Startup SEO can seem like "black magic" at times. Gurus and experts want you to think that you're incapable of doing SEO. While there are some tips, tools, and tricks that can help you accelerate the growth of your organic search presence, most SEO tasks can be done by anyone with a laptop.
In this article, we will quickly define startup SEO and discuss 5 easy tasks that your can do to increase your SEO, including:
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the act of improving your startup's online presence to show up better in searches performed on search engines like Google and Bing. This also includes map listings on platforms like Google Maps, Bing Places, and Apple Maps for startups in industries that want to show up for "near me" searches(i.e. home services, legal, medical, etc.).
SEO can get very complicated, however, there are a few things that really drive the needle:
Once you have your startup's website built, even if it's just a landing page, you should immediately set up your Google Analytics and Search Console. These are imperative to creating a communication link between your website and Google's search engine.
GA shows you where your traffic is coming from, how they interact with your website, and all things related to your startup's website's performance.
GSC is primarily for allowing you to track the actual searches that people make that lead to your website and how you rank for those searches. GSC also offers you the opportunity to upload your sitemap to Google and to "reject" bad links to your website.
If you want your startup to show up in local search results, you need to create online listings. This is especially important if you're in an industry that relies on "near me" searches, like home services or medical.
There are a few different ways to do this, but the most common (and effective) method is to create listings on Google My Business, Bing Places, and Apple Maps. These are all free platforms that will help your startup show up in relevant searches. There are 1000's of online directories your business could be listed on, however, these are the most important for all startups.
To get started, simply create an account on each platform and follow the instructions to add your business information. Once your listings are live, be sure to keep them up-to-date with accurate information and photos.
Most startups don't think that social media profiles are connected with your SEO, however, they are almost as important as setting up your online listings.
Social media profiles are essentially online listings for your business on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These platforms are all incredibly popular (especially Facebook and LinkedIn),which means that they have a lot of influence over search engine results.
Creating social media profiles is very simple and can be done in just a few minutes. Simply create an account on each platform and fill out your business information. Be sure to include links to your website and online listings in your profile.
Once your profiles are live, be sure to post regular updates and interact with other users. This will help you build a strong social media presence, which will, in turn, improve your SEO.
Good reviews are essential for any business, but they're especially important for startups wanting to boost their SEO. People are often hesitant to try new things, so they'll rely on reviews to make decisions. Google, in particular, knows this and makes a place in its algorithm to account for reviews. Online reviews are the main data point available to search engines to know if your startup is actually providing value to your customers and audience.
The platforms you choose will depend on your niche and type of offering, however, reviews on the following platforms are always a good bet:
Mentions of your startup on reputable, industry-related sites will gain backlinks (mentions of your URL on other websites). Backlinks are HUGE part of SEO and can make or break your overall SEO performance. Sharing content on sites like Medium or industry-related will help bring more authority to your website bringing a boost in your visibility in online search rankings.
Blogs and content assets assist your startup in showing search engines and your audience that you know what you're talking about. Regular blogs help keep your website fresh and relevant, while content assets continue to attract traffic long after they are published.
Blogs are typically temporary, while evergreen content lives on and is constantly updated. You can even use blogs to see what your audience connects with and determine what should become an evergreen content asset for your startup.
If you produce high-quality content, other website owners will want to link to it. This is a great way to build backlinks and mentions of your website.
While there are some complicated SEO strategies that your startup could implement, the majority of SEO is about putting in the hard work. You could go down the rabbit hole of SEO and nitpick every little detail of your online presence, however, the key is consistency and execution.
Before you pay $1,000's to an SEO expert, tackle these 5 tasks first. They might bring your startup the boost in traffic you need without breaking the bank.
