3 Steps to Rank #1 on Google for your Small Business

3 Pillars of Local SEO

Now that’s we’ve hit 2017, it’s safe to say that the Search Engine Optimization, SEO industry has matured. I remember in 2005 working with Couriers and Transportation firms and I would get the ‘deer-in-headlight-look’ when I said anything Internet.

“We don’t need to be on the Internet” they said.

You think they were wrong?

You can capitalize on 40% of ALL NEW BUSINESS by being #1 on Google Organically.  This is a straight fact.  And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to get your business #1 on Google.

You Can Be #1 on Google in 2017

That’s the truth.  You can do it in-house, you can do it yourself…and I’m about to give you the blueprint for your local business.

First, let’s clarify who this will work for.  If you have a physical location that customers (or patients / clients / members) come to….or you go to your customers…this is for you.  This is NOT for ecommerce and online stores.  This is for the LOCAL Business.

SEO has changed significantly since I begun 12 years ago.  I’ve worked with 100’s of transportation companies, several dozen Chiropractors and dozens of other small local businesses over the years.  I’ve trained over 1000 students worldwide to build their own agencies.  One of my students recently made the Inc. 5000 in America, all from my training.

Back in the mid 2000’s, SEO was easy.  You’d get links to a website.  But sometime around 2009 something changed…

Businesses are Ranked … Not Websites

You see, I’ve got a business degree with a specialty in Marketing.  What I learned in school in the 90’s is exactly what is working in the world of SEO post 2010.

But people don’t quite get it yet.

A good business is a business that has happy customers and referrals.  You’ve heard the term, the best marketing is Word of Mouth Marketing (WOM)…right?

The idea to replicate and digitize this WOM marketing is the biggest secret in SEO.

I call this the ‘busy restaurant’ syndrome.  You want to eat at a busy restaurant because usually the food and service are great.  That’s why it’s busy.

You want your business to look like the busy restaurant on the internet.  It’s that simple.

The CPR Approach to Ranking your Business #1 on Google

3 Pillars of Local SEO

This is our unique approach to marketing your business to achieve high rankings in the search engines.  There are three areas you should be looking at.  But before I discuss these three, I want to discuss some basic marketing.

Segment Your Audience

This is marketing 101…in my first year of college we learned how to segment an audience into different profile…let’s call them a customer persona.  Typically a small business will have one to perhaps 5 client personas.  Think about segmenting your potential customers into a group you can define.

For example, you can segment based on age, gender, income level, education, among dozens of factors.  Perhaps you’re a courier company…you may cater to private schools and government agencies.  Perhaps you’re a Chiropractor, and you may cater to pregnant mothers and children to enhance their performance.

Either way, segment your audience…this is CRUCIAL in the SEO process.

1. CPR – Content

You may have heard the term in SEO ‘Content is King’.  It is – well sort of.  Content can be an article, a press release, a website, a video, a tweet, Facebook post or even an image.  But good content is created to help overcome client buying objections.  To help your prospective buyers, and clients, make decisions about your business – service or product.

In other words, we don’t create content for the search engines, we create content relevant to our customers first.  This becomes much more clear when you have defined audience segments.

Content is only as powerful as it’s distribution.  Long gone are the days we’d write an article and get it posted on dozens of sites…rewrite the article and re-post….written by some dude in India.  This strategy could give us 100 links to a website for less than $10.

Today a good piece of content is a press release – printed in the local newspaper.  Or a well written blog post with video shared by the local chamber of commerce.  Distributing this content requires a few phone calls, some emails and a high quality piece – where the local publisher is proud to showcase your work.

Creating between four and six high quality content pieces a month is a good start.

2. CPR – Profiles

Some in my industry call this a citation.  But it’s not, a citation by definition is a reference – and a citation in the internet with a local business is a reference to that business.  Technically creating content and distributing that content creates a citation.  But for profiles, you want your business listed on the Yelp’s and Facebooks of the world.  Keeping your description, name, phone number, categories, photos & videos consistent with all the profile sites.

There are literally 100’s of profiles sites out there, from broad to specific, local to national, to get your business listed.  If you focus on acquiring around 15 per month, you’re well on your way.

3.  CPR – Reviews

Customer reviews are the digital form of positive word of mouth.  They provide credibility, ability to relate and can be a good tool in any sales cycle.

We created and implement our RAP n’ System with our clients – Review Acquisition Program.  Do Not Solicit Reviews.  Trust me.  Don’t.

The RAP n’ System is merely an internal process for your business to build your greatest and best digital asset – a communication system with our hero customers.

Simply identify your happiest customers, those that have already expressed their content with your company.  Then just ask them to digitize the testimonial.

Simple but Not Easy

Search Engine Optimization seems pretty straight forward to us.  Serve your customers in the best way you can.  It’s that simple.  But that’s not easy.  It takes work – a lot of quality work.  There is no secret to ranking on the search engines, and they surely do not want to be manipulated.

Below is a video presentation I conduct frequently.  It’s about an hour long.  You’ll find all the details I discuss here plus much more.  Give it a shot.

Otherwise give us a call 847 807 4382 to schedule a free 15 minute initial consultation.  We’ll tell you what’s up with your ranking plus give you a step by step one-year plan for your SEO efforts.