Guide to SEO for Rural Businesses

Did you know that over 97% of consumers go online to find local services and products? As a small-town business owner, a thoughtful and detailed local SEO campaign can yield incredible results. You might be asking what does ‘SEO’ mean? Search engine optimization (SEO) which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

You’ll have the opportunity to establish an online presence in your region, connect with your existing and prospective customers, and ultimately generate more leads through local SEO. If you implement these strategies below, your Google rankings will be sure to climb to the top!

Create and Update Your Google My Business Listing

Local SEO is all about being searchable on Google Maps in your local area. Because there’s less competition in rural areas, small-town business owners have the opportunity to become an industry expert in their region!

Be sure your business is registered (for free) on Google My Business. You’ll broaden your exposure and appeal to searchers, both on Google Maps and Google Search. Your listing will also connect to your reviews, and all relevant information will be visible to any searcher at the touch of a button!

Make Sure the Information You Provide is Consistent

Expertise, authority, and trust (EAT) are what Google likes to see in a webpage. A key component of EAT is consistency. If there are discrepancies in your business’s name, address, and phone number, it can not only be misleading to customers but can negatively affect your online ranking presence. Conversely, if your information is correct everywhere it appears online, you’ll be on your way to ranking among the top results on Google! If you’ve changed your business’s location, name, or other info, make sure to address these by correcting the information where inconsistencies exist.

Increase the Scope of Your Reviews

Reputation is everything. And word-of-mouth is still the make-or-break factor of any business, particularly one specializing in services. What’s more, the internet has allowed clients and anyone with internet access to be more vocal than ever. Seize the opportunity. Encourage your clients to review your services online! Respond to your reviews, too and not just the glowing ones! Search engines taking to account the quality as well of the quantity of the reviews.

Consider Your Content

If there’s one thing that will determine your website’s ranking above all else, it’s content. Equip your website with content that is not only engaging and informative but is a search engine’s dream. That means articulate, well-written content and a carefully planned keyword strategy. If you want to make sure it’s done right, outsource your content to an experienced content writing team. They’ll ensure that your content is written and edited to rank on Google. Consider location-specific landing pages and reinvest in your existing content with extensions and updates. That way you can be sure to be informing both search engines and searchers!

Promote Your Website

The more clicks your website gets the better you will appear in search engines. You can promote your website in many different ways. By linking your website to your email signature, linking your website to any digital advertising you do and have the click through going to a landing page on your website. You can post your website on your social media pages encouraging your page viewers to click over to your website. Include your website in all paid advertisements you are doing. You can add your website link to your Google My Business Page. Doing one if not all of these things will eventually boost your website presence.

Helpful Links

Click here for a beginners guide to SEO

Click here for a SEO checklist

How to Optimize Content