Optimizing the appropriate marketing strategies is vital to your business’ success. As the digital marketing process develops with time, so does how we do marketing, one of which includes search engine optimization (SEO). It is the way of getting your business to appear on the top and first page of the search results. To better know SEO, it’s vital to learn more about how local search marketing is an integral part of it.

Local Search Marketing and SEO

Primarily, the objective of local search marketing is to uplift your business on the web in any way possible that expects results of having more customers visit your business physically, particularly those nearby customers. Therefore, it mainly applies your geographic location to have your business optimized and rank first on the search page of users. Generally, the search results would first show maps and directions to where your business is.

The Importance

Online branding starts with website design. It is a manageable way of introducing your website in the best possible way on the internet, so compelling web design and overall structure are essential in quickly getting the users’ attention.

Competition between other local businesses is challenging, especially in being on Google’s first page. Local search marketing optimizes your business and emphasizes its uniqueness among other websites by carefully analyzing keywords, creating good quality content to boost its appearance on the web, and many more strategies revolving around web technology.

So how does Local Search Marketing work?

The web can sometimes be pretty complex, especially for business purposes. The competition between other business owners is undeniable and is a slow and thorough process of putting your business in the desired rank.

Thus, to familiarize yourself more with what consists of local search marketing, here are its basics to get you started.

Creating the Right Web Design

The appeal of the business website influences online users if they come by your page. Therefore, you would want them to stick around for a while, and having an attractive and organized web page is a must.

Yet, it is crucial first to identify who your target audience is to do so. Moreover, appropriating graphic design according to your location is also helpful in that it maintains the unity of elements throughout the web page.

Web Development

Web development is practical as it consists of strategies for eCommerce, content management, hosting, and marketing in general. So, to get started, planning is a must by understanding what your goals are for your business and what elements need improvement. Usually, experts apply customized internet applications in line with updated and in-trend web technologies.

One thing to set straight is that the foundation of web development is knowing its target audience and purpose. Once settled, the style, structure, and technology would have a smooth flow in identification.

Maximizing the Use of Reviews

According to Google, the following are the factors affecting the local ranking of a website:

  • Distance
  • Prominence
  • Relevance

Reviews of business services impact users so that it reassures them to doubt trusting such business. Approximately 93% of users depend on reviews before buying a product. So, highlighting positive and enlightening reviews on your web page will make it easier for users to establish their trust.

These figures suggest a high and positive user experience. To get you started managing reviews, here is a list of what you can consider appearing on your website:

  • Click-through rates
  • Statistics of users who comes back to your page again
  • The average time they spent on your page

Besides showcasing reviews, it is also helpful to be constant in responding to feedback from your customers. You value improving your business even more with a direct response from your target audience. It also leads to higher chances of page visibility.

1Faster page, faster response

In the user’s shoes, you wouldn’t want to wait for a page you come across. Local searches are tricky in terms of finding a reliable and close business. Additionally, Google has verified that faster runners have an increased rank.

So, one of the issues that business owners must prioritize in local search marketing is improving page speed to avoid losing a possible customer from too much time waiting for the website to load.

2Have a Google My Business account

Because 86% of users rely on maps when looking for a business, Google My Business lets you efficiently manage your business by optimizing it to attain higher results ranking, especially in local searches. In creating an account, you must often post and gather reviews.

Digital Marketing

For your business to gain customers, it must appear on the user’s search results according to your line of business. Interestingly, Google receives 34,000 search results per second, and bout 97% of them search for local businesses most of the time. The results range from brands, products, and even locations.

Thus, having a tremendous amount of users visiting your website (or site traffic) is one of the primary goals of digital marketing. Furthermore, it indicates the success of your business to be trustworthy to the sea of internet users. Therefore, digital marketing includes creating quality content such as blogs that appear to engage the user.

How Important are Keywords?

Because your business’s reliability depends on the users’ search page and input, keywords are of the utmost importance. Keywords are the words used in digital marketing that internet users may input in the search bar. 

For instance, if users are interested in local search marketing companies in New York, they would type “local search marketing New York.” Thus, you and digital marketing experts would include the specific phrase in improving your web page to appear first when users type the words. Usually, trained individuals would apply search engine optimization methods, email marketing, and tracking & reporting.

Effectively Targeting Keywords

It would be best to keep in mind that implementing keywords must come naturally and not be forced. Like the past example of the keyword “local search marketing New York,” it must fit naturally to your blog to make it a part of content making.

There are various keyword search tools online to help you create a better output of your written content. Most of them show a keyword volume percentage of how frequently you used a word or phrase. It will help you identify what words need more emphasis and less usage.

The Role of Social Media in Local Search Marketing

Social media holds immense power over many things besides information, including marketing. Nowadays, finding shops and products on Facebook or Instagram is more manageable, especially local ones. However, it will be easy for people to come across your business, but you can easily engage with customers through chats.

Although it doesn’t directly affect SEO, it benefits a business in such ways that it:

  • Increased brand awareness
  • Strengthens brand authority
  • Boosts online visibility

You can also challenge your creativity by posting pictures, stories, and videos that will most likely get users’ attention. It is not only limited to social media applications but also the whole web in general.

NAP Consistency

Did you know that 73% of internet users find a business or company less trustworthy if they find inaccurate data on their pages? One of the most critical data that must be prioritized and important is a business’ contact information. Indeed, if you were in the customers’ place, you would opt to look for another brand if their landline or email is either different or old.

The name, address, and phone number, widely known as NAP, are vital in succeeding local search marketing. These are the basic needs of a customer to know and remember your business. Keeping it consistent across your web page makes it more credible and optimized to reach your target customers.

Otherwise, what happens is that you’ll have a difficult time overcoming the competition from other business sites. Because the primary goal of Google is to secure users with relevant information, its algorithms work in such a way that it ranks significant to unimportant information for its users. In addition, the search engine may affiliate it to co-existing sites similar to yours, thus, making it challenging for Google to say if it’s accurate.

 

Meet The Author

MAXBURST, Inc.

We are web designers, developers, project managers, and digital marketing professionals dedicated to creative and results-driven web-based solutions using the latest trends and technologies.