16 Key SEO Tips for Small Businesses According to SEO Experts

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most powerful tools small businesses can use to improve their online visibility, attract potential customers, and grow sustainably, without relying solely on paid ads. With more than 68% of online experiences starting with a search engine, showing up in relevant search results can mean the difference between steady growth and being overlooked.

Local SEO is especially important for small business owners. Whether someone’s searching for “coffee near me” or “best dog groomer in [city],” showing up in local search results gives your business a chance to connect with nearby, high-intent customers. Even if your business serves a broader audience, strong SEO practices can increase organic traffic, boost brand awareness, and lead to more conversions over time.

SEO also builds trust. Appearing on the first page of Google search results signals credibility to potential customers, especially when paired with high-quality content, reviews, and a consistent online presence.

In this guide, you’ll learn expert-backed SEO tips for small businesses that can help you stand out in a crowded digital landscape. You don’t need to do everything at once. Start with one or two actionable items, then build from there. Each step you take strengthens your SEO foundation and brings you closer to long-term success.

Quick wins: Lay the right SEO foundation

Before you dive into technical fixes or SEO tools, it’s important to lay a strong foundation. That starts with understanding your audience, choosing the right keywords, and setting clear goals. When you know who you're trying to reach and what matters most to them, every other SEO tactic becomes more effective.

1. Know your audience and the problems you solve

Effective SEO begins with understanding why people are searching. This means digging into search intent—the goal someone has when they type a phrase into Google. There are three primary types:

• Informational: They’re looking to learn something (“how to fix a broken AC”).
• Transactional: They’re ready to buy (“affordable AC repair near me”).
• Navigational: They’re trying to find a specific brand or business (“CoolAir HVAC contact number”).

By identifying the intent behind different search terms, you can better match your website content to what your target audience actually wants. This insight helps understand your buyer personas and gives you a clear path for selecting the right keywords in the next step.

2. Do keyword research based on search intent

Once you understand your audience’s intent, it's time to find the relevant keywords they use. Tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Semrush can help you identify long-tail keywords with strong search volume and high intent. These are especially useful for small businesses, as they often have less competition than broad terms.

Focus on keywords that reflect what your ideal customer is looking for—not just in general, but in your specific industry and location. For example, a local business might target “best wedding photographer in Portland” instead of just “wedding photographer.”

If keyword research feels overwhelming or time-consuming, you can always hire an SEO expert to dig deeper. They can provide a list of target keywords tailored to your business, saving you time while improving the accuracy of your SEO strategy.

3. Set clear SEO goals and KPIs

Like any smart marketing strategy, your SEO plan should include clear goals and benchmarks. Key performance indicators (KPIs) help you track whether your efforts are paying off. Some of the most important metrics for small business SEO include:

• Organic traffic. Are more people finding you through search?
• Conversions. Are visitors taking action, like making a purchase or filling out a contact form?
• Bounce rate and time on page. Are people staying on your site or leaving quickly?
• Click-through rates (CTR). Are your pages compelling enough to earn clicks from search engine results pages (SERPs)?

Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your SEO metrics. These free tools give you insights into your website’s performance, show you which web pages are ranking, and help identify opportunities to improve.

By setting the right KPIs, you’ll be able to track progress, stay focused on your business goals, and make data-driven decisions as your SEO strategy evolves.

4. Run an SEO audit

A full SEO audit is the best way to assess your site’s current SEO health. It helps identify both high-level and technical issues that could be hurting your search engine rankings.

Conducting an SEO audit is easy, but most small businesses overlook it. “That’s why one of the best small business SEO tips is to conduct an SEO audit at regular intervals,” says digital marketing consultant Shane Barker.

Look at elements like your site structure, crawlability, indexing, and how well your site performs on mobile. Free tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics offer essential insights, while more advanced platforms like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Screaming Frog provide deeper analysis.

Perform audits regularly—at least once per quarter—to catch problems early and stay competitive in the organic search space. While this is a task you can certainly undertake, hiring SEO audit specialists can make it easier (and faster).

5. Fix and improve your technical SEO foundation

Technical SEO ensures your site is easy for both users and search engines to navigate. Start by addressing foundational issues, including:

• Missing or outdated XML sitemaps
• 404 errors and broken links
• Duplicate or thin content
• Unclear site architecture and navigation paths
• Poor URL structure or outdated robots.txt files

Improving indexing and crawlability not only helps your site appear in Google search results but also ensures that your most valuable web pages are prioritized by the search engine.

You can also add structured data (schema markup) to help search engines better understand your content and provide enhanced listings in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

6. Improve page speed and mobile experience

A slow-loading website creates a poor user experience. Even a one-second delay in page speed can reduce conversions by 7%.

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test your page load times. Then make improvements like:

• Compressing large image files
• Reducing third-party scripts and widgets
• Minifying CSS and JavaScript
• Upgrading your hosting plan if needed

A faster site helps lower your bounce rate, improves engagement, and can lead to better search engine optimization outcomes.

7. Optimize on-page SEO

On-page SEO includes everything you control directly on your site, like title tags, meta descriptions, alt text, and content formatting.

To improve your on-page performance:

• Use target keywords in your headings, body copy, alt text, and metadata
• Create high-quality content that addresses search intent, using headers to target keywords
• Break up text with subheaders, bullet points, and visual content for better readability
• Attach descriptive file names and alt text to every image
• Include internal links to relevant pages and external links to trusted sources

Small improvements like adding keyword-rich page titles or optimizing your meta descriptions can help increase your click-through rate from search results.

8. Use schema markup for rich results

Schema markup—also called structured data—is a form of code that helps search engines better interpret your content. It can also enhance your listings in the SERPs by displaying rich snippets like:

• Phone number
• Business hours
• Star ratings from reviews
• Location on Google Maps
• Service types or pricing

For local businesses, using schema can increase local search visibility and boost click-through rates. John Bertino, founder of The Agency Guide, says schema markup absolutely makes a difference as it highlights information important to local customers.

You can add schema manually, use tools like Schema.org, or install a plug-in if your site is built on WordPress. If it feels too technical, you can always hire an SEO professional to help with implementation.

Long-term plays: Build visibility and authority

Building authority takes time—but it’s what turns a good SEO foundation into lasting results. These strategies help your business rank higher, earn trust, and stay visible long after the initial campaign launch.

9. Create a content marketing strategy

Content creation is one of the most effective ways to improve your SEO strategy. It helps you target specific keywords, address your target audience’s needs, and keep your site fresh for search engine indexing.

As digital marketing guru, Neil Patel, says, “Think of it as a conversation between two people. SEO makes demands. Content marketing fulfills those demands.”

Build your content strategy around a consistent content calendar, focusing on high-quality content that aligns with your target keywords and search intent. This could include how-to guides, FAQs, case studies, testimonials, or social media content repurposed into blogs.

Incorporate long-tail keywords, answer common customer questions, and use internal links to connect your content. You can also use user-generated content like customer stories or product reviews to improve authenticity and engagement.

10. Build an internal linking structure

Internal links help search engines understand how your content is connected. They also guide users to related information, improving user experience and site navigation.

To make the most of your internal linking:

• Link to and from your cornerstone content
• Use relevant anchor text that clearly describes the linked page
• Avoid linking purely for the sake of SEO—keep it natural and helpful

A smart internal linking structure helps search engines crawl your site more efficiently and boosts the visibility of key pages.

11. Prioritize local SEO

For small businesses, local SEO is one of the most effective ways to attract local customers and appear in Google Maps and “near me” searches. Start by optimizing your Google Business Profile with accurate contact info, business hours, services, and photos. Make sure your phone number, address, and business name are consistent across all online directories.

In your website content and meta descriptions, include location-based search terms like “plumber in Denver” or “best bakery near downtown LA.” Use the Q&A section of your Google Business Profile to answer common questions, and post regular updates or offers to keep your profile active.

Optimizing for local search helps you stand out to potential customers nearby and can significantly increase website traffic and foot traffic to your store.

12. Optimize your website for mobile phones

With mobile-first indexing, Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site to determine its ranking. That makes mobile optimization essential for small business SEO.

To create a seamless experience across all devices:

• Use a responsive design that adapts to any screen size
• Avoid frustrating pop-ups and overlapping elements
• Make buttons and links thumb-friendly
• Keep page elements from shifting or stacking awkwardly

Moz has a useful mobile optimization guide to get you started. Begin by checking your site’s mobile performance using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and then track how your mobile rankings differ from desktop in Google Search Console.

13. Focus on getting reviews

Customer reviews play a key role in both SEO rankings and consumer trust. They influence your click-through rate (CTR), add keyword-rich content to your listings, and signal that your business is active and trustworthy.

Ask happy customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, and industry-specific platforms. Make it part of your onboarding or post-purchase follow-up process. Be sure to respond to all reviews—both positive and negative—to show engagement and improve your online reputation.

Consider using online reputation management (ORM) tools to automate alerts and streamline the process. Or hire an independent customer service professional to help monitor and manage reviews across your social media platforms and local listings.

14. Build your website authority with external links

Backlinks, links from other websites to yours, are a major ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. The more high-quality links you have from reputable sites, the more authority your website earns in the eyes of search engines.

To get started with link building, focus on creating valuable, link-worthy content such as blog posts, data studies, infographics, or user-generated content (UGC). Reach out to bloggers, industry sites, or local publications to promote your content and request links.

Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or Moz to track your backlink profile, monitor domain authority, and identify link opportunities. A strong external linking strategy will help your web pages rank higher and improve your site’s credibility.

It’s worth the effort to create a strategy. When Ninja Outreach tweaked its internal linking, its organic site traffic increased by over 40%.

15. Create video content

Video content is one of the most powerful ways to engage users and increase website traffic. Short-form videos on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are especially effective for capturing attention and boosting your social media presence.

Include videos on your website and embed them in relevant blog posts or landing pages. Types of video that work well for small businesses include how-to guides, behind-the-scenes clips, testimonials, and product demos.

Don’t forget video SEO best practices—add alt text, captions, and schema markup to help search engines understand your videos. When done well, video can improve dwell time, drive conversions, and amplify your overall digital marketing efforts.

16. Refresh or repurpose existing content

Update older blog posts with new stats, visuals, and keywords to boost rankings. Repurpose blogs into social media posts, infographics, or email content to extend your reach.

You might also take existing podcast episodes and use AI to summarize the content. You can reuse the key points from the episode for different articles and pages. If you have experts, this will amplify your experience, expertise, authority, and trust (EEAT) measures for Google.

Grow: Expand visibility and authority

Once your website is SEO-ready, the next step is expanding your online visibility and building authority in your niche. These strategies help increase your organic traffic, boost brand awareness, and drive long-term success by positioning your business as a trusted resource.

SEO is a long game—here’s how to win it

Even with all of these SEO tips in your toolkit, success won’t happen overnight. Search engine optimization takes time, consistency, and patience—especially for small business owners juggling dozens of responsibilities. But the effort compounds.

Unlike paid ads, which disappear when your budget runs out, SEO builds long-term value. Each blog post, backlink, or update to your Google Business Profile improves your online visibility and builds trust with potential customers. Over time, these actions help you move up in the search engine results pages and attract more qualified organic traffic.

Treat SEO like a long-term investment. Measure your progress using key metrics like click-through rates, conversions, and keyword rankings with SEO tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. And remember: Even one small improvement today can lead to meaningful growth in six months or a year.

Start ranking today

SEO isn’t a quick fix—it’s a long-term investment in your online presence, your brand, and your ability to reach the right customers at the right time. For small business owners, implementing these SEO tips gradually can lead to measurable growth in organic traffic, stronger search engine rankings, and more qualified leads over time.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Start with one or two tactics that align with your most pressing goals—whether that’s optimizing your Google Business Profile, improving page speed, or publishing high-quality content around your target keywords. As each improvement compounds, your SEO strategy will grow stronger.

Many businesses have already seen success by investing in expert SEO help through Upwork. For example, home renovation brand FIXR used Upwork to connect with SEO writers and technical specialists, boosting their website traffic by more than 500,000 monthly visitors. By outsourcing to independent professionals, they scaled faster—without expanding their in-house team.

If you’re ready to grow your small business SEO strategy but don’t have the time or expertise to do it all yourself, Upwork makes it easy to find vetted SEO professionals, content creators, technical experts, and more. Whether you need help with local SEO, keyword research, technical fixes, or link building, the right talent is just a few clicks away.

Explore Upwork to find SEO experts who can help your business grow—on your terms, and within your budget.

And if you’re a professional with solid SEO expertise, find clients looking for help with SEO projects on Upwork.