One of the ways to boost your local brand is to be seen online. With your business website, you can reach your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also optimize your website to increase the number of new leads. Your potential clients can visit your website to find out more about your company. Your website is an extension of your local business. Find SEO Strategies to use it to engage potential and current customers, make them come in, and take a closer look at your firm.
4 Effective Ways to Engage Your Local Customers
If you already have a website, then you’re ready to start engaging your customers. It’s a matter of using your website and transforming it, so you can better reach your target market.
Here we have four of the best SEO strategies for local businesses. These techniques will help you rank higher so your customers can easily find your business online.
Update Your Google Business Profile
The first step towards getting noticed and being seen online is to create a Google Business Profile. Formerly known as Google My Business, the GBP helps connect your business with your customers by using updated business information. With GBP, your customers can find you on Search and also on Google Maps.
Already have your Google Business Profile set up? Update your GBP listing whenever possible and regularly make sure your profile is accurate and correct. A GBP listing includes your business name, address, phone number, website, photos, ratings, reviews, hours of operation, and a business description. Update the following fields using these SEO tips.
- Prepare a good business description. This field is just 750 characters long so make the most of it. Use your main keywords in your description.
- Add good-quality photos of your business. Use original photos of your products, services, location area, your crew, and menu if you’re a restaurant or dining establishment.
- Make sure your business contact information is correct and is the same for all your access points (business website, blog site, ecommerce site, social media sites, etc.).
- Include holiday hours, even if they are the same as your other hours, but especially if they are different from your standard hours of operation.
- Create a FAQ page so your customers can find quick answers to their questions about your business.
- Ask customers for more reviews. We discuss this later in this post.
Plan Your Keywords and Practice Right Keyword Positioning
Google has repeatedly mentioned that keywords don’t matter when it comes to ranking websites. However, using the right keywords and key phrases help customers find you online.
A traditional search starts with a Google search page. A potential customer uses words or phrases to search for a specific product, service, or business online. This organic way of searching for a business is the result of using the right keywords, words, and phrases that are relevant to your business, industry, or your brand.
Keyword research will reveal the best keywords and keyword phrases for your business. By using the Google Ads Keyword Planner tool, you can get your business closer to the right customers and optimize your website. This tool helps you discover new key phrases, conduct research on keywords, and bid on high-ranking keywords. Rank keywords so you can efficiently use these in your content. You can have the main keyword, secondary keyword, industry-specific keywords, etc.
After learning the right keywords, correct positioning helps further optimize your website. Correct keyword positioning also prevents keyword stuffing which Google bans. Proper keyword placement ensures that your content is readable and does not negatively affect the customer experience.
For good measure, place your main keyword in your page title and page URL. The main keyword should be in the introduction and final words. Secondary keywords should be in the body of the content. It’s also best practice to use your keywords in your image descriptions, infographics, video descriptions, and other relevant site content.
Join Local Business Directories
Another way to rank higher online and take your business closer to your target market is by posting it in local business directories, says Digital Authority Partners. People likely use directories related to your business or industry when looking for products or services. This is because they know and trust these online directories to deliver reliable information.
Your business should be listed in industry-specific directories as well as national and international directories. If you have a local restaurant, directory sites specific to your industry are Foursquare, Yelp, OpenTable, and Allmenus. Your local restaurant should also be in national directory sites such as the Yellow Pages, Bing Places, and HotFrog.
If you have a business that offers services, such as a dental office or a law office, placing your business in both a national directory like the Yellow Pages and in local directory sites will suffice. And just like your GBP, frequently update your directory listings and make sure your information in all your online touchpoints matches.
Ask Your Customers to Review and Rate Your Business
Good customer reviews are valuable because these are signs that customers appreciate your products or services. Reviews improve your online reputation and promote your business.
The key to getting good reviews is to constantly better your brand and your business practices. After a purchase or service, ask customers to leave a review of their experiences with your brand. You may send your customers an email or text message to ask them how they find your business and if they are willing to give you a review.
Offering incentives can help encourage your customers to leave a review. You can offer discounts, special items, or offers in return. But what to do with negative customer reviews? Use this chance to better your business. Resolve any issues and answer any questions. You may insert special offers and discounts to keep a customer or a longtime client.
Final Words
These four SEO strategies to engage your business with your local market will greatly improve your brand and take you closer to your target market. SEO optimizes your site for easy indexing. Alongside great local SEO strategies, eye-catching content and an updated Google Business Profile are essential if you want to rank higher than your competition.
