Search engines are the new Yellow Pages.

Think about it: how often do you check the phonebook for businesses or specific services anymore?

Chances are, you probably don’t, at least not often.

It’s much easier to plug in relevant search terms into Google, and use what you find to make a decision.

So, when it comes time to search for a new landscaping company, instead of opening your phonebook, you head to the internet and search for things like “Wilmington DE landscaping”.

As a small business owner, you might wonder how those companies you see in the top spots got there, and how it’s effecting their sales & leads.

Today I’d like to answer both of those questions for you, because I want small business owners in Delaware (or aspiring Delawarean entrepreneurs!) to understand that search engine optimization isn’t “black magic”, and there are ways they can avoid being ripped off or wasting time on managing their websites.

Let’s get started!

Do High Rankings Really Matter?

Before I get started on the essentials that small business owners need to know to rank their sites, I want to address the often asked question of, “Does this really mater?”

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Yes, and here’s why…

In addition to internet use skyrocketing in recent years, and due to the fact that more and more people are using search engines (particularly Google and Bing) to find what they’re looking for, business owners everywhere need to understand just how important an online presence is these days.

Now that we’ve established that, it’s time we take a look at why good rankings are so critical to small business owners.

Ask yourself: How many people do you think ‘click’ on the top 3 search results in Google?

50%? How about 60%?

Surprise, around 80% of people never go past the top 3 results when searching:

That data is a result of an eye-tracking study done by Google themselves on search behavior.

You’ll notice the top 3 results for any given search (56.36% + 13.45% + 9.82%) accrue around 79% of total clicks.

Worse yet, 99% of clicks are on the first page!

That means that if your business is even sitting on the second page of Google (first page hosts 10 results), you are not going to be getting ANY relevant customers searching for your services.

Ouch!

Lots of small business owners actually recognize this: I’ve had more than a few clients tell me that they were desperate to get on the first page or to get their rankings “back” after they had dropped off and noticed a decline in sales.

With this sense of urgency, small business owners reach out to whoever is available to help them.

Unfortunately, this can lead to big problems, not only for your website, but for you wallet as well…

How to Avoid Getting ‘Ripped Off’

If you’ve used the internet for any length of time, you know all about “spam”.

Spam is the incoherent nonsense that we find on emails and websites advertising all sorts of shady promotions in every nook of the web.

But did you know that even legitimate business owners like yourself can be effected by spam?

That’s right.

If you hire an SEO that doesn’t know what they’re doing (hiring a guy for $100/month, hiring your nephew because he’s “good with computers”, etc.), you can end up hurting your business while at the same time thinking that you’re helping it!

How?

In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), there is a ‘darker side’ to the process known as ‘blackhat SEO’.

This is essentially “link spam”, or using software to spam links across the web in order to help with a website’s rankings.

The worst part: Link spam works… for a little while.

This is where small business owners get tricked: they sign up for a cheap SEO service, get a ton of links in two-weeks pointing back to their website, start ranking #1 or #2 in the results, and then… their site crashes and burns.

You see, those initial links might have got your website to the top, but because they were created by using “spam” techniques, sooner or later Google is going to catch on, and they will not only de-rank your site, they can actually take it off of Google.

That means nobody will be able to find your website via Google search ever again!

For some small businesses, this can be a disaster.

I have personally dealt with clients who had this happen to them, and I honestly feel so bad.

They signed up for an SEO service from someone out-of-state (or even worse, overseas), had no idea how SEO works, and just wanted to honestly promote their site to the top of the search.

What did they get in return?

Links from spam sites, porn sites, and illegal pharmaceutical sites from their shady SEO guy.

They ranked #1 for about 3 weeks and were overjoyed… now their website is “de-indexed” and can’t be found anywhere.

I’ve often had to restart business websites from scratch for people when they’ve been taken advantage of in this way.

Fortunately, I’d like to cover how you can avoid this problem and build links the Google will LOVE!

Here’s where to get started…

5 Small Business Links that Google Loves!

I know SEO can be very confusing, but if you use this metaphor to help you understand how it works, you will be more knowledgeable than 90% of small business owners in Delaware.

A link = a reference.

That’s it.

Let’s continue this metaphor…

If you were applying for a prestigious “job” (aka the #1 search result!), what kind of references would help your chances?

References from trustworthy, well-known, and authoritative people, right?

When I had my job at the New Castle County Courthouse, I got in because the former Judge that I worked with had very nice things to say about me!

That’s what a “good” link is like: it’s like a great reference to your site, saying, “This website is legitimate and can be trusted.”

So, as another example, what would a “bad link” look like?

Well, it would be like a bad reference: if you were known to associate with criminals or someone who is corrupt, that would be a bad “link” to you.

Similarly, if your website has links from spammy sites, porn sites, or scam sites, it looks very bad for you when Google finds out.

So, what’s a legitimate business owner to do?

Your best bet: Try to get these 5 types of local links that Google loves to see!

1.) Relevant Business Directories

The word “directories” can often be associated with spam, but that’s only for directories that some guy in his basement set up and called a “directory”, when really it isn’t.

Legitimate directories come in the form of things like the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and even the Better Business Bureau.

These are listings for legitimate businesses, and although sometimes the listings are “paid” (you may have to make a contribution every year), they are some of the most trustworthy links that business websites can get.

You should also be on the lookout for business listings that go beyond your state, but that are “recognizable” and carry some authority.

This includes getting links from resources like Google Places, Microsoft Bing Business Portal, and Yelp.com.

Some other great places to get business related links are:

• Business Associations: becoming a member of a local organization is not only essential for a local business, it can provide a great link!
• Local Event Listings: sites like Eventful.com (check out how The coIN Loft does this on their events page)
• Company Directories: sites like Manta.com and Company.com
• Meetup.com: if you ever do any speaking, make sure you use this!

A quick Google search for business resources in your area should turn up a few more as well!

2.) Links from Universities/Educational Sites

Google absolutely adores links from university sites (websites ending in .edu).

As a University of Delaware alumni, this is always the “holy grail” of links that I can get my clients: nothing will help your business rank quite like a UDel link!

There are also other excellent colleges in Wilmington that include places like Wilmington University and Delaware Tech.

If you are thinking that getting a link from a University website is tough, you are right, but there are definitely creative ways to approach this.

I’d like to give one great example to help you brainstorm ideas.

A small business in Wilmington called The coIN Loft, a local “co-working” site for entrepreneurs who need a small office, has a link from the UDel Entrepreneurial Studies Page (you can find that right here).

That’s a great link!

They got it by being a partner with the E-Studies program at U of D, I know that both of the founders were actually alumni of the university.

So, what are some creative ways that I’ve gotten UD links for my clients?

Here are a few to get you started:

1. Sponsored a UD club or association (and asked for a link from their page)
2. Sponsored/hosted an event at UD, or for UD students
3. Became a contributing member to a school organization
4. Hired an intern from the school (the Entrepreneurial Studies page has a link for that here, they include a link to your site when you are searching for an intern)
5. Had a business owner speak as a guest lecturer (not only do you get a link, but more authority & a cool story!)
6. Helped an organization with it’s webpage
7. Helped a school associated charity/made donation to a charity

Basically, get involved with a school in some way, not only do you get to give back to a great community (and maybe some aspiring student entrepreneurs), but you’ll also get a link back to your site that most of your competitors could only dream of.

3.) Links from Other Local Businesses (or Websites)

This is probably one of the easiest links to get as a small business owner!

If you know any other business owners in your state (or really, anyone with a website in your area), ask them if they wouldn’t mind giving you a link.

You can offer them a link in return, but I would do that too much, Google doesn’t like excessive “link trading” between business pages (or any website for that matter).

What you can do instead: if you’ve interacted with them in some way, get them to post about it or to list you as a “resource”.

This is especially critical if you do business together: an “Our Partners” page works great in listing those you work with, and they can list you back.

You can also get them to feature you on their company blog or company updates section, with a link back to your site.

You can also do things like get interviewed, or get featured on their site by providing some other resource.

Also, be sure to link to yourself on your company’s Facbook & Twitter pages, if you have them.

Lastly, you can reach out to personal website owners, and more importantly, local bloggers!

You’re reading an example of this right now!

I posted on the Delaware Business Blog as a way to help other small business owners and to showcase what I know: your business can do the same thing.

Better yet, you’re business may even be able to get…

4.) Links from the Local Media

For your small business, it really helps to get featured in the local media publications.

Not only for more exposure, but if you contact the author/editor of a local news piece, you should have no problem in getting a link back to your business site.

One obviously ‘authoritative’ place to get a local link in this fashion is from Delaware Online or a similar online news publication like WDEL radio.

This links might seem elusive, but it just involves smart networking with journalists & news staff.

Contact someone from one of these organizations (or use the “general” submission page) about a press release for your company, and you are very likely to get an article and a link to your site.

Press releases can be about nearly anything involved in your business that is notable: a new location, a grand opening, a promotion or new hiring, your involvement in an event, a hosted event, a special promotion; this is where you can get creative!

Journalists are always looking for stories: give them what they want!

Don’t email people saying, “Hey, give me a link!”

Email people offering what they want, or in this case, news, and they will reward you in return.

5.) Links from Government Sites

Google trusts government sites (sites ending in .gov) probably more than anything else.

Needless to say: these are, in my opinion, the hardest links to brainstorm ideas for how to get.

Your best bet is to check out a list of .gov business resources (I’ve linked you to the Delaware section) and snoop around those sites, seeing if there is anyway to get linked.

Some might offer business directories, but on a government page, and you should definitely pursue them.

Essentially, getting .gov links can be seen as being similar to getting .edu links (like we discussed above): it’s more about getting involved and networking than about anything else.

Here’s a great tip: Government sites often now all have blogs to keep people updated.

You can get involved with the discussion by leaving a comment with a link back to your site.

Here’s a list of .gov blogs in Delaware that you can check out, just make sure to leave your real name and not a business name: don’t be a spammer!

Here’s A Few Case Studies: This Stuff Works!

I wanted to tell you about two really unique case studies that will show you just how well this stuff actually works.

The thing is, one example isn’t even for a small business, it’s for a local politician that I am working for named Kevin Kelley, who is a mayoral candidate for Wilmington.

(Disclaimer: I’m providing this specific case study as a relevant example, although I work for Kevin I am in no way doing this for political reasons, though he is a nice guy!)

First though, let’s take a look the traffic that I was able to get for a local restaurant in Newark, Delaware:

That initial spike (excuse my hasty photo editing!) was from me reaching out to an editor at a local online publication and getting a story about the launch of a new location for the restaurant.

That article from a local news source also got us a powerful link.

You’ll notice that traffic slowed down, but was much higher than it was before the mention and the link.

Additionally, I was able to get them listed in the appropriate restaurant directories, a link from a .edu page, and a mention from a local blogger, and you can see how their traffic rose naturally after that.

As for my second example, when working with Kevin Kelley for his ‘Kelley for Mayor‘ campaign site, we noticed that Kevin wasn’t showing up for many searches that included the word “Wilmington”.

Since he’s running for a position in Wilmington, this needed to change!

What I did: first thing I did is change the ‘title tag’ (the title on the homepage) to feature the word “Wilmington” in it. That was an easy fix.

The other big thing that I did is that I searched extensively for places where Kevin had been covered in some way (as a politician, these were fairly easy to find).

I then reached out to the author of the article, the webmaster, or whoever I needed to in order to get a link back to Kevin’s site.

For instance, if they said something like, “Kevin Kelley, who is running for Mayor of Wilmington…”, in their article, I would ask for a link back to Kevin’s site.

Kevin is now the top result for most searches and appears on the first page for many Wilmington related terms that include his name, and here’s how it affected his traffic:

I drew another crude arrow so you can see when I began the process.

We more than quadrupled the amount of traffic he was getting, just by reaching out and getting more links!

This lead to his supporters being able to find his site more easily, and it also lead to more people volunteering and making donations.

I’m telling you, this stuff works!

Over To You

Thanks for reading my article!

If you are wondering what’s next, here’s a few things you can do:

1. In the comments, let me know what you thought about search engine optimzation (SEO) before this article, and what you think about it now.
2. How important is your website to your small business? Are you currently ranking for terms related to your services?
3. If you have any questions I could help you with (that weren’t answered here), please feel free to contact me, I always respond.

Thanks again for reading, hope it was useful for you!

About the author: Gregory Ciotti is an entrepreneur in Delaware and founder of First State SEO, a Delaware search engine company that helps local businesses find more customers online, the right way! He also runs the DelawareEntrepreneur.com publication, which interviews local entrepreneurs about their businesses. Want to get in touch with Greg? Contact him here.

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