SEO work can seem very complex, but in reality involves very many tasks that are very simple to accomplish. Even without hiring an SEO firm, a small business owner can participate in the process in several ways that will make them feel more they are making headway in their investment. Here are a few tips that we picked up from a Winnipeg SEO company that business owners interested in SEO can follow to feel more involved.

• Small businesses tend to be a tad over ambitious when it comes to what range of SEO activities they should undertake in order to attract their target audience. Many will try their hand at any and all tasks, and invest in overdone websites that are complicated to navigate. It may look flashy, but most online users prefer a simply designed site that clearly indicates what it is about and how to find what they want. Too much of graphics, video and other unnecessary content may discourage them from returning. Keeping the site simple and using good clean codes is best.
• Carry out good keyword research. Many make the mistake of pursuing keywords of their content that already have highly ranked sites associate with them. It is preferable to focus on what local consumers in your target market will look up, but do not have as much competition. Fine-tuning your keyword research will help build your rank within the niche and make for good visibility and relevance.
• Build worthwhile links. Many small business try black hat techniques to build rank that often result in penalties form search engines once detected. Rather than pay for a provider who will provide links from thousands of unrelated and lowly ranked sites, hire a competent SEO firm that will create quality content and position reputable sites that can link back to you. This should be done steadily over a long period to demonstrate to search engines how much you value your readers and like to keep them updated with new content.
• Review your comments and analytics. The best way to learn what your audience wants and appreciates most is to keep reviewing. Make use of analytic tools that can tell you which content is receiving the most feedback and views. See which content is also generating more natural backlinks actually read the comments left behind. Where possible, respond appropriately to feedback that comes directly from readers. The information gathered here can be used to craft your future content, with the intention of ensuring they keep coming back. Being responsive is something readers enjoy and will earn you their loyalty.
• Outsource. Small business owners, without additional help, can carry out some aspects of SEO work without too much input from SEO specialists. Work, like posting small content on social media, guest posting on other blogs and authoritative sites, is not difficult. After all, the businessperson should be knowledgeable about their business and can easily create informative content that is in tune with current trends. However, many other SEO tasks are time consuming and would take them away from their primary business. Outsourcing to a good SEO firm will free them up to focus on other important issues, like production and service delivery. Let the SEO firm do the heavy lifting in building rank so you do not have to.

If you’re considering doing SEO yourself we strongly recommend that you read up on Google’s SEO guidelines.