7 Ways for Small Business Websites To Rank Higher on Google

Increasing Google rankings requires using the right keywords, website structure, and optimizations to provide a great user experience. To rank higher on Google, research keywords, competitors, and top-ranking sites, then use what you learn to create high-quality content and optimize your website. Actively manage your Google Business Profile, consider Google search ads, and avoid negative tactics that can hurt your site’s rankings.

Here are the top seven tactics small business websites can use to rank higher on Google:

1. Find Keywords Your Customers Are Searching For

Keywords are the words and phrases your prospects and customers are typing into Google when looking for businesses like yours. Ideally, you will be able to find target keywords to incorporate into your website’s content that have high monthly search volume with low-to-moderate keyword difficulty. The best keyword research tool for getting to the top of Google search results is Semrush.

Using Semrush, you can find keywords relevant to your products, services, and industry to infuse into your webpages and blog posts. In doing so, your site then has the organic content needed for Google to find and index your pages. As a result, they are more likely to be shown in online search results when they provide the best answer to a search query.

For example, let’s say you own a dog grooming business in Chicago, Illinois. Using Semrush’s SEO tool under Keyword Research called Keyword Magic, you can search a term like “Chicago dog grooming” and get a list of the most relevant related keywords instantly.

An example of keyword research tools on Semrush

In the example above, “dog grooming Chicago” offers a monthly search volume potential of 1,300 searches on Google and a low keyword difficulty score of 36 (100 is high, 0 is low). This makes it great to use as the target keyword of your website’s homepage or a specific product page. If you’re a mobile dog groomer working near Chicago, you’ll find it’s even easier to rank for “mobile dog grooming Chicago,” even though the search volume is lower.

The number of average monthly searches for each suggested keyword is an estimate that represents the popularity of that keyword or search term. Keep in mind that this can change over time.

You can use a tool like Google Trends to check the seasonal popularity of your target keywords. This can help ensure you are adding or updating content at the right times throughout the year and help you spot any emerging (or declining) trends.

2. Research Competitors for Ways To Increase Google Rankings

In addition to finding keywords that prospects and customers use in online search, researching other websites can yield valuable insights for ranking higher on Google. This includes competitors’ websites and top search engine results pages (SERPs).

Using the example above (Chicago dog grooming), you can check the SERPs to see which businesses rank highest on Google Map results and which rank on the first page of Google results overall. While you can do this using Semrush, you can also do it for free by opening an incognito window in any web browser, then typing in your search. Below are SERPs for Chicago dog grooming and Chicago mobile dog grooming.

Top SERPs for “chicago dog grooming” in an incognito Google search

Top SERPs for “Chicago mobile dog grooming” in an incognito Google search

By evaluating top SERPs, you can see what type of content is ranking in Google for your target keywords. For example, check to see if they are website homepages, product or service pages, informational articles, contact pages, and so on. Comparing the top search results can provide insights into how to use keywords and what type of content to add to your website.

Researching your competitors’ sites is also a must if you want to increase Google rankings for your small business’ website. You can do this manually by visiting the sites of your top competitors and noting how they incorporate keywords, or you can do this more accurately using a tool like Semrush to get a complete overview.

An example of competitor keyword research using Semrush

Semrush will show you all the keywords your competitors’ sites rank for (as well as those ranking in top SERPs) and even allow you to compare your domain against theirs. From here, you can see common keywords and which sites rank higher for each, discover weak and missing keywords from your competitors’ sites that give you better ranking opportunities, and identify keywords missing from your own content.

3. Optimize Your Website To Rank Higher on Google

Search engine optimization (aka website SEO) refers to specific search engine marketing (SEM) tactics relative to known Google ranking factors. They include optimizations for your site’s content, such as using target keywords effectively, as well as technical aspects of your site, like its architecture (page and menu structure), speed, use of code, and more.

For example, it’s good to speed up page load time by compressing images and hosting your website on a content delivery network (CDN). This provides a better experience than if someone has to wait more than a second or two for your website to load. User experience (UX) is also better on sites with quality content, multi-media like images and video, ability to navigate a site via menus, ease of reading (e.g., using bullet lists and breaking up long text areas), and so on.

Google places a high value on UX, thus, optimizing your site in all these ways can increase your website’s rankings in online search. While technical aspects of SEO can be more difficult, optimizing your website’s content is relatively easy, though some tactics may require the investment of your time.

Here are some of the top ways to optimize your content:

• Optimize content: Designate a unique target keyword for each page of your website. Use the keyword in the page’s title, description, at least one image caption or alt-tag, and a few times in the text content of the page. Google evaluates multiple aspects of a page to ensure that the content matches the keywords in the page’s title, URL, and headings, so choose highly relevant keywords for each page.
• Improve accessibility: Accessibility is a known ranking factor. It refers to improving your site’s UX for those with sensory impairments. Examples of ways to do this are adding captions and alt tags to images that describe what is in the image for sight-impaired visitors and adding a text transcript of content presented in a video for those unable to hear the content.
• Update your site frequently: Review each page of your website periodically to assess the need for updates and correct inaccuracies. Do this more often for key pages like your contact page and areas (e.g., headers and footers) with phone numbers, hours of operation, and other vital information customers depend on.
• Blog: One of the best ways to rank on Google is to create a blog and publish high-quality content for your audience. This offers more ways your target market can find your brand online. Ideally, you will be able to generate ideas for your blog that allow you to write blog posts targeting the keywords you found in the first step (the keywords your audience is searching for online). Read our list of business blogging statistics to learn how effective this strategy can be.
• Add internal links: Adding sub-pages and blog posts that link back to your site’s most important pages (e.g., product pages, service listings, and so on) helps to build the authority of those pages. It also improves site visitor experience with more ways to navigate through your content.
• Gain backlinks: Quality backlinks (i.e., links to your content from high domain authority websites) convey more authority to your website. This, in turn, helps your content rank higher in Google. Read our article with over a dozen strategies for getting backlinks from high authority sites.

Brands that adopt an effective content marketing plan using strategies like the ones listed above are proven to not only rank higher in search, but also generate more leads and sales. However, if you don’t have the time or expertise to write content or optimize your website, turn to Fiverr. You can work with freelance professionals on a project basis for as little as $5.

4. Ensure an Omni Device UX

In 2021, from 59% to 63% of searches were performed on mobile devices, and since 2016, over 50% of all searches have occurred on smartphones. This is why Google ranks mobile-optimized sites higher than those that aren’t mobile-friendly. To ensure your site looks great on any device, build a small business website through a site builder with responsive templates, like Wix or Squarespace, or choose a mobile-responsive theme (for WordPress sites).

An example of omni device responsive web design

Here are the top tips to help optimize your website for omni device user experience:

• Use responsive design – A responsive web design will automatically adjust a page’s design based on the device it is being viewed on, ensuring an easy browsing experience. Test your website for mobile using Google’s mobile-friendly test and check for any mobile page errors in Google Search Console.
• Use longer link anchor text: With most consumer searches occurring on mobile devices, super-short text-based links are hard to click on. For example, in the bullet point above, if the link were only on the word “test” it would be harder for a mobile user to click on. By adding the link to the longer phrase “Google’s mobile-friendly test,” it’s easier to access on small screens.
• Make text easy to read: Keep your paragraphs short, avoid small fonts, and break up long areas of text with bullet lists, headlines, quotes, and images. This improves the reading experience on mobile and makes your content easier to digest on any device.
• Improve page speed: Sites that take more than a second or two to load lead to increased bounce rates (people leaving a site immediately after clicking on it) and lower search rankings. The best way to decrease load time for WordPress is with web hosting services that use a content delivery network (CDN), like Bluehost. It comes with free Cloudflare CDN, so your website is stored on servers worldwide and can be loaded from a location closest to your site visitor, making for faster site load times.
• View your site on multiple devices: While it might sound like a no-brainer, viewing your website across different types of devices (desktop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) and on different web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, iOS, and so on) is the best way to see if it’s omni device friendly. As with updating your website frequently, do this regularly as well.

5. Claim & Update Your Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business, or GMB page) is a free online business listing through Google. It allows your business to show up in organic and local results, including the Google Map that often appears at the top of local search results. Having a well-optimized listing can help you rank higher on Google, including the information you add to your listing as well as the number of positive Google reviews your business earns.

To get started, either claim your current business page or create a new one, depending on whether or not a page already exists for your business. For more information about how to set up and optimize your business listing on Google, read our step-by-step guide to making a Google Business Profile.

As an example, you can see the top three Google Business Profile listings as well as the map displayed in search results for “Chicago dog grooming” below. Each one includes customer review ratings, length of time in business, street address, hours of operation, and links to each business’s website as well as directions. All of this comes from the business’s Google Business Profile.

An example of Google Business Listings and map pack in top search results

When someone searches for your business by name, your Google Business Profile will be displayed alongside organic search results, further increasing your brand’s and website’s visibility. Searchers can quickly determine your business’ credibility based on customer reviews, see your address and hours of operation, click to call your phone number, visit your website, get directions, ask a question, or leave a review themselves.

An example of Google Business Profiles displayed alongside organic search results

This is great for small businesses wanting to rank higher on Google. Not only do you get a lot of space on the first page of Google’s organic search results, but prospects have multiple ways of reaching out to your business.

Here are some key ways to optimize your profile to improve your ranking in online search:

• Include keywords: Remember the keywords you found in the steps above? Use them strategically and naturally in your business description, about sections, and in product or service listings.
• Use keywords in image file names: Use keywords in image file names when relevant (to the image) and in captions and image alt tags when adding images and videos to your profile.
• Choose the right category: Your business category, chosen from Google’s extensive list, determines whether your business will be deemed relevant to a search. Make sure to choose the category that truly represents your company.
• Get reviews on Google: Businesses that consistently generate positive customer reviews are more likely to rank higher on Google. Get strategies for improving rankings in our list of proven ways to get more Google reviews.
• Respond to reviews: Respond to both negative and positive reviews. People checking reviews are looking to see how responsive a business is and whether it took concrete steps to resolve any issues.
• Ensure accuracy: Make sure the physical address you use is accurate and consistent on your website and across all of the online business directories (e.g., Yelp, Angi, Facebook, and so on) where your business is listed or has an online profile.
• Update regularly: Whether it’s your website or Google Business Profile, Google appreciates seeing signs of life with regular updates to content and additions of photos and videos. In addition, take advantage of seasonal and temporary settings, which allow you to update your profile frequently with information important to anyone who wants to do business with you.

6. Advertise on Google

Content and UX optimization is a long-term strategy for ranking higher in Google’s organic search results. However, you can also get short-term placements on top of organic search results by advertising on Google. As the image below shows, this can include search ads and advertisements through Google shopping.

To help you get started, read our step-by-step article on how to advertise on Google.

An example of Google Ads at the top of search results

Google ads can be cost-effective, especially if you limit your target keywords to only the most relevant ones (e.g., something a customer would take when ready to make a purchase) vs adopting a broad set of keywords. Keywords with high volume and low competition will cost you less and produce more whether your ad campaign is national or worldwide or you’re using local service ads to reach customers in your area.

In the Google Ad planner, keyword research tools help you identify the top keywords (most relevant to your business) to target with Google advertisements. You can even get free Google Ads promo codes and advertising credits to kick-start your advertising budget.

An example of using Google Ads keyword planner for ads and content

Google Ads can be intimidating, especially for beginners, as there are many aspects to setting up search and display ads effectively. For expert help, turn to the digital ad management services at Hibu. Even if you can only spend $250 a month, Hibu professionals will optimize your ads to ensure you get the best return on ad spend, and your investment in generating leads and sales.

Keep in mind that with Google Ads, you pay per click, meaning that any time someone clicks on your ad, you incur a cost. Plus, many people skip over online search ads to get top organic results. With content marketing, you can create content that ranks high in organic results and produces leads repeatedly. For maximum impact, use these strategies in conjunction with each other.

7. Avoid Negative SEO Tactics That Decrease Rankings

In addition to what you should do to rank higher on Google, there are things to avoid. These are negative SEO tactics (also called “Black Hat” tactics) that can penalize your website’s rankings or even cause Google to ban your site from search results permanently.

Some negative SEO tactics to avoid altogether include:

• Buying links
• Buying positive reviews (including in-kind compensation)
• Spam (e.g., sites filled with ads and popups)
• Using affiliate links to monetize your site without following specific best practices
• Keyword stuffing, or over-optimization
• Link farming (a reciprocal form of link building)
• Buying followers

You should also be careful about using artificial intelligence (AI) content writing tools. These platforms and plugins promise to help you write articles in minutes using AI, however, this often results in a low-quality article. It will likely have generic content and some AI content generators even scrape other sites to create an amalgam of content.

The best way to know if your site has been penalized is to use Google Analytics and Search Console—the free tools Google provides to website owners. It’s the most accurate data source to check your website traffic and keyword rankings and monitor them over time. For example, a sudden significant drop in rankings (and traffic) could indicate your site has been penalized by Google and that attention is needed.

The thing to keep in mind is this: Google’s website crawlers and its algorithm are highly sophisticated and ever-evolving. You won’t be able to shortcut best practices, and using tactics that Google prohibits can damage or destroy your website’s search rankings.

Best Tools To Get to the Top of Google Search Results

The best tools take the guesswork out of how to rank higher on Google. They provide actionable insights about keywords and competitors, audit your website for potential issues, and help you increase your website’s domain authority with reviews, backlinking, directories, and more.

Here are some of the best tools and services small businesses can use to improve rankings and get to the top of Google’s organic search results:

• Semrush: The most comprehensive SEO tool for keyword and competitor research, website auditing, backlink monitoring, content writing tools, automated listings, Google advertising history, and more.
• Semrush Academy: Free training on SEO, content marketing, and a wide range of topics to increase your knowledge of how to rank higher on Google.
• Google Ads keyword planner: A free tool to get data and suggestions for keywords to target in ads and your website’s content. You will have to register for an account, including inputting a form of payment. However, you won’t have to spend a dime on ads to use the keyword research and planning tools.
• Google Trends: Get insight into what people are searching for using Google Trends. These insights can give you ideas for relevant content, which will help increase your page rank.
• Hibu: A full-service digital marketing agency for a complete ranking strategy with a smart website, reviews management, and Google advertising services, or start with any of these services a la carte.
• Podium: Podium boasts that its customers can double their Google reviews in as little as 60 days with a proactive review strategy.
• Can I Rank?: An SEO tool you can use for free to quickly discover ideas for content such as questions to answer and topics to write about, and sites that could be good for your backlinking efforts.
• GTMetrix: Check technical aspects of your website, like page load time for free (and then check out other SEO audit tools you might want to try).
• BrightLocal: Monitor all your business online listings from one place and see where your website ranks in local search results for just $29 a month. See why BrightLocal tops our list of the best local SEO tools and which others you might want to try.
• HubSpot: You can now build a free website on your own domain using HubSpot’s content management system (CMS) or opt for a low-cost entry plan at $23 per month. This makes website and blogging software with enterprise-grade SEO features affordable for small businesses. Plus, you can also integrate HubSpot’s CRM (customer relationship management) software free for a robust sales and marketing solution.
• HubSpot Academy: The leader in inbound marketing, HubSpot Academy is host to hundreds of video courses you can take to improve your knowledge of how to build a strong brand online and increase rankings, lead generation, and sales.

You might think that WordPress is the best platform for building a small business’ website that can rank on Google. And a couple of years ago, you would have been correct. However, many of the best website builders now have solid SEO features, and Wix even has advanced features for fast site loading and automated schema markup. Learn more in our list of the best website builders for SEO.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I pay Google to rank higher?

You can’t pay to rank higher on Google per se, and paid tactics for link and review building should be avoided. However, you can invest in high-quality content, best practices for SEO, leverage strategies to earn SEO backlinks from high authority websites, and advertise your business to land at the top of search pages. For affordable, project-based help with any of these, turn to Fiverr freelancers. Or, for the best all-in-one digital marketing solution, try Hibu.

How hard is it to rank high on Google?

How hard it will be for your small business website to rank on Google depends on several factors. For example, new websites are at a disadvantage compared to older URLs, however, that doesn’t mean young websites can’t rank high in search results. Choosing keywords with decent search volume and low competition will be easier to rank for, and sites that publish frequently tend to move up in Google rankings more quickly.

How can I rank higher on Google Maps?

To move up in Google Maps placements, first, make sure you fully optimize your Google Business Profile. Then learn which tactics to use to get more Google reviews, as businesses with positive reviews will rank higher on Google Maps. Examples include things like sending post-sale emails with a link to your profile, adding a QR code or request for Google reviews to customer receipts and invoices, or adding a popup site visitors see after checking out online.

The Bottom Line

Higher Google rankings come with implementing an SEO content marketing plan, following SEO best practices, and leveraging the right tools and marketing strategies to increase your website’s online visibility. In addition, watch for news and announcements of Google algorithm updates and changes and use these to inform future strategies.

Get the most comprehensive tools for website marketing and move your website to the top of Google search results with Semrush. They’ve doubled the free trial period for FBS readers, so take advantage of the 14-day free trial to test Semrush’s SEO and content writing tools today.

Try Semrush

You might also like:

• Set your website up for success using our free website basics checklist.
• Learn whether WordPress is your best option for ranking online in our Wix vs WordPress comparison.
• Avoid the headaches and guesswork of trying to go it alone—turn your SEO efforts over to one of the best local SEO services for small businesses.