Large websites like Wikipedia and those that have been around for a long time often have an edge in the competition for the top search result spots in your favorite search engines. That doesn’t mean you don’t have a shot at showing up on Page 1. Search engines like Big G weigh relevance pretty heavily when deciding which sites to serve up to their customers. And that’s what you can use to your advantage even as a very small business. Here’s how: 

Be Specific – Go After The Long Tail And Niche Down 

Don’t go after a top keyword for your industry. Let’s say you’re selling blue widgets. Don’t go after the term “blue widgets.” Yes, it gets the highest search volume, but not everyone searching will be ready to buy blue widgets from you. Maybe they are looking for blue widget images because they are curious what they look like. Maybe they are looking for instructions on making their own blue widgets, or they want to find someone who can manufacture a lot of these blue widgets for their own shop. 

Instead, go after the long tail. Use key phrases like “where to buy blue widgets online” or “best place to buy blue widgets in Powder Springs.” Even better, find a way to set yourself apart from the competition by becoming the place that sells blue widgets for bicycles. Make yourself the expert, and you’ll show up higher in the results for those searches. 

Stay On Topic 

Relevance is all about staying on topic. A small website dedicated to sharing great content exclusively on one topic will rank higher than a larger site that shares everything under the sun. That’s why, despite its huge authority, Wikipedia doesn’t rank for everything. Even though there’s a page on just about everything on Wikipedia. Let’s say you decide to build a site about web design. Pick a niche within that field and stick to it. That’s how you may become one of the authority sites on campaign websites for public officials or building a website for government contractors. 

Each time you work on a new piece of content, ask yourself if it is on topic. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Remember, relevance is key. 

Go Local Where It Makes Sense 

I touched on this earlier, but it’s an important topic, so let’s dive a little deeper. Where it makes sense, it can be very beneficial to localize your content. Instead of becoming one more seller of yellow widgets online, you could become the seller of yellow widgets for your state or your town and rake in the profits. 

Of course, this doesn’t make sense for everyone. But let’s say you are great at email marketing. Instead of putting up yet another site and offer yet another course to everyone in the English speaking world on the topic, go after the small businesses in your area. Become the expert for email marketing in Powder Springs. Not only will it be much easier to rank for this longer tail keyword, it also opens up all sorts of new options for local marketing. And don’t forget about higher priced products and services that you can offer locally like in-person workshops and consultations.

Good luck, time to get to work.