Local businesses have been booming post-pandemic, thanks to the digital realisation. Having a website has become crucial ever since. However, having a website for your business does not mean it will attract business right off the bat. You have to get the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) right to maximise your website’s efficiency. In this article, we will see some basic yet effective SEO methods for small businesses to maximise visibility in South Africa.
Search Engine Optimisation: What is it?
We have mentioned SEO in numerous articles in the past. For example, take a look at these important aspects of SEO, or these black hat SEO practices you should absolutely avoid. But what exactly is Search Engine Optimisation and how does it serve online businesses in South Africa?
In simple words, SEO is about telling Google and other search engines your website’s existence. So that whenever a potential customer searches for your website on Google, it may appear, hopefully, on the first search results page. How to do that? Here, we will explore our top five effective SEO methods for small businesses in South Africa.
Effective SEO Methods for Small Businesses in South Africa
To effectively optimise your website for search engines, small businesses in South Africa should consider the following practices.
1. Understanding your market is the first step to optimisation.
As a business, your business is likely to have a set demographic, right? For example, if you are selling kitchen appliances, your demographic will consist of older customers, primarily females.
Every business has its unique demographic. The right demographic helps a business generate better revenue than just randomly targeting a vast demographic. Identifying your demographic is the first step in identifying your SEO strategy as well.
2. After the Demographics come Keywords.
Once you have the demographic set, you can search for the keywords they are searching for. These keywords will give you an insight into their demands, as well as an insight into your competitors. You can find perfect keywords for you using the Google Keywords Planner.
Keyword research is an important step in getting your SEO right. We have a detailed article about Keyword Research and SEO that we highly recommend giving a read.
In a TLDR format, keywords are drawn from your market survey and trends. The better optimised (not over-optimised) your website is for the keyword, the better the results you are likely to see on your website. As a small business, getting organic traffic for your business in South Africa is of utmost importance, and keywords play a significant role in the process.
3. Using Google Business Profile to Improve your visibility.
Having an optimised website is great and all, but you should use all the tools to maximise your visibility. And nothing does it better than having your presence on Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) in South Africa. And what’s more? It’s free to use in South Africa.
Google Business Profile helps put your business on their business database in South Africa. This includes your business website, business hours, contact details, and Google Maps visibility. Your customers can also leave Google reviews on your Business Profile, which further helps with your reputation.
Also, it is important to have a Google Business Profile if you intend to run ads with Google Ads.
4. Blogs: A perfect way to boost your visibility.
Blog articles provide a solid dual opportunity to show off your knowledge regarding your industry AND boost the SEO with keyword density. For example, Digital Lime Green is a web design and SEO agency in South Africa. However, we use this blog to provide our readers with knowledge AND also rank for certain keywords on Google.
However, it is important to remember that this is a double-edged blade. Do not write articles just for the sake of increasing your keyword density. Provide actual knowledge—actual value—through your articles.
Keyword crowding is a black hat SEO practice that may invite a penalty from Google itself, de-listing your website from the search results page.
Blogs are also a perfect way to do link-building. We highly recommend this SEMRush article for more information on the same.
5. Adopt a Mobile-Friendly Website Design.
As more and more people are using smartphones to access the internet in South Africa and across the world, mobile-friendly websites have become crucial for your business. Mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor for Google SEO.
If you are not sure how, Digital Lime Green also provides mobile-friendly website design and optimisations in South Africa. Feel free to check out our SEO section or connect with us for more information.
Final Thoughts
These are the top five effective SEO methods for small businesses in South Africa. For small businesses in South Africa, getting the SEO right is necessary. Combining your SEO efforts with paid advertisements, such as Google Ads or social media ads is the optimal solution to boost visibility.
Related: Google Ads vs SEO
If you are looking for SEO-oriented web design solutions in South Africa, Digital Lime Green can help you. We are a Cape Town-based web design agency, dedicating ourselves to providing effective digital solutions for small and medium businesses in South Africa. For more information or enquiry, kindly reach out to us.