How to Do SEO for an MSP and Increase Performance

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to attract traffic and leads for your MSP website.

While you don’t need an in-depth understanding of SEO, it is crucial to know the basics. A well-thought-out MSP SEO strategy can lead to:

• Increased organic traffic

• Higher website visibility

• Improved user experience

• Enhanced credibility and trust

• Better user engagement

• Higher conversion rates

I’ll talk more about the benefits of SEO for MSPs in the sections below.

But first:

What is SEO?

SEO is the process of enhancing a website to improve its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business in Google and other search engines.

The goal is to increase organic search engine traffic to your site. It involves:

• Keyword Research: Identifying the terms and phrases that potential customers use to find services similar to those the MSP offers.

• On-Page SEO: Optimizing individual web pages to rank higher. This includes the use of relevant keywords in titles, headers, meta descriptions, and content.

• Off-Page SEO: Activities performed outside of the website, such as link-building from reputable sites and social media engagement, which can enhance a site's credibility and authority.

• Technical SEO: Ensuring that a website’s structure facilitates search engine crawling and indexing. It includes site speed optimization, mobile-friendliness, and secure connections (HTTPS).

SEO for MSPs

As an MSP, SEO is an essential component of your marketing strategy.

But why?

...because of:

• High Competition: The MSP market is saturated, making it vital to stand out in search engine results pages (SERPs).

• Complex Services: The services offered by MSPs can be complicated, so your content must be both accessible and detailed enough to rank for relevant queries.

• Service Area Targeting: Since MSPs often serve local or regional clientele, local SEO tactics such as optimizing for local search terms and managing local business listings are critical.

• Trust Signals: Potential clients need to trust an MSP before engaging in services, so establishing authority via quality backlinks, positive reviews, and informative content is important for SEO success.

Fundamentals of MSP SEO

While MSP SEO is vast, here's a rundown of things you should include in your strategy.

Keyword Research

In-depth keyword research lays the groundwork for a successful online presence. The process involves identifying the most relevant and effective keywords to target, using appropriate tools for planning, and analyzing competitors to refine your plan.

Keyword research involves:

• Identifying Target Keywords: For MSPs, identifying target keywords means pinpointing the terms and phrases commonly used by potential clients seeking IT services. 

• Getting the Right Keyword Planning Tools: Several digital tools can help with keyword planning. The Google Keyword Planner is a good example, offering insights into search volumes and the competitiveness of keywords.

• Doing a Competitor Analysis: This involves examining the keywords that successful competitors are targeting. MSPs should review both the on-page content and meta elements (like titles and descriptions) on competitors' websites.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is vital for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to improve their website's visibility and ranking.

It largely involves content creation and optimization. Here, you want to naturally integrate your keywords into content, avoid keyword stuffing, and generate valuable material.

Some areas to focus on when optimizing your content include:

• Using of relevant long-tail keywords

• Ensuring content provides real value to readers

• Regularly updates to keep content fresh and engaging

• Including meta tags & descriptions to improve click-through rates from search engine results pages.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO ensures your website ranks well in search engines and provides a seamless experience for visitors. Focusing on site speed, mobile performance, security, and structured data is key for visibility and user engagement.

• Site Speed Optimization: Site speed is critical for user experience and search engine ranking. MSPs need to optimize images using formats like JPEG or WebP and minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code where possible.

• Mobile Friendliness: With the majority of users accessing websites via mobile devices, MSPs should ensure their sites are responsive and scale properly across different screen sizes.

• SSL Certificates and Security: Security is non-negotiable for MSP websites. Implementing an SSL certificate is essential for encrypting data between the server and the user, which also contributes to higher trust and better rankings.

• Structured Data Markup: Structured data markup helps search engines understand the content on MSP sites more effectively.

Local SEO

Local SEO allows you to become more visible in local search results. Some strategies you can implement include:

• Google My Business Optimization: Ensure your GMB profile is complete and accurate, which includes up-to-date contact information, business hours, and a description of services. In addition, regularly posting updates and responding to reviews can enhance the profile's visibility and credibility.

• Local Citations and NAP Consistency: Local citations, which are online mentions of a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP), contribute to local search rankings. MSPs need to have consistent NAP information across various directories and platforms. It’s important to:

  • Regularly audit and update NAP information on listings

  • Prioritize reputable directories related to the tech industry

  • Local Content Marketing: Creating content that resonates with a local audience can boost an MSP's local search presence. This could be:

  • Articles on local industry events they participated in

  • Case studies involving local businesses

By incorporating local keywords and regional topics, MSPs can connect better with their community and enhance local search relevance.

Link Building

Link building allows you to improve domain authority and organic search rankings. You can do this by:

• Creating Shareable Content: One must create content that adds value to invoke the interest of others in the industry. Quality content is more likely to be shared, which naturally generates inbound links. MSPs should focus on:

  • Industry Insights: Leverage unique insights into IT and cyber-security.

  • How-To Guides: Provide practical steps for complex IT solutions.

  • Infographics: Visual representations of data can be highly shareable.

• Guest Posting: Guest posting on respected industry websites can be a strategic move for MSPs. So:

  • Identify sites with a strong relevance to the MSP market.

  • Offer content that complements the host site while showcasing expertise.

  • Include a backlink to the MSP’s website in the author bio or within the content where relevant.

• Backlink Outreach: Backlink outreach should be approached with a focus on establishing relationships with industry influencers and related businesses. As a rule of thumb, compile a list of target websites and contact them with a personalized proposal.

Social Media and MSP SEO

Social media affects SEO by offering new channels for content distribution and ways to boost search engine ranking signals.

This section explores how to harness social media to benefit the SEO efforts of Managed Service Providers (MSPs).

Platform Selection

In selecting platforms, MSPs should prioritize those where their target audience is most active and engaged.

• LinkedIn: Ideal for B2B interactions, valuable for establishing industry authority.

• Twitter: Useful for quick updates, engaging with trends, and conversations.

• Facebook: Offers robust tools for content sharing and advertising targeting.

• Engaging with the Audience

• Engagement drives visibility and empowers relationships which indirectly influence SEO.

• Use direct interaction, such as responding to comments or messages promptly.

• Run interactive polls or Q&A sessions to stimulate discussion.

• Regularly update status and post on relevant industry topics to keep the audience interested.

Sharing Valuable Content

Content shared on social media should be valuable, relevant, and share-worthy to promote natural link-building.

Share blog posts, case studies, infographics, and videos that provide actionable insights.

Use hashtags to increase the visibility of your content on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

MSP SEO Analytics and Performance Tracking

Accurate analytics and consistent tracking are foundational for understanding the effectiveness of SEO tactics for Managed Service Providers (MSPs).

They enable the identification of successes and areas needing improvement.

Setting Up Analytics Tools

To begin tracking SEO performance, MSPs must establish a suite of analytics tools. Google Analytics is a staple, providing insights into traffic origins, behavior, and conversions.

Integrating Google Search Console further enhances data collection, offering information on site visibility and indexing status. For a comprehensive view, consider SEMrush or Ahrefs for competitor analysis and backlink tracking.

Regular SEO Auditing

SEO auditing should be conducted regularly to ensure that the MSP's website complies with best practices and to identify technical issues. An audit typically includes:

• Site Health: Checks for broken links, load times, and mobile responsiveness.

• Keyword Performance: Tracks rankings for targeted keywords.

• Content Analysis: Assesses the relevance and performance of existing content.

• Backlink Profile: Reviews the quantity and quality of backlinks.

Each element impacts the overall SEO strength and dictates where improvements can be made.

Reporting and Adjusting Strategies

Continuous reporting is essential to gauge SEO efforts and steer future strategies. Reports should highlight:

• Traffic Trends: Including sources, new vs returning users, and engagement

• Ranking Changes: For primary keywords and long-tail phrases

• Conversion Rates: Specifically relating to SEO-driven leads

Based on these reports, strategies might be adjusted to enhance performance, such as refining keyword focus, improving site structure, or increasing content production.

Hire an Experienced MSP SEO Agency to Grow Your Business

Implementing MSP SEO can be daunting if you don’t know where to start. Besides, keeping up with the progress can be time-consuming.

But that doesn’t mean you should neglect SEO. In fact, SEO should be part and parcel of your MSP growth strategy.

You can, instead, outsource your campaign to an experienced and reputable MSP SEO agency.

At GrowthGenerators, we help MSPs scale through proven SEO and marketing strategies.

Visit our services page to see how we can help you grow your MSP business.