Not sure what to do about SEO? Like many other small business owners, SEO can be a minefield. With so much conflicting information and advice, it is easy to blow your dollars on expensive SEO "strategies" that leave you wondering why did I even bother?

So here are a few tips that you can do yourself without the help of the experts if you invest a little of your own time and you have an easy to use CMS associated with your website.

SEO Tips for Small Business Owners

These 15 tips should help you improve your organic ranking over time:

1. Keyword search phrases
2. Unique keywords
3. Google My Business and Google Maps listing
4. Customer reviews
5. Local SEO
6. Directories
7. Backlinking
8. Meta data
9. Specificity
10. Mutual benefits
11. Blogging
12. Create shareable content
13. Influencers
14. Stay up to date
15. Categories and tags

1. Keyword search phrases

Focus on a few key search phrases that you think are most relevant to your business. If you aren’t sure what to choose, do some basic research by asking your friends, work colleagues or business associates what words they would search for when sourcing products or services that you supply.

2. Unique keywords

Look at what keywords or phrases your competitors are using, and try to differentiate your phrases from theirs, so that you can gain a higher ranking than your competition for that phrase.

3. Google My Business and Google Maps listing

Google My Business listing is integral for online search, reviews and recommendations, as well as Google Places and Maps, so make sure you claim yours.

4. Customer reviews

Try to get customer reviews for your Google Business and Google Maps listing as this will increase your ranking.

5. Local SEO

The number of local searches is increasing exponentially, so remember to choose a word in your phrase that specifies your location ( eg Accountants Perth or  Physiotherapy Subiaco) and to optimise your website for local search.

6. Directories

Submit as much information through articles, blogs, etc. to relevant web directories, online groups, forums, etc. as you can to increase your site’s relevance.

7. Backlinking

Build links and link exchanges as the major search engines rank your site on the number of links and their relevance to your site PLUS the relevance of your site to the keywords that you have chosen.

8. Meta data

Make sure your meta tags reflect your keywords or phrases and that your site content is peppered with your key phrases.

9. Specificity

Focus on one key phrase per product or service offering.

10. Mutual benefits

Ask your clients to link to your website and return the favour.

11. Blogging

Start a blog and start sharing.

12. Create shareable content

Make your web content interesting so that people pass it on.

13. Influencers

Send your website link to relevant industry websites or high-quality bloggers related to your business.

14. Stay up to date

Make sure your web content is regularly updated.

15. Categories and tags

Use title tags that accurately reflect your business and match with your key phrases. Keep them to less than 70 characters.