With over 4.25 million small businesses in California, starting one can feel daunting, let alone standing out. But that’s where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. By using the right SEO strategies, you can build a strong online presence, attract more customers, and create sustainable growth from day one.
But, however awesome SEO may seem, if you’re not an expert, it can seem like the type of thing that can take ages to learn. That’s why we’ve created this guide: to help small businesses around California that are not exactly familiar with this area of Marketing start their business the right way.
Here are some SEO tips to help startups hit the ground running.
1. Focus on Local SEO
Local SEO, meaning making sure your business shows up when people search for services or products in your area, is incredibly important if you want more visibility, especially if your business relies on local customers. But, what is local SEO? Put it this way: when someone searches “best pizza near me” or “plumber in California” on Google, local SEO helps your business appear in those top results. And by optimizing your online presence, you can increase foot traffic and bring in more customers from your community.
In simple terms, for startups, especially those with a physical location, local SEO should be at the top of your to-do list. A great way to do this is by optimizing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) and using local keywords that show where your business operates. Why is this so important? 46% of all Google searches are local and 76% of people who search for something nearby on their phone visit a business within a day. (SEO Tribunal) (Google) Talk about a missed opportunity!
Pro-tip: Don’t forget to encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google and Yelp. Not only do reviews boost your credibility, but positive reviews can improve your local search rankings and help attract even more business. Plus, 90% of users read reviews before purchasing, and 88% of consumers would use a business that replies to all of its reviews. (The Media Captain) (Bright Local)
2. Content Is Still King
No matter what industry you’re in, content still plays a huge role in SEO. But it’s not just about any content, publishing high-quality, informative content – whether it’s blog posts, how-to guides, or industry tips – helps your startup rank higher for relevant search terms.
Think about it this way: Google has only 1 goal: to give its users exactly what they’re searching for and to make sure it’s the best quality possible. So, if search engines see that your content actually answers users’ questions and the information is relevant, you have a head start.
To make sure your content is high-quality, focus on answering questions and solving problems for your target audience. This will not only improve your SEO but also position your startup as an authority in your field, which is always important. Another great strategy is to target long-tail keywords, which are specific search phrases that are easier to rank for. Why? These types of keywords make up the majority of Google searches.
In short; In California’s competitive market, creating fresh, valuable content regularly can help set your startup apart from the competition.
3. Build High-Quality Backlinks
Building a strong backlink profile is another key part of SEO. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site, and when reputable sites link to yours, it signals to Google that your content is trustworthy. It’s basically an alert in the form of a link that tells Google to keep you in mind, which can improve your rankings. In fact, 92.3% of top-ranking websites have at least one backlink. (AIOSEO)
To get backlinks, you could try guest blogging, creating shareable content, or just teaming up with local businesses for cross-promotions. Whatever you do, stay away from buying backlinks or using shady tactics, as this can lead to penalties from Google and obviously hurt your site in the long run.
4. Make Sure Your Website Is Mobile-Friendly
More than 57% of local searches are made on mobile devices, so having a website that works well on phones and tablets is clearly a top priority. (Forbes) But if this wasn’t enough, Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning that the very first website Google analyzes for your search rankings is your mobile one, so it’s safe to say that how your site performs on mobile impacts your search rankings.
But it’s not just about SEO, if your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re at risk of losing potential customers too. So much so that 61% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from mobile-friendly sites. (Wpbeginner) Just make sure your website is responsive, meaning it adjusts to different screen sizes, loads quickly, and offers a smooth experience on any device.
5. Don’t Overlook Technical SEO
Technical SEO might not be the flashiest – or funnest – part of your strategy, but it’s still essential. This includes optimizing your site’s structure so search engines can easily crawl and index your pages.
For example, imagine you have a huge library filled with tons of books, but they’re all scattered around with no order. It would be really hard for anyone to find the book they’re looking for, right? Well, your website is kind of like that library, and search engines (like Google) are the people trying to find the right pages (or “books”). Technical SEO is like organizing that library. It’s making sure all the books (or web pages) are neatly arranged and labeled so the search engines can quickly find them. And when they can find and understand your site easily, they can show it to more people searching for things online. So, even if it’s not the most exciting thing to work on, it’s important for getting your site noticed!
But it’s not just about what the crawlers need, conducting a technical SEO audit can help you catch issues like broken links, slow loading times, and crawl errors. And remember, a 1-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% loss in conversions and 11 percent fewer page views. (Bigcommerce)
Taking care of technical SEO makes sure your site performs well for both search engines and users, helping you retain traffic and boost rankings.
Final Thoughts: Invest in SEO for Long-Term Success
SEO is not a quick fix, but it’s an investment that pays off over time. By focusing on everything we’ve seen today, you can set your California startup on a solid path to online success. And, while it does take time to see results, SEO has an impressive ROI, with businesses seeing a 14.6% close rate from SEO leads, compared to just 1.7% from outbound leads. (WifiTalents)
This makes SEO one of the most powerful tools for startups who want to grow in a competitive market. So, if you’re ready to kickstart your SEO strategy, EpicDevs can help. We specialize in creating tailored SEO plans to boost your online presence and attract customers from day one. Contact us today to learn how we can help your business grow!