When you Google your business name, what do you see?
Do you show up in lots of places and do you think you’re ranking for the search terms your ideal customers are putting into a search engine?
If working on your business is something you’re planning on doing for the next four weeks as we go back into lockdown, then here’s how you can give your website a refresh.
Rosie Robinson has worked as a dog walker and boarder and now makes websites for pet business owners.
She’s created hundreds of sites for product and service businesses, helping them stand out online.
In this podcast Rosie shares everything you need to know to get found on Google.
You can listen in on the player link or read as a blog post below.
Why is it important for pet businesses to stand out on Google?
Rosie is walking the walk when it comes to being discovered online.
She runs a licensed home boarding service for dogs and is an ex professional dog walker and with Wuf, it’s vital she’s found by people looking for web design.
Rosie said: “Your website is where you want to be getting clients and customers from.
“Social media is brilliant but you don’t own the platform and I’ve seen people have their entire accounts wiped out.
“Or there’s been a Facebook or Instagram outage which has meant they’ve not been able to reach people.
“So you need a professional looking website with decent SEO behind it so you come up in people’s searches that you own and control.
“That way, people can find it, take the time to read about your products and services and make a decision as to whether you’re the best choice for them.”
What can pet businesses do to get found on Google?
Rosie says there are simple things you can do yourself without the help of a web designer. This
- Have a website
Rosie said: “You want a really beautiful professional looking website so the when people land on it they know you’re serious about what you’re doing.” - Make sure it’s optimised for keywords
Rosie explains: “You need decent SEO (search engine optimisation) behind it so that Google knows who you are and what you do and who to show your website to when they put their searches into Google.” - Register with directories
Rosie said: “You can register on directories yourself, from Yell and Google My Business to pet specific ones like Dotty4Paws and K9Nation. The more places you register, the higher you will show up in Google.” - Aim for Three Best Rated
Rosie said: “These are localised directories listing the three best rated providers in a specific area. They look at things like reviews, reputation, how long they have traded and other factors. If you appear on these, it creates a great first impression. ” Find out more here www.threeebestrated.co.uk
What is the most important thing you can get right to improve your pet business website on a budget?
You don’t need to put loads of money behind your website, even if you’re on a budget you can still rank highly on google.
Rosie’s four tips are:
- Make sure you have your area on your website.
- Include a short FAQ section to answer the questions people might have.
- Have lots of lovely images to show people your products or you delivering your service – eg dogs on walks, cats being groomed – to start creating trust.
- Tell stories on your website, including things like how you work, what happens when someone uses your product or books an appointment, where your business originated from.
How does blogging help your pet business get found on Google?
Blogging is such a great way to increase traffic to your website and is free – all you need to invest is your time.
Rosie says it works in two ways. She explained: “Firstly, blogging can really help with driving traffic to your website.
“Create content around the search terms you think people use to find you, for example, ‘dog walker’ and ‘Newcastle.’
“Secondly, content can help to build the trust and connection to reassure your client, it can inform, educate and entertain.
“It drives traffic to your website. Think of your homepage as your front door and blog posts are like a back door.
“Via the front door, you get ranking for your keywords but your blog posts can get you ranking for all sorts of topics.
“From your blogs you can get people on your website from all kinds of different things that they search for.
“So people can discover you who might never ordinarily have searched for what it is you offer.
“Blogging can be really exciting when you see it working and you start thinking about how fun it is.”
Rosie often blogs reviews of the tech that she uses, because if someone is looking at some tech they will most likely search for a review.
If they find her blog, it’s likely they might need some support, and because she’s created helpful, educational content, it helps build trust.
She said: “Blogging takes a while, it takes time but you will be able to see on Google how your search traffic is improving.
“Your blog works for you around the clock, if you are consistent with your blog posts and build up expertise and authority you will see how great it is for your business.”
Links mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about Rosie: www.wufdesign.co.uk/
Check out Jenny Harris’s blog at the Great Catsby: www.thegreatcatsbycathotel.com/
Check out Michelle from Scruffy Little Terrier’s blog on Camber Sands: Dog friendly beach at Camber Sands
If you found this post helpful, you might like to read How to come up with ideas for your pet business website, How blogging can help your pet business, Seven benefits of blogging for your pet business.
