SEO on a Budget: A Mom's Guide to Prioritizing your Efforts

Doing your best to be a great parent, great entrepreneur, and great digital marketer for your business can feel like juggling lemurs.

Hey DIY-ers, Allison here. We just finished up a nice little vacation in Cyprus and it got me thinking quite a bit about the balance of being a present parent and enjoying the Now, and also being a great business owner planning for all the great things I want my company to do and be for our clients. If you've never been to Cyprus, there are SO many fun things to do and see, including the Paphos Zoo. Here, you can actually go into a ring tailed lemur enclosure and the lemurs will leap onto you to get the food that the zookeeper gives to you in a cute little cup. The experience is summed up as a bit of chaos, a bit pure joy, and a little concern that the cute little guys are going to bite your fingers by accident instead of the food. This, to me, is exactly what it feels like being a parent and an entrepreneur - Occasionally you feel like you've got everything under control and then alas! Your kid tries to pick up one of the lemurs, another lemur jumps onto your head and starts playing with your hat, and you need to reprioritize everything to avoid dropping all the lemurs (and your kid).

Wearing the marketing hat in your business can feel overwhelming, just like holding four hungry lemurs at the same time, or like driving on the wrong side of the car (another feature of the beautiful country of Cyprus). And, just when it starts to get easier, you add a new service or do a little rebranding and it's like you're learning from step one all over again. We wanted to share some practical, down-to-earth tips on how to prioritize your SEO activities, even when you’re managing your website yourself with limited resources. Let’s dive in!

First Thing's First: ALWAYS start with Keyword Research

First things first: keywords. Your Keywords are the framework for all of the time that you are going to put in. If you're working on your Google My Business Profile, adding content to your website, or organizing thoughts for a new page to add to your site, the keywords that you are planning to focus dictate how your time is spent. For us Moms, time is $$$$$. You don't want to be spending time on any of these other things if you don't have a goal in mind, and your goal is geared around your keywords. For instance, if you’re in the Boston area, targeting keywords like “Boston Web Design” can help attract local clients. And if you're in Quincy, MA, don’t forget to include that in your strategy to capture local searches. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that a keyword is only as valuable as the traffic going to it. You might LOVE some certain terms that relate exactly to your business but if no one is actually searching for those words on Google, it's not going to help your business very much now is it?!?! Tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest can help you find keywords that match your business, goals, and location, and can also help you see how many people are searching monthly for those terms on Google so you know you're putting your eggs in the right basket.

Optimize Your Website’s On-Page Elements

Next up on your priority list: Let’s talk about on-page SEO. Think of your website as your home, and on-page SEO is like keeping your house clean and organized. Time best spent will be on optimizing your page titles, meta descriptions, and headers. For example, if you’re offering web design services in Quincy, MA, your homepage title could be “Top Quincy MA Web Design Services.” These elements help search engines understand what your pages are about and improve your chances of ranking higher. It also is worth it to mention that a 'Header' is not only the title to a paragraph or page, but is actually identified as such in the background of your website. Don't just enlarge your paragraph text to be the size you think a header should be... Make sure it is correctly labeled as H1, H2, H3, etc.

Create High-Quality Content

Content is your opportunity to shine and show off your expertise. When you’re working with limited time, aim to create high-quality content that answers a question that your audience is asking. Write blog posts, guides, elaborate on pages, or add case studies that highlight your skills. Share tips relevant to your local area. Quality content attracts visitors and keeps them engaged, which is key for showing the Google Gods that you have value to offer through your website. *Psst... if you need an extra hand with this to keep it consistent, we're here for it. Check out our Packages & Pricing for more info on our Content Creation offerings, or shoot us a message through our Contact Form to give us a better idea of how we can help you!*

Consistency is Everything

If you're going to write one blog post every 6 months, don't bother. But that being said, investing just 1 hour a month in the improvement of your website content will achieve great things. While many of these other SEO activities are 'One and Done' so-to-speak, consistency in SEO is what will keep you in the race. Literally mark your calendar and make this happen, your competitors most certainly are!!!

Focus Local SEO

Speaking of local, local SEO is crucial if you’re serving a specific area. Ensure your Google My Business listing is updated with your correct address, phone number, and business hours. Encourage happy clients to leave reviews. This helps boost your visibility in local searches and connects you with potential clients in your community. Over time, you can use the authority your website earns to expand your footprint.

Leverage Social Media

Social media can be a powerful ally in your SEO efforts. Share your content and engage with your audience on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn in order to direct them to content on your website. For example, if you’ve just published a new blog post about “Effective Web Design Tips for Boston Businesses,” share it on your social channels to drive traffic and increase visibility. Social media can help you reach a wider audience, and providing value to your audience that already exists on social is a great way to turn that audience into paying customers.

The Finishing Touches: User Experience

Last but not least, prioritize the user experience on your website. This is often not an ongoing task, so often when you spend the time it doesn't need to continue consuming your time. Run your site through PageSpeed Insights.  Make sure your site is easy to navigate, and is mobile-friendly. Check your load speeds and make sure users aren't just sitting there waiting for your beautiful site to open, only to find that it takes forever and they go find another site to try. A pleasant user experience keeps visitors on your site longer and reduces bounce rates—both of which are good for SEO.

Ready to Boost Your SEO?

Managing SEO on your own can feel overwhelming, but with these tips, you can make the most of your limited resources and achieve great results. If you’re looking for a bit of extra support or a fresh perspective on your SEO strategy, we’d love to help! Reach out to SimplicityDMS for a free consultation and let’s explore how we can make your website shine. After all, every small business deserves a chance to succeed on Google without breaking the bank!