Search engine optimization (SEO) can be a challenge. You know it’s vital for your business, but the rules keep changing. Check out these SEO best practices to stay ahead of the game.

Do you have loyal customers who won’t shop anywhere else? Small business owners often overlook the potential of customer feedback to boost their SEO.

Video testimonials have an especially strong emotional impact. One person may rave about your amazing customer service. Another may show exactly how your product works.

Such testimonials grab web visitors’ attention. After they watch the testimonial, visitors are more likely to look around your site. And guess what? Visitors who stick around help your search results. Testimonials are SEO best practices in action!

Time spent by visitors to your site is known as “dwell time.” Google takes dwell time into account, and it’s an additional factor that can push your search results higher.

So, the next time a top customer comes through the door, whip out your cell phone. That quick video clip will be a lasting asset to your website.

Social media marketing is a key part of SEO best practices as well. Take an active role in social media to boost your brand. Tell the social media world about your company and your products.

Growing awareness of your company leads not only to more web traffic, but better traffic. The result? Improved SEO. The people who know your company from social media are more likely to become customers. They’re also likely to linger on your site.

Take time to think through how your website is organized. Can visitors find things quickly?

The typical hierarchy of having a home page and a few key categories is generally a good model. It gives your website room to grow. New content can be added under each category.

Sometimes a site no longer fits your needs. Visitors get confused and leave. If your site is not working well, contact a professional. Frontier Marketing, for instance, offers a range of website services.

Of course, having others link to your site follows SEO best practices. But there’s more. You can build links and help your community.

In fact, supporting a charity or local nonprofit can add valuable links. When you sponsor a charity fundraiser, for instance, your web link will probably be listed prominently in the online publicity. It could also be featured prominently on the flashy posters all over town listing the event’s sponsors.

Supporting a worthy cause is a win for you and the charity. Just be sure everyone is on board at the outset about how your company will be linked.

For maximum impact, choose a cause that fits your brand. If you’re selling running shoes, the annual 5K race is a natural, for example. The close tie-in is also likely to result in more traffic.

Another option? Fund a scholarship. This takes some money and time, but the payoff in links and goodwill is considerable. Again, having a connection to the scholarship is best. A medical supply store could support a student studying health sciences, for example.

After you contact colleges’ financial aid offices, you’ll start getting .edu links. These links from educational institutions have high value in Google. Later, a press release announcing the winner may also bring even more potential backlinks.

No one wants to wait around for a webpage to load. In fact, your web pages should load in 3 seconds or less. That’s a standard SEO best practice. If they don’t, Google will know. That’s not a good thing, because Google won’t show a slow site.

You may need some help sorting this out. A free website, tools.pingdom.com will show you how to improve your speed. The tips are geared toward developers, however.

Are you still fuzzy on the ins and outs of SEO best practices? Whether you’re a newbie or a pro, an array of free resources can help you move to the next level.

If you’re just getting started, try SEO Training for Beginners. This quick course covers the basics of search engine rankings as well as how to improve them. Keywords, content, and website structure are also covered.

Another great resource, Google Trends, shows you how you line up against your competitors. You’ll also learn how to get the best search terms.

Mobile-friendly websites are crucial now. To find out where your site stands, check out search.google.com/test/mobile friendly. First, you type in your domain name and get a “pass” or “fail” message. Next, you get specific tips on how to make your site more mobile friendly. If you’re web-savvy, this one can save you a lot of work.

Could you use a hand in making SEO best practices a reality? Frontier Marketing can help you kick things up a notch—or give you a complete overhaul.