SEO is a complicated issue for many small businesses. A lot of owners approach me looking for help, but due to time or financial constraints, can’t afford a consultant. I get that; having come from a start-up background, I am empathetic to the complications that arise from entrepreneurship.

Having said that, here is some straightforward advice for people attempting their own website optimization. Am I going to give you a blow by blow account on how to do this? No, because it’s not that simple. SEO needs vary from site to site; what works for an e-commerce site may not work for a NFP’s webpage, or a blog. What I will do is point out some of the less than obvious issues that are frequently overlooked by noobs. Here are some tips and advice for those considering it, or already in the process.

1. Understand the basics

Contrary to popular thought, SEO is not a process of manipulating the internet, but rather positioning your site to be efficient for search engines to  process and cache. It is essential that you understand how the internet works before you can positively affect your search engine results.

You must understand how the bots spider your page – it’s not like how you and I read from left to right. Understanding how the page is segmented and approach should help you determine the most effective set up, and ideal locations for keywords, etc.

Also consider how pages are rated and ranked by search engines (S.E.s). Knowing what the S.E.s expect from quality pages will help you prioritize the work you do on the site, both in the front and back end. A large piece of this has to do with keywords and research. Which brings me to….

2. Research – it’s not just for students

SEO is not something that requires just a couple of hours of attention: It takes time, research and consistent attention to truly bring results. If you believe three hours of work once a month is really going to work, you are gravely mistaken.

When it comes to research materials, timeliness is increasingly important. What worked two years ago may not work now (thanks Penguin and Panda!); is it is important that your research materials be recent if you’d like to affect real change.

3. What the hell is a Keyword?

It’s disturbing how often I am asked this by entrepreneurs who think they’re doing an excellent job in SEO. A keyword is a specific word that you want to use, that is targeted by searchers, and thusly the bots completing the searches.

Throwing a bunch of random words or links onto your page might have worked before, but the internet is a funny thing – and it is in a constant state of flux. Do some keyword research: That includes looking that the trends surrounding that word, or the search habit of the people or area that you business should be targeting. There are some great, free or low-cost software out there that will let you do this.

4. Don’t overestimate Metric turnaround and underestimate popular media – use it to your advantage

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but adjusting keywords and structure will not result in an instant explosion of traffic or conversions. Generally, you won’t see real results in your metrics for at least six months. To expect more is unrealistic, so learn to be patient.

Use this time to your advantage: it will allow for deeper research, and more time to generate traffic through social media, mobile apps and referential media. All of these are essential in the current landscape, and will help you generate organic links (essential) while creating genuine interactions with others. These could even be considered marketing initiatives, so keep it in mind when you’re establishing your marketing tactics and scheduling your time.

5. Under-valuing the time investment in SEO

I get it: working in a small business means time is critical. But devoting a small portion of your month to SEO just isn’t going to cut it. Although it may seem like an unrealistic amount of time, integrating 30-90 minutes per day into your work schedule for SEO/Marketing initiatives would improve your search engine results whilst increasing your ROI. The bright side: this includes Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Yelp and other emerging social apps: all essentials in your marketing plans.

Jim Hedger

Jim Hedger is an organic SEO and digital marketing specialist. Jim has been involved in the online marketing industry since 1998 and a SEO since 1999. Best known as a broadcaster, interviewer, content writer and search industry commentator, Jim is a frequent conference speaker and organizer. He hosts the search focused radio show Webcology on WebmasterRadio.FM and is a WebmasterRadio.FM conference interviewer. Jim brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, passion and creative thinking to each project. Preferring a teamwork approach, Jim strives to inform and train his clients and their staff to run and maintain their own search and social media efforts.

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