Just because your company is the coy pond to your competitors’ deep blue sea, does not mean that you cannot get as many clicks and better page rankings as them. As a small company it may seem that you have to work 10 times harder to win the attention of your target customers, however, it’s not about size; it’s about effectiveness.
Here are 4 easy ways to beat the bigger competition without a big budget:
- Improve Search Engine Listings
Optimization is crucial and a small company with a great search engine listing will beat a larger company’s listing with poor optimization every single time. Be sure that all content is up to par with Google’s 3 Main Algorithm practices (Hummingbird, Panda and Penguin) as well as fresh, direct titles and descriptions for each of your pages. Also be aware that local search results are extremely important, so be sure that all maps, address details and relevant local descriptions are properly optimized and all information is correct and up to date.
- Make It Easier for Your Mobile Users
Studies have shown that 74% (yikes!) of business-focused websites are not mobile responsive, resulting in a drastic drop in clicks due to mobile users not being able to access the website properly from their mobile devices. 66% of users access websites through their phones, which means that if your website is not responsive and inaccessible, you are losing out on 66% of your market!!
- Social Media
There is a difference between a company having a social media profile, and a company effectively using their social media outlets. Some businesses will create a Facebook, Twitter or Google+ page and then completely forget about it and think that just because it is out there on the web it is getting their name out there… WRONG!
– Optimize your company’s correct information via description, logo, slogan, etc. on all pages
– Logos are important. You need to stand out from your competitor and viewers need to easily recognize your name whenever they come across it on the internet
– Always include a link back to your original website. The sole purpose of social media for a business is to bring viewers BACK to your site to see what services you provide, promotions, etc.
– Relate to your viewers as a human, not as a robot. People want to see that you care about your customers, which is why you need to interact with them on a personal level
- Easily Adaptable
As a smaller company, you are more likely to adapt to frequent changes and updates than a bigger company would be. If you are personally monitoring your results locally, socially and through search engines, you may find a glitch in your tactics. You can immediately change what you need at the drop of a hat – without going through the grapevines of departments and CEO’s of larger companies.
Don’t be discouraged if you are losing out to a bigger company on your search results. There are always ways to get yourself ranked higher and get more clicks – you just have to be actively present on all social media outlets and aware of the constant changes in the SEO world.