SEO or Search Engine Optimization is one of the vital elements to the success of any business. Local SEO helps in gaining visibility in local search results. It is mostly useful for small and regional businesses. If you learn to use it strategically, you can easily gain exposure and attract prospects to your business or brand. Local customers tend to be repetitive with the use of your service if they are satisfied thereby forming a base of loyalty. Your business can also grow from recommendations from your satisfied customers to other locals. To sum it up, local SEO is the process of applying search engine optimization techniques to gain visibility and exposure in google to attract the targeted prospects.
What kind of business needs Local SEO?
If you are a business that specifies in providing services that cater to a local audience, you must upgrade your SEO strategies to appear on local searches. You can do it by signing up in Google My Business to create your free business account on google. Update your profile with relevant keywords to enhance visibility. Here are some of the common businesses that can benefit from local SEO–
- Bars and restaurants – These are the most searched local businesses in any given area. Before visiting any restaurant or bar, consumers tend to search online and look for reviews to choose out the best one. Online customer reviews also play a crucial role in building your brand name.
- Medical and Health Services – Medical and health services are also one of the top local searches. If you own a clinic with specialized medical services, don’t forget to list yourself on Google My Business.
- Law firms – People generally look nearby for lawyers and law firms. You can take the help of an SEO agency to optimize your profile to increase visibility and exposure.
- Plumbers – Google is the one of the first places you run to search for contact numbers of plumbers during an emergency. Why? To get in contact with the local plumbers to run to your rescue. Plumbing services are one of the most benefitted from local SEO.
The list of local businesses can go on and on. If you happen to open your startup with regional targets, ensure to create an SEO-friendly website with the help of an SEO agency. As a business person or an entrepreneur, you should know where and when to invest for growth and success.
Have a look at some of the strategies which can help you reach a wider audience in local markets-
- Build an impressive landing page – If you want your products and services to reach more areas in your location, focus on building a landing page that is informative and attractive. You can take the help of images and visuals to capture the attention of your audience. Not all people will like to read long blogs about your services, it can easily irritate people who are not used to reading. They want quick and to the point information, which you can make available on your landing page. Make the page responsive and user-friendly to avoid any kind of user annoyance. Keep your contact details on a click tab or keep the option of live messages open for better user interaction.
- Ensure to get reviews from customers – Consumers often tend to check reviews before deciding on using any service or product. Positive reviews from customers go a long way in providing your brand with the right kind of exposure and visibility. Ensure to ask customers to write a review after a positive experience. Also, make it a part of staff training to ask for customer reviews. Reviews also help in the word-of-mouth promotions creating a wider reach. Try to address as many reviews as possible, both positive and negative, and resolve issues publically, if any. You can also send a personalized text or email thanking consumers for their time and politely ask them to leave their reviews.
- Base your website content on local news or stories – Nothing attracts people more than stories they can relate to. Try to tap on local events and stories to present to the people. Adding a personal touch to your content will relate on a deep level with your consumers which can bring their attention to your brand in a positive light. You can write blogs about local events of importance or make a video documentary on interesting personal stories of people and your brand’s involvement in it. If your consumers are scattered in different parts of an area, focus on delivering high-quality content to serve specific areas. An SEO agency can help you optimize your website.
- Invest in optimization of your website for mobile users – Most local searches happen through mobile phones. They are handy and easily accessible, therefore most people prefer and find it convenient to use mobile phones for searches. You can take professional assistance to optimize your website for mobile usage. You can do it by enhancing your website loading time, using attractive and legible fonts. You can also use infographics or video content to make your website look impressive.
- Use local keywords – A user will search for local products and services by using location-specific keywords. Take the help from an SEO agency to identify those keywords and use them strategically in your content to enhance exposure.
Conclusion-
Local SEO and its effective use can create the right amount of exposure for your business or brand. It is substantial to the success of any business. Businesses all over the world invest heavily in SEO services to capture the right market and audience. If you are new to the field of business and online marketing, you should take the help of professionals to give the right boost to your business. Marketing your business needs a proper strategy and execution. It is a multi-layered process, which can help you positively if done correctly. We tried to present a few strategies to improve your reach to wider areas. Hope it helped!
