Recent research shows that organic search is the dominant digital channel, accounting for 53.3 percent of web traffic—and about half (49 percent) of marketers also say that it drives the highest ROI. This makes it crucial for small businesses to invest in a good SEO strategy.
B2B marketplace DesignRush leveraged its 16,000-agencies-strong network for quick insights on how small businesses can stand out online and attract more organic visitors to their websites during the holiday season.
The top tips from these SEO experts are as follows:
1) Do keyword research & search behavior analysis
According to Consumr Buzz CEO Jeffrey Diebner, a good small business SEO strategy starts with keyword research and an understanding of users’ searching patterns.
“The first step is to research related keywords. Use free search tools like Google Search Console to get this data,” said Diebner, in a news release. “Then, use a tool like Google Trends to study the peaks and valleys of last year’s holiday patterns to get an idea of when people are searching for your products or services. This will give you a solid foundation on keyword usage that you’ll use to optimize your website.”
2) Build personal brand content
WriterArmy CEO and founder Sully Chaudhary suggests developing a personal brand to build trust.
“Work on personal brand content during the holidays to drive more sales,” said Chaudhary, in the release. “Build content out for founders/co-founders and salespeople with helpful info and promos combined. Seventy-four percent of Americans trust a person with a notable personal brand and I expect that number to rise even more.”
3) Create original content for affiliate products
As explained by Christine Wetzler, founder and president of Pietryla PR & Marketing, businesses should avoid copying product information for their content to rank better.
“Please be thoughtful and original with your content if you use affiliate links and product information,” said Wetzler, in the release. “It’s fairly common to use submitted product information around the holidays. There is a misconception that affiliate links damage SEO, but that is only if you use them with repetitive content, such as cutting and pasting from a product description. If the content adds value and is relevant, Google does not mind an affiliate link.”
4) Target holiday-related keywords & use semantic keywords
For Content Spotlight founder Somnath Roy, businesses will see an increase in organic traffic when they strategically use keywords in their posts.
“SEO agencies should focus on creating new blog posts promoting different products relevant to the holiday season targeting appropriate keywords,” said Roy, in the release. “These keywords should be well-researched and wisely selected and LSI semantic keywords should be included as well in the article. These posts should be able to bring in considerable organic traffic to the website and increase engagement.”
5) Create a customer journey map
Trade and Lateral Development Director Michelle Fouche notes that an effective user map can help keep organic visitors engaged with the website.
“Map out the exact path visitors will follow when they land on your website,” said Fouche, in the release. “If you want them to shop, organize your products so they’re easy to find. Don’t lose sales because visitors are forced to try to understand your site layout or sales process. The more links to your sales pages, the better.”
6) Put the year in titles to indicate being current
Mouna El Maazouzi, SEO team member at Howdy Code, remarks that up-to-date posts are more likely to attract visitors.
“Our advice would be to add ‘year’ at the end of your post titles; e.g., having 2023 in your titles attracts the reader’s attention especially [since] the new year is just around the corner,” said Maazouzi, in the release. “It shows that you have the latest information; therefore, it increases click-through in your articles which then results in improved rankings.”
