If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a small business owner with a basic website wondering how you can drive more organic traffic to your site to get new business. Of course, this is what all small business owners want—the idea and concept of free traffic coming to your website from either a blog or service pages is super exciting.
However, you are also probably wondering, “how am I going to have time to do this?”, “should I be hiring someone to write my content for me?”, and “is it even possible to write content for SEO myself when I have 0 knowledge around the subject?”
Yes, SEO Is Absolutely Worth it for a Small Business
SEO is one of the most rewarding and cost-effective marketing tools you can use for your business. Some marketers call it “the gift that keeps on giving” because SEO is something you do for the long run. Once you get your SEO strategy going, and Google starts noticing your website, you will continue to see more and more traffic and leads coming your way.
Whether you are writing the content yourself or using a digital marketer or an SEO company to write your content, it is going to be worth the investment as long as you do it right. This is where things get slightly complicated—it is not worth it if you aren’t ranking for the right keywords. This is where many people and marketing companies go wrong. Many companies focus on showing their clients that their website traffic went up, without caring as much about why and what keywords you’re actually ranking for.
How to Write for SEO for a Small Business
You’re probably wondering, “How do I write for SEO, and is it possible for me to do it on my own?” The answer is both yes and no. Yes, it is possible to create content for your website that drives organic traffic and generates new business. However, SEO is quite complex. If you’re just starting out and don’t have the budget for a full marketing team, focusing on content creation is a good place to begin.
Alternatively, you can write your content yourself and have it reviewed and optimized by a marketing expert or team. This approach can help manage costs while ensuring that your content is effectively optimized for SEO.
What is SEO written content and how can I do it?
SEO content means writing a service page, blog post, or product page that targets a specific search inquiry. To do this, if you don’t have an SEO tool like SEMrush or Ahrefs (which is what marketing agencies use, like Monarkk), you need to consider what your ideal client is searching for.
For example, if you own a business offering tax services and want to get more yearly tax clients, you might write a post on “The Best Tax Firm in Minnesota,” “How to Choose a Tax Firm,” or “What to Look for in a Tax Firm.”
After brainstorming some queries that people may be searching for and that would be relevant to your business, type them into Google and see who comes up. Are these your competitors? What are they writing about?
Another thing you can do is check the “People Also Ask” section in Google search results for related questions. These are likely great questions to address in your post or page, as others searching for your topic are asking them too.
Monarkk Client Example: T-Rex Cookie
Our client, T-Rex Cookie wanted to start ranking for their local fundraiser opportunities. It was important to T-Rex Cookie that the people searching for fundraiser opportunities were in Minnesota. That is why we added in terms like “T-Rex Cookies Makes Minnesota Fundraising a Piece of Cake Cookie!” and “T-Rex Cookie Dough Makes Minnesota Fundraising a Piece of Cake Cookie!”
We also added an FAQ section to answer some common questions that were being asked on Google like “Can anyone fundraise with Trex Cookie?”
When is it Time to Hire a Content Marketer/SEO Team?
So, how will you know when it’s time to hire a content marketer or SEO team? The answer depends on how much time you or your team have to write content on your own. If you have absolutely no time to write for SEO every month, then you probably need to hire someone to do it for you. But if you can set aside time during your week to write one blog post a week or even two a month, then it’s okay to do it on your own, as long as you understand the basics of content writing for SEO.
The Basics of Content Writing for SEO
1. Choose a Keyword or Keyword Phrase That You Think Your Customers Are Searching
As mentioned earlier, put yourself in your customer’s shoes and figure out what they might search for when looking for a company like yours.
2. Make Sure You Have H Tags That Utilize Your Keyword
H tags are the titles for each section of your blog. There is a hierarchy for H tags and how they need to be ordered throughout the page. Make sure you don’t jump from an H1 to an H4, or Google will see this as non-ADA compliant.
3. Add Alt Text to All Images on Your Service Page or Blog
Alt text is crucial for ADA compliance and search engine optimization, which nowadays go hand in hand. Keyword stuffing is OUT, and user experience is IN when it comes to Google’s view on who should rank for what. So make sure your alt text actually describes what is happening in the picture. If it helps, think about how you would want the picture described to you if your eyes were closed.
4. Have Relevant Content That Answers the Search Query or Question
You will not rank for a keyword or question if your blog is keyword-stuffed without any real information to help the customer. This isn’t about trying to fit your keyword phrase in as many times as you can. Answer real questions your customers are asking, and don’t be afraid to ask your current customers what they searched or would search if they were looking for you through Google!
AI Google Snippits
Lastly, you might have noticed recently that Google has started to generate AI snippets based off of the most accurate web pages answers to questions. Here is an example:
Our client, The Laundry Evangelist Patric Richardson, is a laundry expert. One of his tips is to use The Ball of Aluminum Foil in the dryer to remove static. This is something that he knows a lot about so we created a video and blog post about this topic, answering questions like “What is the ball of aluminum foil?”
Google now sees that his website has two of the three best answers to this question on Google, and you can now find him in the AI Snippet produced by Google.
If you want to start ranking for the AI Snippets, you need to make sure you are providing unique content that best answers the users questions on Google. Ensure you aren’t just copying someone else’s article that is already ranking, and proving unique insights, experiences, and opinions that show that your viewpoint is valued and important.
Consider adding stories from your life, a unique stance on the topic at hand, and showing examples.