As digital marketing continues to evolve, staying ahead of SEO trends is crucial for small businesses looking to maintain a competitive edge. SEO strategies are more complex, data-driven, and user-focused than ever before. To help small businesses optimise their digital presence, we’ve compiled some the best SEO practices for small businesses, along with key trends to watch for in the future.
1. User Experience (UX) is More Important Than Ever
Search engine algorithms prioritise websites that provide an excellent user experience (UX). Factors like page load speed, mobile responsiveness, and intuitive navigation are crucial ranking signals. To ensure websites are easy to navigate, with fast load times and a seamless experience across all devices, businesses must regularly optimise their content and design, focusing on reducing clutter and improving accessibility. This helps retain visitors, increases engagement, and boosts conversions, all of which contribute to better search engine rankings and overall business success.
2. E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) Remains a Key Ranking Factor
Popular search engines continue to emphasise the importance of E-A-T (Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness). To improve a website's E-A-T, focus on producing high-quality, accurate content from credible sources.
How to build E-A-T:
- Publish well-researched, authoritative content.
- Include author bios with qualifications and credentials.
- Earn backlinks from reputable websites to boost a website’s authority.
3. Content Quality and Relevance are Non-Negotiable
Creating high-quality, relevant content that matches user intent is critical. Search engines algorithms are increasingly sophisticated in understanding the context and intent behind search queries, so ensure that a business content aligns with what users are searching for.
Content tips
- Focus on creating comprehensive, in-depth articles that answer users’ queries.
- Use long-tail keywords and natural language to Optimise for conversational search queries.
- Regularly update old content to keep it relevant and informative.
Watch our video showcasing Keri from SnowWindows (Backlink) on our YouTube page (hyperlink) to showcase some key strategies to implement an online business.
4. Voice Search Optimisation is Growing
With the increasing use of voice search, optimising for technology is essential. Voice searches tend to be longer and more conversational, so focusing on natural language and question-based queries will help improve a websites visibility.
To start optimising for voice search, small businesses should focus on conversational, question-based keywords and prioritise local SEO with an updated Google My Business profile. Creating FAQ pages, using structured data markup, and aiming for featured snippets can improve visibility. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, fast, and optimised for "near me" searches. Write in natural language and monitor analytics to refine your strategy. These steps will help enhance your online presence and attract voice search users effectively.
Voice search optimisation tips:
- Incorporate long-tail keywords and natural phrasing into the websites content.
- Focus on answering common questions in a clear and concise manner.
- Optimise for local searches, as many voice searches are location specific.
5. Visual Search and Image Optimisation
Visual search tools are gaining popularity, making image optimisation a key focus. SEO isn’t just about optimising text content—images and visuals play a significant role in driving traffic.
Best practices for visual search:
- Use high-quality, relevant images with descriptive file names.
- Add alt text that accurately describes the image content.
- Compress images to ensure fast load times without compromising quality.
Here is an easy checklist on what you can do:
Keyword Research and Integration
Solution: Use free tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find relevant terms. Place these in titles, meta descriptions, headers, and naturally within your content.
Meta Titles and Description
Solution: Write clear, engaging titles (60 characters max) and descriptions (155 characters max) that include your primary keyword and a call to action.
Site Speed
Solution: Compress images, use caching plugins, and minimise CSS/JavaScript files. Tools like GT metrix or Google Page Speed Insights provide actionable steps.
High-Quality Content
Solution: Create fresh, in-depth content that answers user queries. Use tools like Answer The Public to find trending questions in your niche.
Internal Linking
Solution: Link related articles, product pages, or categories to improve navigation and distribute link equity.
Broken Links
Solution: Use tools like Broken Link Checker or Screaming Frog to identify broken links and update or remove them.
Image Optimisation
Solution: Add descriptive alt text to all images and compress them with free tools like Tiny PNG to reduce file size without losing quality.
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