Attracting new clients can be a challenge for any local business. While many consumers use the Internet to search for products and services, making your company stand out amongst all the other websites in your industry can be a daunting task. Fortunately, a few smart strategies will improve your local SEO (search engine optimization), making you an easy-to-find resource for local customers.
Put it out there
It’s up to you to stake your territory online. Wherever possible, claim your company’s listing and keep it updated with accurate information. Make it easy for searchers and search engine indexers to find you with a current and accurate listing of your hours and services. You can also provide pictures and your logo, respond to local reviews, and add service categories to listings in online directories such as Yelp, Bing, and Refer Local. Travel sites like Trip Adviser are great places to be found by new residents, tourists, and other potential clients.
Make social connections
Find out which social media platforms your customers use and build a presence there, whether that’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. The key is to interact with your local followers, not just post one-directional announcements (it is called social media, after all). Connect with local events and happenings, comment on other local pages, and offer exclusive discounts to your followers. High levels of engagement—such as likes, comments, and shares—on your pages will boost your results in search engine rankings.
Optimize your website for local
Consider building a landing page designed specifically for your local market. The content there should be SEO-optimized with keywords describing your location in addition to your services. Make sure your meta tags, title tags, and headings include references to your location, too. Remember that there are different ways of referencing your community: city, county, metro area, etc. What terms are your clients likely to type into a search box?
Provide value to local customers
The days of keyword stuffing are gone, so in addition to the metadata you need to provide useful, sharable content on your web pages. Keep a conversational tone, but demonstrate that you’re an authority. Content that genuinely meets people’s needs and provides value to them is eminently sharable, and every link to your website’s content is a boon to your SEO.
We are continually flooded by new information on the Internet, so making sure your local customers can easily find you online is important to any small- or medium-sized business. With strong online listings, genuine social connections, and a local-friendly website, you’ll be well on your way to a web presence that is optimized for search engines. If you need help improving your local search results, contact Evolved Office today!