Did you know that SEO can reduce customer acquisition costs by 87.41% on average compared to digital advertising? Mind-blowing right? Now imagine its impact as a whole and think about how much it is money, time, and effort these SEO tips will save you.
Small businesses are growing rapidly, and the market is getting crowded with competitors on a daily basis. Creating compelling content is not enough to cut through the noise and reach your target segment. It would be best if you first captured the “google thing”.
It is because even if you come up with finely edited content in Adobe and engage in high-level copywriting, you will not be seen until and unless you are in the top search results.
SEO is the way to avoid the rat race of moving above in the search engine rankings. Let’s look at some stats before jumping into the topic:
Now that we have understood that digital marketing is incomplete without SEO, let’s cover some local tips and tools that you will need to begin your journey.
Local SEO Tips
Although SEO takes time to show real results, each tip and tool stated below greatly benefits your local business, both online and offline.
1. Google My Business
Google My Business is a business directory owned and operated by Google. The platform’s goal is to provide users with accurate business information about local businesses. Most business owners get listed within a year of starting their business. It is because the google crawl bots learn about your business through your website and automatically set them up.
Though the automated listing might sound like a lifesaver, it has its drawbacks. For instance, the information may not be complete or accurate. To get the most out of the platform, check out your information and make sure to update it.
If you still don’t see why you should claim or create your own listing, then consider that businesses with four stars or more outrank those with less than four stars by about eleven percent. As a small business, you can’t afford to lose that advantage.
(Source: Freshchalk)
Here are a few basic steps that will help you begin with your accurate Google My Business (GMB) listing:
Step 1: Claim or create your GMB listing.
Step 2: Put in all of the necessary information and publish your listing.
Step 3: Next, add photos and videos of your offerings to your profile.
Step 4: Make sure that you respond to ratings and reviews professionally and on time.
Your business information must be accurate and up-to-date. Updates should be made monthly, though weekly monitoring of your listing is crucial for success.
2. Local Keywords
Keyword targeting can be daunting. It is impossible to avoid dozens of hours spent on keyword research, even for local SEO. However, many marketers have an easier time finding effective keywords in the local market. The secret is a mix of broad and long-tail keywords.
Begin the process with brainstorming, and don’t worry about local terms. Try to research competitor keywords to fill in the gaps. Once you have identified an effective collection of nonlocalized keywords, you need to look closer at your local markets. Analyze your current customer data to determine which areas to focus on.
Your SEO strategy will be more effective if you incorporate city names into your existing keywords. If you don’t have multiple locations, then avoid taking things to a state level. Need an example? Let’s say you run a Salon in Leesburg.
“Leesburg Spa” is a straightforward broad keyword. Long-tail keywords are more specialized and usually indicate more buyer intent. Focus on your services, such as the “best massage spa in Leesburg.”
3. SEO Audit
After your business is established in business directories, it’s time to understand the landscape. This enables you to see what your competitors are doing so you (as well) can make the same (and better) improvements to your website.
The first page of SERPs provides the most insight and inspiration. According to Sistrix, just the first three positions account for 66.5 percent of the click-throughs.
Consider free tools and analyzers as you begin your audit, such as the SEO Analyzer. These tools give you a detailed overview of your website’s current status and what you can do to improve it.
Other local tools:
– Listing Management Tool by Semrush
4. Local Content
Your goal should be about targeting local keywords while avoiding keyword stuffing. The best way to go about it is to create local content for your website.
Local content may include a blog post, a news release, or a static web page. These different types of content can be used to highlight local events (past and upcoming), local offerings, local business roundups (e.g., local businesses that complement but do not compete with your business), or educate the public on your product and services.
It also helps to establish yourself as an expert in your niche, which is essential for small businesses competing against larger businesses. The more natural content you have on your website, the more easily you can target local keywords.
Continuing with the example of the salon, here are a few content ideas that will naturally target both the audience and the keywords:
– Blog post: #X [your state] Spa treatment benefits
– Blog post: [your state] Rejuvenating Spa Treatments for [season/year]
– Static web page: Our Local [your state] Spa Services
– Static web page: [your state] Spa Offerings
5. Social Media
When it comes to social media platforms, they aren’t just for established brands and influencers. Yes, you are thinking right. A local business page can benefit from all of the social platforms.
Additionally, a local business page can be great for informing customers of upcoming events, sales, and business changes (e.g., hours of operation). That’s because, even with a website, a social media profile is more like a “living” version of your business.
Among the benefits of maintaining social media profiles for your small business are relationship building, trend tracking and analysis, and social commerce.
6. Backlinks
Local link signals are one of the best ways to boost your website authority and Google ranking. Generally, the more links you have pointing to your business website, the more credible it appears to search engines.
Obtaining backlinks from high-quality websites isn’t an easy task. First, research popular domains in your area. Look for blogs, reviewers, and news sites.
Once you have this list, you’ll need to decide on a backlink-building strategy. For some bloggers, it’s as simple as offering to write a guest blog. However, you’ll need to go the extra mile for news companies and reviewers. This could mean running a local event to garner news coverage or sending a free product to prompt a review.
Ready To Implement An Seo Strategy?
Need help with your local SEO or other digital marketing strategies? The professionals at Be Eminent are just a click away. Visit our website to discover how we can improve your current marketing efforts.