Businesses can have different marketing strategies. There is no point in simply copying what your competitors are trying to do to promote their offers. Remember that each business has its own purpose, target audience they would like to cater to, and goals to achieve.
Local Search Engine Optimization or Local SEO allows businesses to boost their online visibility. Brands would work with the best local SEO experts to become more visible online. The better your brand ranks in local searches in search engines, the higher your chances of gaining the attention of your target audience.
But the question is, what are the dos and don’ts when it comes to boosting local business visibility? Here are four best practices every business can consider.
Claim Your Brand Online
Chances are that your business could already be found on the Internet. Consumers find local brands that can offer the products and services they need. Simply having a website and social media following will not guarantee that local consumers would choose your business over the others.
As consumers become pickier when it comes to where they take their business, they want to make sure your brand is legit and trustworthy. One thing that can help you gain their trust is by claiming your brand listings online. Here’s why.
- Claiming your business listings helps provide access to accurate business information to your target audience
- This helps create better opportunities for user engagement
- It serves as additional marketing at no costs
- Your local audience will find it easy to be more aware of what your brand is all about and what you have to offer.
Don’t Take Website and Mobile Optimization for Granted
Virtually all brands these days have their own business website. Aside from creating a professional website that your customers can explore, you want to make sure it is optimized for both mobile users and search engines. This will make it easier for online consumers to find your website and access the site regardless of their current electronics.
Not all online consumers would hop in their computers just to find your brand and see what your products and services are. Most of them are on their smartphones and tablets. Failure to mobile-optimize your website can quickly turn customers off.
Make sure your website is easy on the eyes, easy to navigate, responsive, and mobile-friendly. This makes it easier for your audience to find what they are looking for. Don’t forget that mobile-friendliness helps improve your ranking factor in search engines, making your business more visible online.
Invest in Local SEO and Social Media Marketing
Many businesses try to optimize their business for the wrong audience. If you are a local brand catering to local consumers only, you want this specific audience to find your business easily. You are only wasting precious resources if you target everyone on the Internet who may not require your offers.
You want your website to be optimized for both local searches and social media. This is since many consumers would visit a company’s website and social media pages to learn more about the brand. With local SEO and regular posts on your social media pages, you can gain better visibility locally.
The higher your ranking is on search engines and the more engagements you have on social media, the more your online visibility grows. There is a need to be consistent, or else you could easily lose visibility. Include a call to action in everything you post and invest in effective content strategies to engage local audiences online continuously.
Collect and Manage Your Customer Reviews and Feedback
Online reviews help consumers learn more about your business. This can either help you boost your revenue or ruin your brand’s reputation. Managing online reviews is just as important as collecting customer feedback online.
It is not enough that you are always asking customers to leave reviews. You also want to make sure that you accept constructive criticism and use this to improve your business. This is since statistics show that online reviews can help you influence the purchase decision of local consumers.
So be sure to brush up on your customer service. Be diligent when responding to consumer complaints and show online users that you are doing everything you can to resolve issues. Continuously improve your business, and you can gain more positive reviews and clients in the future.
Not all brands cater internationally. Some are focusing on their local clients and nearby consumers. One thing that can help your business achieve better local visibility is by using this list as your guide.
