If you run a small to medium sized business in Cork, you know just how important it is for your website to rank highly in organic search results. The better your rankings, the more users can see your business online and potentially click on your link and become customers. There is so much information out there on SEO best practices for large international companies it can be hard to find a suitable solution that suits the needs and price range of a small business. Here are 2 simple SEO strategies for Cork businesses.
1: Local Directory Listings
There are countless local business directories in Cork and Ireland that can improve your SEO and help your small business rank both locally and nationally. Many of these directories are free and it’s usually very straightforward to create your listing. All you have to do is input some basic information about your business; usually a name, address, phone number, some keywords you would like to rank well for, brief & long descriptions, a link to your website etc. When updating your NAP information (Name, Address & Phone Number), make sure it’s identical in every listing you create. Any discrepancies can lead to complications down the line that can actually have a negative impact on your SEO and make it more difficult for potential customers to find your business. If you have already created some listings for directories, go over them and make sure all of your information is consistent across the board.
2: Encourage Customers To Review You On Google
Positive reviews on Google can be a fantastic way to increase your local rankings in Cork. Depending on your business type, this can be done in many different ways. From putting a plaque on the wall saying “Please Review Us On Google” to asking customers face to face if they wouldn’t mind reviewing you on Google. All reviews should be responded to as quickly as they happen, if it’s a 5 star review you can thank them, if it’s a 1 star review you can see what went wrong and use it as an opportunity to improve your business. Google reviews are great for SEO, however offering an incentive for reviews such as a monthly giveaway to a random reviewer, is in direct conflict with Google’s terms of service in recent years and should be avoided. The long term penalties for black hat SEO tactics far outweigh any short term benefits they can have.
If you need to boost your SEO rankings in Cork, some simple you can do yourself are adding your business to local directories and encouraging your customers to review you on Google. If you have tried that and you still aren’t seeing good results, book your free SEO consultation in Cork with 3B1 Media & marketing today.