How to Dominate the Local Market
Having a general SEO strategy and a good website isn’t enough anymore. If you want to see serious ROI on your SEO plan and dominate the local market, you need to make sure that you’re appealing to the local market.
The local market should be your target audience, especially if you’re a small business owner. People have known that local SEO is important for years, but there’s a reason why so many more people are ramping up their local search efforts.
Find out why the local market is important in under a minute
We’re going to do a quick exercise.
Take out your smartphone and do a quick search for the word “plumber” and take a look at the results.
Did you notice that your phone showed you plumbers that are located nearby?
That wasn’t a coincidence, Google prioritizes businesses that are close to users. Even though Google does prioritize local businesses, they won’t highlight any place they find.
Google wants to make sure that they’re giving users the best search results. There are some things you can do that can help make sure that you get shown in search results.
Have a complete Google profile
Take a moment to Google your business. Your website will probably show up, but that isn’t enough.
Look at the additional information Google shows. Are there listed business hours, and are they correct? Are you categorized correctly?
If your search results are lacking, you can fix that. Claim your Google My Business listing and start filling in the gaps. Also make sure to upload some nice pictures.
Make sure your location is correct
While we’re on the topic of Google My Business, we should mention the importance of making sure that your location is accurate.
People rely on Google Maps, but they aren’t perfect. Bots and Google can make mistakes and your location may not be right in their servers. They might have an old location listed, or the marker could be off.
Open Google and try to get directions to your place. Check out street view to make sure that things look right. If you notice an issue report it as an error so Google can fix it ASAP.
Get reviews
When was the last time you took a look at your Yelp page?
If you want to properly target the local market you need to make sure that you’re on their minds. Online reviews are very important to consumers, and many use reviews as a way to gauge if they want to use a business’ goods or services.
Place a few Yelp and Google Business stickers on your front window or door so that customers know that you can be found on both platforms. Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews after a stellar customer interaction.
You should also be responding to reviews regardless of if they’re good or bad. Responding to reviews lets customers know that you’re engaged and take their feedback seriously.
Be social
Social media should be a part of everyone’s marketing strategy, and if you want to rank high in your local market you need to be actively using it.
Don’t just utilize Facebook and Twitter, branch out! Get a FourSquare page or even an Instagram if you have enough visual content to post.
Next steps to dominate the local market
Want to see how you can make your local market rankings even more powerful? Then it’s time to get a digital marketing expert involved – we even offer a special Local Marketing package! Drop us a line so we can talk about the best way to help your business.
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