If you’re an entrepreneur, a website is essential for marketing your product or service. But, getting your website up and running is only half the battle. The next step is SEO, or search engine optimization. Here are some basic SEO tips to make sure your growing business is on the right track for SEO success.

SEO basically means making your website visible to those who are actively searching for what you have to offer. Getting your website to rank in the SERPs (search engine results pages) is the main goal of SEO. It may sound scary and complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. :

6 Basic SEO Tips For New Entrepreneurs

1. Aesthetic and User Experience

The first thing you want to do is ensure that your site is appealing and easy to navigate. If your site turns users away, no amount of SEO efforts will make much of a difference. Consider looking at other sites within your industry to get an idea of what’s working. If design is not your thing, consider taking some classes or hiring a professional.

2. Keywords

Identifying the keywords you want to rank for is the first and most important step when you’re starting any SEO campaign. The best way to draw in people naturally is to rank for keywords that pertain to what you do. Consider what you have to offer and identify several keywords or phrases that are relevant. Google’s keyword tool can be a great help, and if you want to take it one step further, look at your competitors to find out what keywords are working well for them. SEMrush has a great tool that can help you identify your competitors’ top keywords.

Once you’ve decided on your key terms and phrases, sprinkle them across your site organically. Don’t overuse them or place them unnaturally, because keyword stuffing is frowned upon and can ultimately harm any SEO efforts. Make sure to use these key terms and phrases naturally so Google will know what your site is all about. Internal links are also a great way to build up recognition of your keywords, as long as the links and the terms fit.

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3. Meta Descriptions, Headers, and Alt Tags

When it comes to SEO, writing your own meta descriptions is key. Make sure each page has an interesting meta description that will draw in anyone who sees it pop up in the search results. Headers are also important. Try to use your keywords in headers whenever possible, but again, make sure it’s natural. For the most part, headers need to be a relevant description of what’s in the page or section they pertain to. Lastly, make sure that every photo on your site has a description and alt tag to help Google understand what is in the picture.

4. Unique Content

It’s best to ensure that every blurb, quip, or description you have was written especially for your site. If you sell products that are also sold elsewhere, creating your own distinct product descriptions will give Google more unique content to crawl.

5. Useful Content

Having a blog or a resource section is a great way to draw in organic traffic that you would miss otherwise. Make sure that your resources aren’t strictly for SEO or marketing purposes, though. Providing useful content to your target audience is quickly becoming the biggest component for great rankings.

If your blog is all about your products, you’ll only draw in those who already know and love your business. If you only offer videos of your company’s news coverage, same thing. It’s a good idea to include these as part of your onsite content, but offering things that are useful and informative is the best way to make sure your site’s content is shared with a relevant audience. No matter your industry, you can find useful topics that pertain to your audience. Having useful, relevant content in the number one way to get other sites to link back to you, which is highly valuable for SEO.

6. Social Media

Having and maintaining a social media presence on every platform that pertains to your business is crucial. Social media is gaining more and more steam and its ability to influence target markets has never been more prevalent. While Google’s algorithm doesn’t take social media into account directly, its ability to bring more people to your site and grow your audience will definitely influence SEO over the long run. Much like your content, you want to make sure that your social media interactions are useful, informative, or at the very least, entertaining. Sharing your onsite content across social media is also a great way to have your site shared out to the widest audience possible.

Starting a new business is time-consuming and tedious, but you’ve got what it takes. Remember that SEO is a massive component to modern day marketing, and don’t overlook the power it holds. There is nothing that can draw in more business than dangling your business directly in front of the people who are already looking to buy what you have to offer. Ranking for keywords relevant to your business is incredibly important.

Lastly, remember that good SEO takes time. Lots and lots of time. Be patient, and make sure that everything you do is organic and natural.