When people use Google to search for information about a product or service, they most likely would only look at the first page and would open those who are on the top. And most likely the ones on top are the large well-known brands.
Competing with these large and established brands on search engine optimization can certainly be hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Chances are the brands that are currently dominating your market know a thing or two about marketing in general, the essentials of reputation management, and search engine optimization (SEO).
So, how can your small business with limited experience and resources, compete with large brands?
To compete with large brands what you need is a competitive SEO strategy that’s well formulated to help your business gain visibility and advantage. The following are tips you can use as a guide in doing your SEO marketing.
1. Specialize in a niche
Having many areas of expertise is a good way to get your brand to appear in search engines for queries related to any of those keywords. However, if your goal is to compete with leading brands it’s better to take more of a niche focus. Having many areas of specialization gives you relevance for a wide range of keywords, however, your relevance for each of them is going to be a bit low. By pouring all of your efforts into one or into a small set of keywords, you’ll be able to achieve better visibility.
2. Target your local audience
Targeting your local audience is one of the best ways to beat large brands. Plus, it can highlight your advantage, which is your physical accessibility to them. You can get your name out there by getting involved in the community like attending local events and community buildings. Certainly, this can increase your brand visibility, boost your sales, and increase your online appearance. Post content using local-specific keywords and neighborhood-specific keywords instead of just city and state names.
3. Keyword phrases
Keyword phrases are extended phrases that Google acknowledges like; “guides for installing your kitchen cabinet”, instead of just “cabinet installation”. This may bring lesser traffic however, the advantage is that it’s much easier to get a higher ranking compared to shorter keywords.
4. Use branded search terms
Branded search terms are queries that include the name of your brand. Those who use search terms that include your brand name are more likely to purchase compared to those who don’t. This shows that they already have an interest in your brand specifically. Plus, by increasing the volume of your branded search terms, you increase the overall power and traffic opportunity of your website.
5. Create organic content
Organic content that is educational, helpful, and compelling to your target audience is an effective method to improve ranking on SEO. Google will give you better ranking positions if your content is longer in length, is written with natural language, and avoids keyword stuffing. Just make sure that your content is of high quality, and is published consistently.
6. Personalize your social engagement
Many large businesses lose their personalities once they hit a certain point in their growth, you can take advantage of this as a small business. Focus on giving each of your audience a more personal and humanized experience to grow their trust and loyalty to your brand.
7. Monitor trends in SEO and watch for algorithm changes
Always keep updated and well-informed about SEO trends so you can use them to your advantage against leading brands. Always stay aware of these updates and be ready to adapt.
Conclusion:
There is no shortcut to beating your competition, but with a strategy that leverages your geographic location and other resources, you can overcome your competitors in specific key areas.