The focus for search engine marketing for local businesses in 2015 and beyond is being smart, efficient, and user-friendly.
You may have a highly attractive site set up but if it’s lacking necessary content and you’re not attracting the right audience, your marketing efforts will get you nowhere fast.
I’m not saying the technical side of SEO marketing doesn’t matter. It remains a key component of the online marketing world, just as pay per click advertising (PPC ads).
What many people fail to grasp is that quality content and local outreach can go a long way in advertising your business.
What Are Consumers Looking for?
Think about it. At some point or another, you’ve looked up a company on your phone when searching for something you needed. Whether you wanted to find a restaurant that provides your favorite food or you needed landscaping services, you wanted to find relevant information—fast. Every consumer wants what they want, when they want it.
Your target demographic is no different. You must focus on providing local consumers with information they need in a simplified way.
You are putting money and time into advertising for a reason, right? Who are you doing it for? Better put, who are you trying to reach?
Discovering how customers can reach you more quickly and efficiently is where you should place a majority of your focus. Make sense?
Tips on How to Use Search Engine Marketing in Local Businesses
Focus on Your Grassroots—While general SEO marketing can be useful, a blended search (aka: PPC ads and SEO marketing) focused on a local demographic, guarantees you reach the people who will be able to use your products or services as soon as possible.
Don’t Give Up on Organic Marketing— Organic marketing is about becoming more focused on localizing your brand. It’s about creating content that is relevant to your city, competitors, and local affiliations.
All of this will go a long way in doing what SEO marketing is meant to do — advertise and get your name out there. Be smart. Use new techniques in addition to the time-tested techniques that work so well.
Create Relevant Content—If you are a bakery in Miami, it’s important to create content such as “10 Best Miami Infused Desserts for Thanksgiving.” This helps to create a localized presence in search. So many people are missing out on this aspect.
Build a Local Reputation— Building a strong local reputation along with an online presence remains the backbone of a local business’s success. Get involved by attending local conferences, work with charities, or even create partnership with other businesses. This is the easiest way to land some major local press coverage and links. In result, you will be reaching customers and consumers who can directly help grow your business.
Get Your Business on Google Maps
One way to get your name on the map—literally—is to set your business up on Google Maps. It is a simple process. Find or add your business, verify that it’s yours and start making updates!
Getting on Google Maps is key in reaching a variety of local consumers. Google is used everywhere. You need to have your business on Google Maps to be easily found online.
Setting up your business on Google ensures that your company name and location will shows up on Google maps. In today’s fast-paced environment, people want to know when, where, and how as soon as possible. If a consumer can’t find you on Google, they will find your competition.
Blogging Helps…A lot!
One way to gain attention to your company and its website is to create a blog that focuses on the services you provide. From bakeries to medical equipment suppliers, if you write about it and promote it correctly – your target audience will come. When you have interesting and quality information available for your target audience to read, their interest will be piqued. This can result in both higher web traffic and consumers ready to make a purchase.
Reach out to other bloggers, make your company blog active; doing so will help you build local quality links to your site. You’ll be amazed at how much more website traffic you will get from just this one tip.
Remember, it’s important to find someone with superior writing skills that makes the blog entertaining, yet informational. Don’t be half-hearted in choosing a writer. Look for someone who writes great content and can easily get your message across.
A quality blog can make a huge difference. It’s a source people will want to read and can’t help but to go back to for information they need.
Keep Up to Date with SEO Marketing in 2015
As a local business, using conversion-focused PPC ads will help you reach more local customers than ever before. SEO marketing and PPC ads are both sure-fire ways to build an online reputation and get what you want — more consumers for your products. It should be pretty obvious, but you would be surprised at how few companies want to invest anything into quality PPC ads and SEO marketing.
When purchasing PPC ads, it’s important to buy the money keywords like “Hire a New York divorce attorney now” or “Buy sneakers in Dallas.”
Whatever you are spending money on should bring you some kind of return. Whether it is more views to your site, more customers to your store, or higher earnings. If you don’t see the results you want, change tactics. SEO marketing is an ever-changing process, and it is important to find what works best for you in order to get the local attention you need.
Do It Right and Do It Well
These are just a few ways to use search engine marketing for your local business. There are so many potential customers just waiting for you in local search. Be sure to blend your searches using a variety of methods, such as PPC ads and SEO. Don’t forget the old-fashioned way of marketing. Word of mouth, happy clients, and smart business. Above all else, do it right and do it well.
Digital & Social Articles on Business 2 Community(81)
