With Google changing the algorithm frequently and keyword changing every 4-6 weeks depending on what you sell, it’s a cutthroat world when it comes to climbing to page one of search results these days. Your small business is competing with bigger brands with deeper pockets who can afford major SEO budgets. The big boys spend heavily to claim those top positions and keywords. So what’s your small business supposed to do to remain competitive?

Lucky for you, there are some affordable ways to rank higher in search results, here are 7 ways to drive organic search traffic to your small business website.

1. Know Your Audience

It sounds simple, but it isn’t always. Knowing exactly who your customer is — down to the kinds of content she searches for — can help you deliver what she’s looking for on search engines. For example: let’s say you own an ecommerce shop selling cashmere clothing. If your research tells you that your customer typically first researches the kinds of cashmere out there, you might move up search results if you write a blog post about “7 types of cashmere,” which you know that your audience is searching for.

The more aligned you are with what content your audience needs and wants, the better your web copy will match those needs. Then, when people search for particulars and find your website, this will indicate to Google that the results fit the search, and you’ll appear higher in results.

2. Keep That Content Fresh

Just like no one will buy that moldy tangerine in the bin at the grocery store, no one is interested in your old content either. It is imperative that you continually create blog content on your website so that people — not to mention search engines — feel that you are relevant and cutting edge. Search engines like to see updated content, so by publishing posts 2-3 days a week, you will stay high in organic search results.

3. Check for Broken Links

The last thing you want for a visitor on your website is for them to click a link to a page that’s no longer there. Checking for broken links can ensure that when someone finds your website in search results, the page has been updated. The same goes for someone already on your site; you want to keep them there, and having dead-end links will send them away.

4. Guest Blog on Reputable Sites

Another organic way to improve your search rankings is to get links back to your site from other popular sites. How can you do that? Guest blogging. By zeroing in on the blogs that target your audience and contributing valuable content there, you may get clicks on the link in your bio to your website, and Google and other search engines will give you a thumbs-up for having a reputable site link to you. By the way, we are always looking for guest blogs on www.succeedasyourownboss.com click this link to learn how to submit content.

5. Know Your Keywords

You don’t have to be an IT specialist to understand how keywords work in driving traffic to your site. Keywords are what people search to find your website. So if you sell cashmere clothing, someone might type in “women’s cashmere sweaters” to find sites like yours.

It’s so important to know exactly what keywords or keyword phrases people search to find you so that you can incorporate them in your web copy and on your website. Not sure what keywords to target? Dive into your Google Analytics to see firsthand which words people are typing to click to your website. Also do a few searches of your own and see what results pop up. If you think you’re a good fit, make sure to incorporate those words. Just stick to one or two keywords per page of web copy.

6. Link Internally

Another practice that search engines love is linking from one of your web pages to another. This creates a sort of spider web that will not only keep people browsing the content on your site longer, but that will also make search engines decide you’re got so much good going on on your website, you’re worthy of being bumped up results. If you refer to a subject you’ve blogged about before, link to that post so people have more content to peruse.

7. Accept Guest Posts

Here’s a trick I like to use: let other people write content on your blog. One benefit is that you have less content that you’re responsible for creating, and another is that those guest bloggers will then promote the heck out of their post on your site! More eyeballs for little effort.

Just make sure any guest blogger you approve has a company link that is relevant to what your site is about. For example, someone who owns a owns a small business would be a good guest blogger, if their topic is relevant to other small businesses. But someone who is a partner at a corporate law firm? Not so much. Be extremely picky about the quality of content you accept.

These little tricks don’t cost much, if anything they are all about being strategic online. These tactics can help you slide up the search results so that more people can find your website and buy from you.