Stay ahead of the competition with this comprehensive SEO checklist tailored for Ottawa small businesses.

In today’s competitive environment, you cannot afford to leave SEO alone. In fact if you are not practicing SEO on a weekly basis at a minimum, you will get left behind by the competition.

Everyone has competition, if anyone tells you any different, they are lying.

I hear sometimes “we get along with our competition”.  I reply “that’s great, tell me, if they are experiencing a slow month, will they refer customers to you?”. Then silence. 

The truth is, the competition will always try take your customers away from you. 

When you perform the following steps, you can enhance your online visibility, attract more local customers, stay ahead of the competition and improve your rankings on search engines like Google.

1. Keyword Research

• Identify Local Keywords: Focus on keywords that reflect your products/services and the Ottawa area (e.g., “Ottawa plumbing services,” “best cafes in Ottawa”).
• Use Google Keyword Planner: Get an idea of search volume and competition for your chosen keywords for Ottawa small businesses.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Target longer phrases, such as “affordable home cleaning services in Ottawa,” which can be easier to rank for and more specific. The competition for long tail keywords is less than it is for short tail keywords.
• Use Semrush: Do you want to know how your online marketing is doing? Now you can and you don’t have to rely on your marketing people to tell you. With a few clicks of a mouse, you can find out exactly what is going on with your digital marketing campaigns. 

2. On-Page SEO

• Optimize Title Tags: Include relevant keywords and your business name. Keep them under 60 characters.
  • Example: “Affordable Plumbing Services in Ottawa | Your Business Name”
• Meta Descriptions: Write compelling, keyword-rich meta descriptions for each page (under 160 characters).
  • Example: “Looking for reliable plumbing in Ottawa? Our licensed team offers fast, affordable service. Call now for a free quote.”
• Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Organize content with clear headings, making sure H1 tags are optimized with primary keywords.
• Optimize URL Structure: Keep URLs short and descriptive, incorporating keywords where possible.
  • Example: yourwebsite.com/Ottawa-plumbing-services
• Alt Text for Images: Ensure all images have descriptive alt text with relevant keywords.
• Internal Linking: Link related pages on your website to improve navigation and SEO.This also improves the user experience by highlighting other articles of interest to the user. 

3. Google My Business (GMB)

• Claim Your GMB Profile: Ensure that your business is verified on Google My Business. This is a small and easy one for Ottawa small businesses to do. 
• Complete Your Profile: Fill out all information, including business hours, contact info, website URL, services, and a compelling business description.
• Add Photos: Upload high-quality images of your business, products, or services.
• Encourage Reviews: Ask happy customers to leave reviews on your GMB profile. Respond to reviews promptly.
• Post Regular Updates: Share promotions, news, or new services through Google Posts.

4. Local SEO

• Citations: Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.). This step alone will help Ottawa small businesses keep relevant. 
• Local Listings: Get listed in local Ottawa directories and websites like the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, local business directories, and other niche listings.
• Local Content: Create blog posts, guides, or resources that highlight local events, activities, and news related to your industry in Ottawa. This is an easy one for Ottawa small businesses as they have the resources to do it quickly. 
• Location Pages: If your business serves multiple areas in Ottawa, create individual pages for each location or neighborhood. It is a good idea for Ottawa small businesses to take advantage of location pages. 

5. Mobile Optimization

• Responsive Design: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as most searches now happen on mobile devices.
• Page Load Speed: Test your website’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and improve load times (aim for under 3 seconds).

6. Quality Content

• Blog: Regularly update your website with high-quality blog posts related to your services, products, and industry. Focus on local topics or issues.
• Engage with Local Events: Write about local events, businesses, or news in Ottawa to attract Ottawa-specific traffic. Ottawa small businesses can get together to promote a local event that benefits everyone. This will in turn create goodwill among consumers who are increasingly picky.
• User Intent: Write content that solves specific problems your customers might have (e.g., “How to fix a leaky faucet in Ottawa”).
• Landing Pages: Use landing pages for various marketing campaigns. The advantage is this is a dedicated page for a particular campaign. Unlike a homepage where it is easy to get distracted. The landing page will require the user to input their email address to get a free report, etc. 

7. Link Building

• Local Partnerships: Collaborate with other local Ottawa businesses or influencers to build backlinks.
• Guest Blogging: Contribute to local Ottawa blogs or websites in your industry.
• Sponsor Local Events: Sponsor or participate in local events and get a backlink from event organizers’ websites.

8. Social Media Integration

• Active Social Profiles: Be active on platforms that are popular in Ottawa, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
• Engage with Your Community: Post local content, and engage with local customers and businesses.
• Share User-Generated Content: Share photos or testimonials from satisfied customers to encourage more engagement.

9. Analytics and Tracking

• Google Analytics: Set up Google Analytics to track traffic and conversions.
• Google Search Console: Monitor your website’s performance in search results, check for crawl errors, and submit sitemaps.
• Local Tracking: Track rankings for local Ottawa keywords to see how your SEO efforts are paying off.

10. Continuous Improvement

• Monitor Competitors: Keep an eye on local competitors in Ottawa and their SEO strategies. This can help you identify new opportunities and areas for improvement.
• Update Content Regularly: Refresh your content, including blog posts and service pages, to keep them relevant.
• Stay Informed: SEO best practices are always evolving, so stay updated with Google algorithm changes and SEO trends.
• Maintain your website: Once the website is built, it takes some effort to maintain it by eliminating broken links, ensuring any updates to pages are saved and update any links to those pages.

By following this checklist,  your small business in Ottawa can improve its online presence, attract local customers, and grow your customer base through effective local SEO strategies. If you need SEO help contact us today.

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