies can reduce costs and make your SEO service much more affordable.
Below are some low cost or free actions you can take as part of your affordable SEO strategy.
- Claim and regularly update your free Google Profile.
- Ask customers to post reviews and respond to them.
- Use social media marketing, and make particular use of the local groups.
- Add your business to free online directories, but ensure your NAP information (Name, Address, Phone) is the same on all of the directories.
- Partner with another local business for backlinks
- Join the local chambers of commerce
Content Marketing
Content is King and it is also the foundation of your SEO strategy. Having enough content on your website is essential to tell both google and your customers what you do. It is also necessary to convert your website visitors into customers.
Content is more than just the copy on your website. It is also the images and videos.
Content isn’t a ‘once and done’ job. It needs to be updated regularly. Google prioritises new content. So updating the images, videos and copy on your website regularly is essential to help you rank for the keywords and search terms you want to be found for
The text of your website should contain the keywords you are aiming to rank for, along with context to support those keywords.
Understanding what keywords will drive the right kind of traffic to your website is essential.
There are many tools that will allow you to do this. Whilst many require a paid subscription, most will offer a free trial that you can utilise for a short period. There are also many free tools that you can use, such as AnswerThePublic, Keyword Tool, and Google Keyword Planner. Even Google’s auto-suggest feature will tell you what people are searching for.
It can be a challenge to regularly update your website content. However, planning it out in advance is a valuable exercise. Consider having a content calendar so that you can keep on top of all of the content changes.
Internal Linking, Backlinks and Citations
Backlinks are exactly that, links from other websites back to your website. Again, many websites will allow you to do this easily and often at no cost.
Online Directories to improve SEO
Online directories are an obvious example. These websites allow you to list your business name, address and phone number (NAP information) on their website, along with other information about your business. Yell, Thompson Local and Cyclex are some of the better known directories. Most will allow you to list your website for free, making them a key part of any affordable SEO strategy. Many also offer a premium service where you pay for a more prominent listing in their directory. However, it is rarely worth the cost.
Local Business Support Organisations
As well as providing valuable support and networking local Chambers of Commerce orl Rotary Clubs often list their members on their websites along with a link back to the website.
Guest Posting
You can also try ‘guest posting’. Guest posting requires you to create content for another website that links to your website. Often this is in the form of a blog or an article related to the business or organisation. Guest posting has another benefit besides its SEO value: it will introduce you to a broader audience.
Other Blogs
Commenting on other blogs or websites related to your business can also benefit your SEO strategy and won’t cost you anything. It can also help you build credibility and brand awareness.
Internal Links & SEO
Linking your website’s pages to other pages helps increase visitor engagement, which will help your SEO strategy. It also helps search engines like Google index your website making it easier for them to understand what you do and rank you accordingly.
Social Media and SEO
Social media is a key element of any affordable SEO strategy. Most platforms allow you to have a ‘Business Page’ that you can post to. Whilst this doesn’t directly impact your rankings, it will help improve your brand and bring traffic to your website.
Like search engines, social media platforms reward you for consistency, so posting regularly, between 3 and 5 times per week, is essential. Also, just like SEO, you need to include the correct terms for your posts; these are called hashtags rather than keywords, so make sure you do your research here as well.
Social media marketing is much more than just posting regularly. Building or engaging in community groups will have a positive impact on your brand reputation and awareness.
With so many consumers using social media today, you don’t want to leave these platforms out of your SEO strategy.
What social media platforms are best for your SEO strategy depends on who your customers are and where they spend their time. Each platform has a distinct, if somewhat overlapping, demographic.
Social media marketing can significantly increase the number of visitors to your website. As such, it should form a key part of your affordable SEO strategy.
Conclusion
You don’t have to spend thousands of pounds to an SEO agency; you can implement an affordable SEO strategy for your business. However, it does take time and requires significant effort, which is why most companies outsource it to a professional SEO agency
Many digital marketing agencies provide affordable SEO packages but implementing these tips will help you move up the search engine results pages, and increase the number of visitors to your website.
For more information or if you are still wondering where to start on your SEO journey, get in touch with one of our SEO consultants for a fee consultation and SEO audit of your website.
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About Overt Digital Media
Overt Digital Media are a digital marketing agency that specialises in building and optimising websites for small and medium sized businesses throughout the UK. Based in Christchurch, between Bournemouth and Southampton we are ideally placed to provide website design and SEO services to businesses throughout the South of England
We use a cutting edge website platform that allows us to incorporate artificial intelligence into our customers websites. This has been shown to improve the conversion rate and generate upto 19% more leads and sales..
If you are one of the 80 or so percent of companies who do not get enough leads or sales from their website then contact us today for a free coffee and an informal chat?
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