If you’re looking to attract more local customers and make sure your small business shines online, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into some practical tips that will help your Showit site stand out in local search results— and hopefully reach your ideal clients!

1. Start with Keyword Research

The foundation of effective SEO is understanding what your potential customers are searching for. Local keyword research is all about finding the right phrases that people in your area are using.

• Use Tools: Leverage tools like Google Keyword Planner, UberSuggest or SEMRush to discover local keywords relevant to your business.
• Think Local: Focus on terms that include your city, neighborhood, or region. For example, if you’re a florist in Austin, think about keywords like “Austin florist” or “flower delivery in Austin.”
• Competitor Analysis: Check out what keywords your competitors are ranking for. This can give you a good starting point for your own keyword strategy. UberSuggest and SEMRush are great tools for this!

2. Add Page Titles to Your Showit Site

Page titles are crucial for SEO. They tell search engines and users what your page is about.

• Access SEO Settings: In Showit, go to your page “SEO Settings” where you’ll find Page Title, Meta Description and Share Image details
• Craft Your Titles: Make sure each title is unique and includes relevant local keywords. For example, “Best Austin Florist | [Your Business Name]” is a strong title.
• Keep It Under 60 Characters: Search engines typically display the first 50-60 characters of a title tag.

3. Add Meta Descriptions into Your Showit Site

Meta descriptions are short summaries that appear under your page title in search results. They should be enticing and informative, ideally including some of your SEO keywords you’ve identified.

• Find the Meta Description Field: In Showit, go to your page “SEO Settings” where you’ll find Page Title, Meta Description and Share Image details
• Write Meta Descriptions: Include your local keywords and a call-to-action. For instance, “Looking for beautiful, fresh flowers in Austin? Visit [Your Business Name] for same-day delivery!”
• Stay Within 160 Characters: This ensures your entire description is displayed fully in search results.

4. Rename Images for Your Showit Site

Images are often overlooked by small business owners in SEO, but they’re a great opportunity to potentially boost your local rankings.

• Descriptive File Names: Before uploading images to Showit, rename them with descriptive, keyword-rich titles. Instead of “IMG_1234.jpg,” use “austin-florist-bouquet.jpg.”
• Alt Text: Add alt text to your images in Showit. This is a brief description that helps search engines understand what the image is about. Include local keywords naturally but don’t force it! Remember that this is typically used to help those that are vision impaired, so their image readers can voice a description of the image. SEO comes secondary, in this case.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all these SEO essentials? Don’t worry, that’s where I come in! At Courtney Lynette Creative Co., I specialize in designing beautiful, SEO-friendly Showit websites that get you noticed by local customers. Both my Website in a Day and Custom Website packages include basic SEO set up (Page titles + Meta Descriptions) and I also have a killer SEO Starter Package for those wanting a little more. Let my team handle the SEO magic, so you can focus on what you do best— running your amazing small business.

Book a Discovery Call to chat about your new website today!