Every time I speak about Local Search Engine Optimization (Aka Local Internet Marketing) I am being asked if this is something businesses even need.
This is a valid question.
These days, because of the economies of scale the Internet offers, most businesses no longer sell just in their marketplace, but all across the country (or even the world. Additionally, with so much activity on Social Media, producing blog content, video content, etc., is it really worth it to focus your already short amount of available time on yet another marketing initiative?
The truth is, local Internet marketing is one of the most important projects you can undertake. Today I want to share 3 benefits local Internet marketing will give your business.
What is local Internet marketing?
Up until a few years ago, if you simply a type of company (e.g. Furniture Store) into Google’s search bar, you’d get results from all over the country. It didn’t matter if you were located in Palo Alto, CA or Manhattan, NY, you’d get the same top 10 results no matter what.
Fortunately, Google has made some major changes since that time, and now, search results are heavily influenced by the geographic location of the searcher. The search engines of today not only return search results to people based on the search terms they used but also geographically specific search results. So let’s say you a salon based in Mountain View, CA. If you have a solid strategy of regularly about your services, beauty and fashion trends in your local area, and anything else of interest to your ideal clients that is going on in the area, you will turn up in the top of these search results. These articles, crafted correctly, will no doubt contain keywords that your ideal clients would naturally be typing into their web searches, giving you top search engine placement.
81% Of Consumers Start Their Search Online BEFORE They Purchase
That number sounds high, right?
Believe it or not, it is actually way higher. In 2014, AdWeek created an infographic article that detailed how 81% of consumers perform online research before they buy. In the past five years, this number is all but certain to have increased as we have become a primarily online society.
Based on this single fact alone, it is easy to see why Local Search Marketing is so critical to the success of your Business. When they go to the Internet, consumers use what are referred to as long-tail keyword searches to find what they want. What that means is they don’t type in something general, such as “golf clubs”. That search would most likely return many results the searcher would not be interested in. Instead of doing this, the searcher would type in something more specific, such as “Callaway Golf Clubs Sunnyvale, CA”.
Client Reviews Increase Your Local Online Visibility
One thing that a business can never get enough of are client reviews. Social proof reviews give are always a great way to attract business. Even more, though, these reviews will also have a positive impact on your local search ranking and therefore the growth of your business.
According to MOZ’s Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, online reviews make up 10% of how Google and other search engines decide to rank search results. What this means is the more reviews and positive ratings your clients and past clients give you, the better your local search rankings will appear in web searches.
Consumers Want To Do Business With An Expert
One of the greatest side effects of having a strong local Internet marketing and SEO strategy is the fact that all this great content you are producing will not only help you in these searches but also establish you as an area expert. The more links that turn up in searches that consumers can click on, the more they will learn from you. The more you teach them, the more you are going to be considered the expert in your industry.
Because of companies like Amazon, and just the sheer size of the Internet in general, attracting attention from your ideal customers is more difficult than ever. With so much on the line, why would a potential customer want to work with anyone other than the company in their area that they feel is the market leader or expert?
You need to hedge your bet and make a big play on local Internet Marketing to build your business.
NOTE: We’ve got a great checklist you can use to optimize your Google My Business Profile and get a great start on your Local SEO. To get this FREE checklist, simply CLICK HERE.