I remember talking to one of my clients Tom a few weeks back (gonna do him a favor and not say his surname so you don’t all try and add him on Facebook 😛 ) and he was frustrated, to say the least. You see… everything was pointing to him having a healthy thriving business… but only on paper. Because despite having a huge email list and Facebook following, he just wasn’t making the sales that his business deserved to be making.
The conversation went something like this:
Client: I’m very confused. I’ve been working very hard to ensure I have a great online presence. My email list topples over 2,000 people, my Facebook has over a thousand likes from all over the country, and my Twitter and Pinterest are very active too!
I get retweets from people in Melbourne and Sydney, among others. So what seems to be the problem?
Why is my online presence not converting to sales? What am I doing wrong?
Me: The problem is… you’re looking in all the wrong places when the answer is right in front of you.
Not EVERY Business Is a National One! But That’s Not a Bad Thing.
My client’s problem dawned on me very quickly the minute he said “a thousand likes from all over the country” and “I get retweets from Melbourne and Sydney”. He runs are organic food delivery service in a suburb just outside of Brisbane!!! Of course he’s not making the sales.
Yes, having a strong and wide online presence is vital for all businesses. BUT, we must not forget the power of local marketing. Especially if you are a small local company who specialise in supplying a service to your local area.
The local community; the people who surround our business, have the power to be the most loyal customers and endorsers our company could ever have.
This is Where Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Can Boost YOUR Local Business
Local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is important for businesses where most of the leads and sales are to be found in the local community. This is especially true for small ones businesses who need to find every nook, cranny, niche and advantage over their bigger competitors.
If you spread your marketing too far, you may ultimately focus on too many customers who may not even want, or can’t, use your services.
The loyalty that you will gain from you people whom you can deal with face to face is ultimately better than those who will like or share your Facebook posts in other states or countries.
I mean… I don’t know about you… but I’d rather have 1,000 Facebook followers who are around the corner from my office than 10,000 from the US, the UK and Timbucktoo! Because you’re more likely to convert that lead to sale if they live around the corner.
So Are You In? GOOD! How do we strengthen our site for local marketing?
Local SEO has become a must-have marketing strategy today. It’s important because it targets the audience based on their current location.
With the advancement of technology, people now use their smartphones and tablets to search for the nearest business whilst on the go – may it be coffee shops, cinemas, parlors, restaurants, etc.
Here are some of the things you can do to improve your local SEO:
- Ensure you mention the local / address of your business on your site. The best practice would be to include a Google Map so your customers will know where you are exactly.
- Ensure you have a sitemap sorted. I know what you’re thinking… what is a site map?! A site map is a list of pages of a web site accessible your users so navigating your site is easier. If you have a Web123 site, it’s done automatically for you, but I’ve got a guide here in Section 27 of this blog to help you set one up.
- Ensure URL structures are relevant and include relevant keywords. For example If you’re posting about a promotional offer in a specific area, make sure you add your city name in the URL. Such as www.webaddress.com.au/discount-shoes-wagga-wagga
Get Seen On Google QUICKER By Registering Your Business on ‘Google My Business’.
If you’ve come looking for Google My Business help you’ve come to the right place!
Google My Business is a FREE tool introduced by the social media giant to help small business owners be more “searchable” online. In Google’s own words, they explain that “Google My Business complements your existing website by giving your business a public identity and presence on Google”.
Thanks, Google! I couldn’t of said it better myself. Google My Business helps by….
- Ensuring you appear on Google Map Searches (BIG Advantage).
- Helping you set up a Google + Page (Has over 540 MILLION users… so worth setting up).
- Improve your exposure on local Google Search Results.
Now that’s a pretty powerful tool! And one that you don’t want to overlook (but many unfortunately do).
Small businesses are able to include important information like exact address, services, and time of service, among others to the tool so these will show up whenever someone searches for them online.
Looking for Google My Business help? Follow the step-by-step guide here!
Step 1: Go to www.Google.com.au/business
Step 2: Click the “Get on Google” button
Step 3: Find your business by typing in your business name in the search box provided. If your business shows in the results, click that and proceed to the next step.
You will then see different results from your search. Choose your business and verify your address.
If your business isn’t found in the listing, you may manually add it by scrolling down until you see the “add your business” link.
You will then have to fill up a form and cite all your business information. Then, click continue.
Step 4: This information will be verified by Google by sending a code to the business address you provided. You will also receive a phone call at the number you indicated. The listing will not show until this code is confirmed.
Step 5: Wait for the verification code and confirm/verify the listing.
Remember… your local community are often the most profitable. So start attracting them today!
It’s no longer just about the number of likes or followers you get on your social media account, it’s about being able to be found by customers and giving them an A+ experience with your business. This is why you local SEO should also be a priority!
If you’re want to to improve your local visibility online, we can help you!
> We have a local SEO package which is EXCLUSIVE to ALL Web123 clients.
With this package, we’ll help you to appear in all the key local directories, appear in search results for Google, Yahoo and Bing, be featured on Google’s powerful “Google Map” program, and earn more local customers to ensure increased sales and profitability.
You can’t say fairer than that can you? In other words, we’ll help increase your local search enquiries, leads and sales and you don’t even have to lift a finger!
Learn more about our all inclusive Local SEO Package right here!
Do you know understand the importance of Local SEO? Are you interested in kick-starting your local marketing campaigns? Do you want to gain LOYAL LOCAL customers? Let us know by leaving your comments below!