Many small business owners are dealing with the following situation; they have a valuable product or service, they have a good website, they try various SEO techniques, and yet the number of customers visiting their physical location is limited. As a result, they lose their trust in digital marketing solutions as they see their efforts falling apart. What is the reason for all this? If you too are dealing with similar issues, the cause may be a poor or inexistent local SEO strategy. You should analyse this possibility very carefully if you rely on local customers for your business.
There are two types of search engine optimisation, global and local. Global is when you target a global audience, and local is promoting your products and services to customers in your geographical area, at the exact time they are looking for a local business.
Local SEO uses a variety of strategies, getting your site ranked on search engines like Google and on business directories (such as Yelp, Superpages, Foursquare, Yellowbook, Google My Business listing, Bing Places for a Business page), localised content on your website, online reviews and others. Not sure you really need it? Check the following statistics:
- 46% of all searches on Google are local
- 76% of local searches result in a phone call
- 86% lookup the location of a business on Google Maps
A comprehensive local SEO strategy will allow you to focus on your target market where there is less competition, increase your website ranking and boost your conversions. Here are the main benefits of optimising your website for local search:
Access to a large audience
Local customers are turning to the internet to find local businesses on desktops AND mobile devices. They won’t look up Yellow Pages anymore but they will take out their smartphones and expect to have the information immediately.
Precise targeting
Why spend your money on people who will never step into your office because they don’t live in your area? It’s absurd. On the other hand, local search marketing is highly targeted and timely and enables you to provide your potential customers with information exactly when they need it.
Great return on investment
Digital marketing techniques are known for their excellent return on investment, but you still have to select the right methods for your business. If you provide products and services to local audiences, optimising your website for these prospects will bring you amazing benefits with little effort on your part.
High conversion levels
From opening your emails to making a purchase from your business, conversion or getting someone to respond to your call-to-action reaches higher levels when you implement local SEO techniques. Oftentimes, people who reach your business online were already looking for the type of service you provide, and it is easier to convert these prospects than to push promotional messages at people who were not interested in the first place.
Being ahead of your competition
Only 44% of businesses have claimed their Google My Business local listing – less competition for you means higher chances of being spotted by potential clients.
Getting customers to trust you
Consumers trust online business reviews more than your promotional messages. Online reviews are the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth, one of the most powerful marketing strategies, and a strong local SEO strategy will provide satisfied customers with the possibility to leave a review. When someone runs across your business online and sees a large number of positive reviews, they are more likely to convert and become your customers.
Do you need help with your local SEO strategy? VMA can assist you by implementing the most effective search engine optimisation strategies for your business, so you conquer and dominate the local market!
