SEO—It's a confusing and mysterious concept, right? Many small, local pet businesses find it overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! In fact, SEO can become your 24/7 salesperson, working behind the scenes to bring your pet business visibility, clients, and revenue without you lifting a finger (after it’s set up, of course!).
When it comes to SEO, patience is key. Most results take months to show up, which can feel frustrating when you're hoping for quick wins.
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Boost Your Pet Business Website Traffic with Quick SEO Fixes
Here’s the good news: there are a few things you can do to see faster results! This post covers strategies that can deliver quicker results.
So, if you’ve been wondering how to rank higher on Google without spending months and months waiting for results or shelling out for expensive paid keywords, you’re in the right place.
In this post, I’ll walk you through seven quick SEO steps that will have your website showing up on Google searches sooner rather than later. Ready to make your website go from invisible to irresistible? Let’s dive in!
What is SEO and Why Does It Matter?
At its core, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about getting search engines, like Google, to understand what your website is about and place it higher in search results. Think of it as Google’s filing system—where your website ranks depends on how well it’s organized, optimized, and relevant to what people are searching for.
SEO is essential because it’s a long-term strategy—unlike social media posts that get buried in the feed within minutes, your optimized content can drive traffic for years. Fun fact: Our most popular traffic-generating blog post was written in 2018! Talk about the power of SEO!
Now let’s jump into these quick steps to help your pet business get noticed by Google—and fast.
1. Ensure Proper Indexing to Get Your Pages Found on Google
If your site isn’t indexed by Google, it simply won’t appear in search results. So, the first step is to make sure Google knows your site exists. Use Google Search Console to check which pages of your site are indexed.
If any important pages aren’t indexed, troubleshoot and address those issues. You can also manually request indexing to speed up the process (more on that later!). Even if your site is already indexed, Google Search Console provides valuable website insights, so I highly recommend setting it up so it can start tracking data and letting you know of any indexing issues you need to address!
2. Fix Broken Links to Avoid SEO Penalties and Improve User Experience
Broken links (those dreaded 404 errors) not only frustrate your website visitors but also hurt your SEO. Google prioritizes high-quality websites that provide accurate, active information, so ensuring all your links work properly is key. Use a free tool like Broken Link Checker to scan your site for broken links.
Make it a habit to check for broken links regularly—this small task keeps your site running smoothly and shows Google that your site is well-maintained.
3. Optimize Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and URL Slugs for Better Rankings
Every page on your website has page SEO settings that include things like your title tag, URL slug, and meta description. These elements tell both Google and potential visitors what your page is about.
Title Tag: I recommend keeping these under 60 characters and including relevant keywords, your business name, and (if applicable and there is room) your location.
URL Slug: Keep it short, sweet, and descriptive (like “/dog-walking-services”). Make sure to include dashes in between words.
Meta Description: In 160 characters or less, summarize the page with keywords to entice clicks!
4. Update Old Blog Posts to Drive More Traffic and Save Time
Here’s one of my favorite marketing secrets (and one I’ve utilized a bunch at Pet Marketing Unleashed): Updating old blog posts can be more effective than writing new blog posts. Google loves fresh content, so revisiting your existing posts is a quick way to boost your rankings, especially when you have a lot of posts to work with.
Refresh outdated info and update the publish date.
Add new insights or relevant links to keep the content valuable.
Re-optimize your SEO settings for the latest keywords.
Not sure which posts to update? Start with your most popular ones and enhance them to make them even better! Then, reshare them with your audience for an added boost!
5. Use Google Search Console for Quicker Indexing When You Make Website Changes
Every time you make SEO updates—like revising blog posts or adding new services or implementing any of the tips we shared above—don’t wait for Google to catch up! You can use Google Search Console to manually request re-indexing right away to speed up the indexing process.
This step ensures that your changes are seen by Google faster, which means you could see improvements in search rankings sooner. How’s that for quicker SEO results?!
6. Create Local Blog Content to Rank Higher in Local Search Results
If your pet business serves a local area, local SEO is your best friend. While you may see less overall numbers, the numbers you did receive will be more targeted to ACTUAL potential clients (which is what we want!)
Instead of writing generic posts like “Why Hire a Professional Pet Sitter,” focus on hyperlocal topics that people will actually search for.
For example:
“The Best Dog Parks in [Your City]”
“How to Choose a Pet Sitter in [Your Neighborhood]”
“Why [Your City] Pet Parents Love Our Dog Walking Service”
“A Pet-Friendly Guide to [Your Neighborhood or City]”
“Best Pet-Friendly Restaurants and Breweries in [Your City].”
Local content helps you connect with potential clients nearby and signals to Google that your business is relevant to searchers in your area. Bonus points if you share the blog post with the businesses that you feature in the blog post so they can share it with their audiences, too!
👉 Free Resource: Struggling with content ideas? Grab our free blog topic ideas to spark inspiration.
7. Improve User Experience to Reduce Bounce Rates and Get More Leads
Did you know that your site’s user experience can impact your SEO? Google favors websites that provide a great experience, meaning fast load times, easy navigation, and mobile-friendly design.
Some quick UX tips:
Make sure your website loads in under 3 seconds (on both mobile and desktop).
Use clear headings and simple navigation menus.
Check that your site is mobile-responsive (since most searches happen on mobile!).
Use clear fonts and formatting so your content is easy to digest.
Use chat widgets to allow for better and quicker support for your visitors.
Add action-inspired call-to-action buttons so your visitors know where to navigate next on your website.
👉 Need help improving your site’s performance? Explore our Wix website templates designed specifically for local pet businesses with SEO in mind.
Ready to Level Up Your SEO?
These seven steps will set you on the right path to better search engine rankings. Remember, SEO is a long game, but implementing these strategies can help you see results faster—whether that’s a bump in website traffic or new clients finding you online.
If you want to go deeper into SEO strategy, check out our SEO Course or browse our custom branding and web design services to get expert help building an SEO-friendly site from scratch.
Still feeling stuck? Join our Facebook community for support from fellow petpreneurs, or connect with us on Instagram for more tips and tricks.
Your dream of becoming a top-ranking pet business is just a few SEO tweaks away—let's make it happen!
