Local search marketing puts your small business in front of nearby customers when they search for a local company like yours. The main reason to use it: campaigns have proven to increase company sales by 20%.
Many small businesses already invest in SEO and other digital marketing strategies to get noticed online. Local search marketing is one of those strategies, and it works alongside the rest by focusing on customers in your specific area, which is often a strong fit for small and medium sized businesses.
What makes local search marketing different?
Local search marketing lets you target consumers in your local area rather than a broad national audience. You can run pay per click or pay per impression campaigns to deliver a specific message to people in your local market. These campaigns can run through your company website, social media pages, and other channels, which gives you a more targeted approach and helps drive more traffic to your site.
How do local customers actually find you?
When you search for products or services in your city or town, you usually turn to Google or another search engine. Many of those searches never surface a local business on the first page of results, which means those local businesses are not reaching their potential. For example, a restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri that wants to expand into St. Louis could search Google or Yelp for “restaurant in Kansas City, MO” or “restaurant in St. Louis, MO.” With a Facebook page or a Yelp account, that restaurant can create a local listing, post status updates, and collect notes from other users on what they like and do not like, which lets searchers reach the business through those pages.
What are the key ranking factors for local listings?
Important ranking factors for optimizing a Facebook page include privacy and security, accessibility, recommendations, entertainment, and demographics. Privacy matters because users want to control what information is shared, and security matters because you do not want your information ending up on a spam blacklist, which can get your website banned. Demographics also matter because the makeup of your customer base provides valuable targeting data.
How do you optimize for local search?
To get real results, you need to reach the consumers most likely to buy. If you run an ecommerce site or online store, pay attention to how Google surfaces local search results for buyers. When consumers type phrases like “electronics” or “planners,” they are more likely to land on a site with useful content, so build your online presence with SEO aimed at ranking high in organic results. Make the site easy to navigate with enough white space to give visitors clear options. A local search marketing program that fits your business will deliver strong results.
What stops most local businesses from getting started?
Many local business owners do not know how to begin optimizing their online marketing sites, and some do not know it is possible at all. When owners skip that step, their online marketing campaigns can be ineffective and may cost the business money instead of bringing in customers. Learning the factors that make a Local Search Marketing program work is the path to running one successfully.
FAQ
What is local search marketing?
Local search marketing is placing your small business in online local searches so potential customers find a local company like yours when they are looking for one.
How much can local search marketing increase sales?
Using local search marketing has proven to increase company sales by 20%.
Where can local search marketing campaigns appear?
Campaigns can run through your company website, social media networking pages, and other channels, including Facebook pages and Yelp accounts that list your business for local searchers.
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- How Local Search Engine Optimization Can Increase Your Visibility and Generate More Leads
- Local SEO Marketing