SEO 101: What Small Business Owners Need to Know about SEO As a small business owner, you have probably heard about SEO and how important it is for helping customers find your business. But you may still have a few questions about what exactly SEO is and why you need it. This post will cover the basics of SEO and talk a little bit about what you can do to help improve your ranking. What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? Do you ever wonder why some websites show up on the first page of Google while others don’t appear until page ten? All of the major search engines like Google and Bing have primary search results that appear on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). These results are ranked and shown based on which pages the search engine finds most relevant for the searcher. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your content and website to increase visibility in these organic (non-paid) search engine results. Why is SEO important for small businesses? No matter what type of business you run, search engines are going to be the primary way that internet users find you online. By optimizing your website and content for search engines, you can drive more traffic to your website. Even if most of your customers visit your physical store location to make a purchase, it’s still vital for you to​ ​boost visibility on the search engines​ so that local searchers can find your business when they need it. How do search engine rankings work? In an effort to deliver the best possible results to users, search engines rank sites based on a few different factors. When it comes to site design, websites rank higher on search engine results if they are professionally designed, easy to navigate, and accessible across devices and browsers. However, even if you have the most beautiful website out there, you cannot improve your SERP ranking unless you are producing quality, credible content that is relevant to the searcher. A website that provides a positive user experience and relevant content will encourage those who visit your site to bookmark, return to, share, and even include inbound links back to your content. This shows search engines that users find your page useful, which can improve your ranking on the SERP. How can I improve my SEO ranking? One of the best ways to improve your SEO ranking is by regularly publishing content on your website, blog, or other sites that links back to your website. As you develop content, naturally include ​researched keywords​ that pertain to the topics you are addressing and relevant links to pages on your website and third-party sources. When publishing content on sites other than your own, make sure that the platforms make it possible for search engines to find your material. edocr features text extraction, which allows search engines to crawl and index your content, including text and links found in the title, description, and bio fields. This helps you boost visibility on the search engines so that more people can find your brand online. Are you ready to start publishing your content on edocr? ​Create a free account​ today to start connecting with your customers.