Chris Young
Search engines have become a staple of modern-day life for both individuals and businesses. For people looking to solve problems, search engines have an uncanny ability to produce answers or at least help you find the people who can provide answers. For businesses, this function helps people find and get in touch with you whenever they’re having a problem and need a specific solution.
By leveraging effective local SEM tactics, businesses can significantly enhance their online visibility, drive increased traffic to their physical locations, and ultimately see a boost in sales. Whether you're a small neighborhood cafe or a large retail store, optimizing your presence in local search results can make a world of difference. Here, we delve into ten essential tactics that can elevate your local SEM strategy, and help you connect with more potential customers right in your community.
To attract local customers, it's crucial to research and select local keywords that your potential customers use to find businesses like yours. Start by using tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify relevant local keywords with high search volume and low competition. After you identify these keywords, integrate them naturally into your website content, such as blog posts, product descriptions, and service pages.
It’s also good practice to include them in meta descriptions, headers, and image alt text to improve your local SEO. By optimizing for local keywords, you enhance your visibility in local search results, making it easier for nearby customers to find and choose your business. This strategic approach can significantly boost your local search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site and physical location.
Optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing is another great way to improve your local search visibility. Begin by setting up and verifying your GMB listing which is a fairly quick process but may require some verification. Make sure that all of the information on the profile is accurate and complete, including your business name, address, phone number, and operating hours. This accuracy helps customers find you easily and builds trust.
GBP also has many features that you can leverage to engage with customers and boost your local search rankings. Regularly posting updates about your business, such as promotions, events, and news will keep your audience informed and engaged. We also recommend using high-quality photos of your products, services, and premises to give potential customers a visual sense of your business. The Q&A feature is also a great area to address common questions and objections. Beyond proactively addressing customer concerns, promptly responding to customer reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value feedback and are committed to excellent service. By fully utilizing GBP, you can enhance your local online presence and attract more local customers.
Building local citations is a low-hanging fruit that has an inordinate impact on SEO and organic visibility. To build local citations, start by creating profiles on popular local directories such as Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, and Facebook. Additionally, seek out industry-specific platforms relevant to your business. For example, restaurants can benefit from listings on TripAdvisor and OpenTable, while service-based businesses might consider platforms like Angie's List and HomeAdvisor.
When you’re building your citations, make sure you include the minimum amount of information (NAP)--Name, Address, and Phone Number–across all platforms. Inconsistent NAP details can confuse search engines and customers, leading to lower search rankings and missed opportunities. The great thing about building local listings is that it is very easy to do (can often be done in less than a full workday) and will give your local SEO a significant boost.
Encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews is vital for building a strong online reputation. In fact, the so-called “word of mouth” marketing is the best kind of marketing that companies can hope to have. The problem often comes in terms of scalability which can be partially addressed by online reviews and other social proof. Positive reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook can significantly boost your credibility and attract more local customers. To encourage reviews, simply ask happy customers directly or include a request in follow-up emails and receipts. Make it easy for them by providing direct links to your review pages.
Equally important is managing your reviews. Responding to positive reviews shows appreciation and reinforces good customer relationships. When addressing negative reviews, remain professional and courteous, acknowledging any issues and offering solutions. This demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and can turn a negative experience into a positive one.
Creating localized content offers numerous benefits for improving local search visibility and engaging your community. Focus your blog posts and articles on local events, news, and topics of interest to your area. This not only helps attract local readers but also establishes your business as a valuable community resource. Additionally, creating localized landing pages for different locations or service areas can significantly enhance your local SEO. Each page should include relevant local keywords and provide specific information about your services in that area. Highlight local testimonials, case studies, and partnerships to further personalize these pages.
Around 60% of all searches occur on a mobile device so having a mobile-friendly website is crucial. Ensuring that your site is optimized for mobile users can greatly enhance user experience and improve your local search rankings. Many websites now come with automatic responsive designs and plugins that can quickly and easily convert your desktop webpage into a mobile or tablet page, making the transition easy.
Once your website is responsive, prioritize fast loading times; mobile users often abandon sites that take too long to load. Navigation on mobile devices also must be easier than on a desktop since everything is more compact. Make navigation easy with clear menus, prominent call-to-action buttons, and concise content. Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly not only helps retain visitors but also boosts your visibility in local search results, driving more traffic and potential customers to your business.
Leveraging social media for local engagement can be a great way to connect with your community. One thing to keep in mind is that each social media platform is like a tool–one is a screwdriver, one is a hammer, and one is an angle grinder. Make sure to apply the right strategy with the correct platform.
To begin, start by selecting social media platforms that are popular among your local audience, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.. Facebook generally reaches an older audience and is a good place to release announcements. Instagram reaches a younger audience and is a great place to share visually stimulating photos that entice people to come to your business. Twitter (X) acts as a public forum and can be a great place to share new ideas, new projects, and connect with other businesses in your community.
Companies generally get high engagement rates with behind-the-scenes content, customer and employee stories, thought-provoking written pieces, and beautiful pictures. All of these and more can be used in conjunction to create a highly engaging social media environment.
Building local backlinks is a powerful strategy for enhancing your local search rankings and works together with other SEO-based tactics like #1, #3 #5, and #6. Local backlinks from reputable websites signal to search engines that your business is a trusted part of the local community. Start by identifying local link-building opportunities. Sponsorships, partnerships, and features in local news outlets are excellent sources of high-quality backlinks. Consider sponsoring local events, charities, or sports teams to get your business mentioned on their websites. You can also reach out to local organizations and influencers to create mutually beneficial relationships that make everyone grow.
Running local pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns is one of the most effective search engine marketing strategies regardless of whether a business is local or location-independent. In fact, PPC has an average 2:1 ROI, meaning that for every $1 spent on PPC ads, another $2 in revenue can be generated.
While Google is the big fish in a little pond when it comes to running PPC, there are other options as well such as Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines. Start by creating a new campaign that aligns with your goals, such as search network ads for text ads or display network ads for banner ads. Since these are local ads, make sure to use location targeting so your ads are shown to users in your specific geographic area, whether by city, region or a custom radius around your business.
Local PPC campaigns have many of the same best practices as other non-local campaigns. Be sure to optimize your ad copy by including local keywords and highlighting your unique selling points. We also recommend regularly monitoring the performance of your local PPC campaigns to make sure that they’re ROI-positive investments.
Search engine marketing can be one of the best investments for a locally-operating company. When done correctly, these tactics can create a hyper-localized feel that builds and nurtures connections with people living in your local area. However, running PPC ads and executing local SEO correctly can be challenging and often leaves people with the question of where to start. The best way to create a local SEM campaign is by partnering with an experienced agency like Be More Digital.
Get in touch with the expert team at Be More Digital for a local marketing proposal or let us know if you simply have a question about the right strategy for your company. You can also view our case studies here to see our success stories with current and former clients. Our Customer Experience team is standing by waiting to hear from you!
.png)
