If you’re an equine business owner, then you’ve probably heard about SEO. This popular buzzword has been floating around the internet for quite some time. There are Facebook groups dedicated to equestrian small business SEO and your tack store-owner best friend has probably mentioned it to you at one point or another. But what actually is SEO and why does your equine business need it?
What is Small Business SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the process by which your boarding barn, tack store, or other equine business is found on search engines, like Google or Yahoo. Each website indexed by a search engine is ranked based on a variety of complex SEO factors, including the quality of content, the keywords used, and the structure of the site. Equine businesses with a higher SEO ranking are more likely to appear on the coveted first page of Google- which you know it– leads to more business!
Great small business SEO is not as simple as using the right keywords in the right places and then automatically seeing your barn on the first page of Google when someone searches for “boarding barns near me.” The SEO landscape is continuously changing, with multiple competitors fighting for a spot on the first page using the same keyword. Ranking on search engines is best compared to a fast-paced jumpoff. By persevering and continuing to work on your equine business’s SEO ranking, you have a better chance of being seen by more of your target audience. Asking for SEO help for your small business is extremely important if you feel out of your depth but the quality of that help is a key factor– within the equine industry there are many specific keywords and niche horse sport factors that can make your SEO too generic “equine” and cause you to miss out.
The Importance of Keywords
You hear this word all the time. Keywords! Keywords, blah blah. But what are they? And How are they used?
Keywords are the backbone of small business SEO. These simple phrases or words are what the user types into that little magic box that makes options instantly appear via search engine! The keywords you use on your website and how you use them can make or break these searches!
If you’re using the wrong keywords, your site may appear when it’s not relevant, or it may appear to the wrong target audience. As the owner of an equine business, be wary of using just any small business SEO team. There are nuanced differences between keywords that are only applicable to your equine business. For example, a tack store that sells dressage-specific tack would not benefit from keywords like “showjumping” or “open front boots.”. You can test your SEO team for a dressage by asking do you know the keyword “weymouth”? Ha!
Marketing equine products requires specific equestrian knowledge. When it comes to SEO help for small businesses, working with a generic marketing team can actually do more damage than good.
There are several different ways to source and select keywords. You can use free tools like Answer the Public or Google Ads, but it can be easy to become overwhelmed with information. It helps to work with a team that knows what keywords are relevant for your equine business and the types of riders, horses and customers that are the match for your business.
Content Reigns Over SEO
When it comes to small business SEO, content is king. Content gives you the best opportunities to strategically use keywords to improve the ranking of your website on google. But what do we mean by content? Blogs, just like this one!
Blogs for SEO purposes are typically between 800 and 1000 words. Keywords are used throughout the text as well as in headings, titles, meta descriptions, and alt text on images. With all of these elements combined, an SEO blog can become a veritable powerhouse for improving your equine business’s ranking on Google. Depending on your business, SEO blog topics can include blanketing tips for horses, how to improve your dressage test, what tack you need for your next horse show, and more!
The quality of the content you’re posting to your website matters more now than ever before. Google and other search engines are penalizing websites for posting content that is poorly written, has typos, and does not clearly provide the information the user was searching for. Make sure that the content that goes on your website is top notch and tailored to your equine business.
SEO Shines a Spotlight On Your Equine Business
The long and short of it is that without the right SEO help for small businesses, your website will disappear into the black void of the internet. Search engine optimization that utilizes high-quality content, keywords tailored to the horse world, and excellent application of that content helps bring your equine business to the forefront of the algorithm.
Our expert team at Entrigue Marketing is here to help you navigate the muddy waters of search engine optimization. Our team knows horses. Coming from all different backgrounds, we share one thing in common: our passion for helping equine businesses grow. From start to finish, we help our equestrian clients with all of the behind-the-scenes for website SEO and provide them with the quality equine-specific content they need to rank on Google.
Interested in getting help with your equine small business SEO? Click here to learn more about Entrigue Digital Marketing.