Five Simple (And Free) Ways to Improve Your Google Ranking

Even if most small businesses don’t understand search engine optimization (SEO), that doesn’t mean that they can't be helped by it. For those who don't know SEO from their CEO, it is in essence a means of improving the ranking of your business in the Google search algorithm. This in turn, can help a business move up in Google's search listing. According to Sonam Lama, CEO of Achieve Visibility, a SEO site specializing in helping small- and medium-size businesses, there are a few quick fixes that small businesses can take to help improve their Google rankings. The best part is they are free and simple.

Use Wordpress

"WordPress is the most SEO-friendly blogging platform," Lama said. "It is also one of, if not the best, content management systems when it comes to SEO. Optimizing your site using Wordpress, instead of the outdated website platforms which most local businesses use will help your optimization efforts."

Keyword Research

"This is the foundation of SEO and increasing your ranking on Google and the major search engines," Lama said. "Once you created or switched over your site to WordPress, you want to do some keyword research. Look for at least three relevant keywords you want to target."

Onsite Optimization

"Once you've identified those highly searched keywords, sprinkle them onto your site and spread them around in various places," Lama said. "You don't want to stuff them everywhere, though, since this will be considered 'spamming' by Google."

Google Places

"After you have your website properly and effectively optimized for the search engines, you want to claim your Google Places business listing," Lama said. "You do this adding basic information about your business and being as detailed as possible in each section. For example, give your complete phone number, address, business description, keywords, hours of operation, etc. You can further improve rankings by adding photos and asking for reviews of your business."

[Google's Penguin Update Hardest on Small Business]

Back linking

"Finally, once you’ve optimized your Google places listing, you should be ranking within a few days to a week," Lama said. "Those rankings occur within the local listings (the top portion of Google where you see the red tabs: A, B, C, D, etc.)."

The job, however, doesn’t end there. According to Lama, businesses can also boost their ranking in the natural Google search results by back linking.

"My top methods of back linking for local business keywords range from social bookmarking to profile submissions on high page rank sites among several others," Lama said. "Each of these methods will allow you to create a valuable link back to your site, which will increase its value and relevancy in the eyes Google."

Reach BusinessNewsDaily staff writer David Mielach at Dmielach@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @D_M89.