Marketing is a very broad term that branches off into multiple different physical and digital trails. Word of mouth and brochures on local notice boards have certainly had their day when it comes to local marketing, however, consumer behaviour has evolved to reach a point where patience is limited, and access to information needs to be at our fingertips at all times. With this comes the credibility of information, which is another can of worms used in the business selection process that really comes down to one thing: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
When we discuss local marketing, we’re referring to increasing your online visibility and helping your business appear in top search results when customers are looking for the products or services offered in your area. For example, if someone has a plumbing issue they don’t need the details of the plumber 3 hours away—they want to be able to conduct a quick Google search and find which reliable operator is sitting on their doorstep.
Investing a bit of time and money into local SEO can also be hugely beneficial to you as a business owner, because you’re targeting the right audience. You’re reaching potential customers who are geographically close to your business, saving you from weeding out unattainable enquiries.
So now you have an understanding of what it’s all about, how can it be done?
Here’s a few pointers from our team:
Local keyword research. By engaging a professional to analyse search engine data, you’ll be able to narrow down specific search terms that local consumers are regularly using to find your product or service. There are a number of different things you can do with this information, such as creating articles or building SEO pages that specifically target these search terms while providing prospective customers with relevant information,
Encourage your customers to leave reviews, and engage with them online. Reviews are priceless! They can often be the dealbreaker when people are comparing businesses, but they also have an influence on your overarching SEO performance. It can be as simple as setting up an automated ‘thank you’ via email with a link to your Google My Business profile.
On that note—update and maintain your Google My Business profile, tailoring the information to your local audience. Ensure you fill out all the information possible and adjust your business address to the area you operate in, even if you don’t have a physical brick and mortar store.
Tweak your on-page SEO using information from your local keyword research. This could mean altering headings, incorporating different search terms, creating new/relevant content or using more local imagery on your website.
Establish backlinks on local directories. Not only does this redirect locals to your website from other platforms, but it also has a huge impact on the performance of your SEO results. The more backlinks you have, the more credibility points Google will reward you with.
We hope you’ve learned a little more about why local digital marketing is so important! Reach out to our team for more educated guidance on this topic today.
