The Secret to Showing Up on Google: Backlinks, SEO, and Mo Hometown Happenings

For a business, this is important!

Remember the Yellow Pages? You used to juggle a dozen phone books just to find a business in every rural town you passed through. But thanks to Google, that headache is history!

Now, here’s the kicker: how do businesses get found on Google? Feels like magic, right?

First things first—businesses need to claim their Google listing. But what about getting that coveted top spot in search results? That’s where Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, comes in. SEO is basically how you get your business to show up first when someone searches for businesses like yours (think “coffee shops near me”).

So, how do you work this Google sorcery? Stick with me for a quick, digestible SEO 101, and I’ll explain why Mo Hometown Happenings is your new secret weapon for getting found.

Once you’ve claimed and filled out your Google Business Profile, there are two basic things you need to focus on to boost your website and business listing in Google:

• Backlinks

• Fresh Website Content

But let’s keep it simple today and focus on only backlinks—because who doesn’t love a shortcut?

What’s a backlink, you ask? It’s when another website mentions your business and links back to your site. When credible websites for your local chamber of commerce, newspaper, or radio station do this, Google takes notice and thinks, “Hey, this business must be legit!” Those backlinks are like votes of confidence, helping push your business higher in search results.

And here’s where Mo Hometown Happenings comes in. We’re like a baby SEO powerhouse. As of Fall 2024, Google might not give us top-tier clout yet—think toddler stage. But as we grow, our backlinks will carry more weight, making your business listing even more valuable and helping you climb the search rankings.

Eventually, Mo Hometown Happenings will be a go-to resource—not just for Google rankings, but also as a hub for business listings and events in the area. Because let’s face it: when you want to know what’s happening on the weekend, Facebook events can be as unreliable as a one-legged stool. It just doesn’t get that we rural folks don’t blink at driving 60 miles for a good fair or event.

So, while there’s much more to the SEO story, that’s the gist of it. And hey, wouldn’t it be nice to have a single spot for business listings and events in our neck of the woods?

Feel free to submit your business or event through the buttons below!

And if you’d like to learn more about how to get your business or event found by more people, reach out to Rondle Dines, host and admin of Mo Hometown Happenings, at rdcompanyllc.com