In 2020, businesses have had to rethink their marketing strategy as a result of COVID-19 and take their products or services online. Search engines play a vital role in how much traffic is directed to a website. For consumers, search engines are an incredible tool which provides users with the ability to research any chosen topic and obtain valuable information instantly. With the implementation of search engine optimisation, this provides business owners with a great advantage to be able to market their product or service to any desired audience. Local SEO is a more targeted strategy of marketing which greatly benefits small business owners who work within a specific location and have a physical office or shop front. By implementing local SEO, businesses will have increased visibility under local search results and are able to target potential local prospects who may require your products or services. This provides small businesses in particular with an added advantage towards their marketing strategy and will benefit you greatly as we overcome the wrath of COVID-19.
How can local SEO benefit your small business?
Businesses now have the potential to target the entire globe however, depending on where you actually provide majority of your services, this won’t actually be of much use for you. If you own a restaurant or café, in Sydney, it won’t benefit your business greatly if you target search engine users on the other side of the world. Whilst it may be beneficial for brand exposure, in some circumstances local SEO is much more beneficial.
The main objective of search engines is clear; to provide people with what they want and need. So, if you require a service within
a specific location, Google and other search engines will provide you with the top-ranking websites within that location. Search engines rely heavily on local content, social profile pages, backlinks and citations to provide the most useful local results for search engine users. 4 out of 5 consumers use search engines to find local information. If you are not utilising local search, you could be missing out on a massive portion of potential clients or customers.
How can I utilise local SEO for my business?
Content is a major element of local SEO. When you create content, make an effort to frequently include phrases or key words relevant to your area. If you are a landscaper in Melbourne and you wish to target potential clients within your city, you should make an effort to incorporate keywords like ‘Melbourne landscaper’ as frequently as possible throughout the content of your website.
It’s also important to incorporate the below:
- Add location tags and pages to your website
- Optimise your website for mobile
- Ensure your contact details are current and up to date (contact number, email, address etc.)
- Utilise local directories
- Frequently engage with local prospects and other local businesses on social media
- Ensure your website has an optimised URL, meta tags and meta descriptions
- Optimise your website for Google my Business (a local business verification tool)
- Try to obtain as many positive reviews as possible on Google
Almost every industry has had to adapt to the unforeseen events which have taken place in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. Building an online presence has been the key to keeping businesses alive. In order to stay up to date in a highly competitive digital age, you must consider optimising your website for local search. Approximately 46% of online searches have a local intent, which means it’s crucial for you to optimise your website for local SEO to ensure it’s visible for locals within your area of operation. By utilising local SEO, you will notice a significant increase in targeted traffic to your website and prospects who are genuinely interested in your product or service. If you want to see a maximum increase in targeted leads to your website, talk to the team at DGreat Solutions today to find out how we can optimise your website for local SEO.
