With the advent of technology, the traditional way of marketing is gradually diminishing. This reality is not only applicable to large firms, but it is even real to small enterprises. Today, many small businesses are engaging in local SEO to promote their products and reach out to their target customers.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a method of utilizing the Internet, (specifically the search engines like Google) in promoting a certain brand or product. Moreover, the SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an efficient system of reaching out your target customers. In the same manner, any people who are looking for your business will be able to find you quickly.
Local SEO is an effective way of marketing. It removes the arduous ordeal of using leaflets or putting ads on newspapers or magazines. For the recent decade, the growth of internet usage has been drastic. From a mere 394 million users on 2000, this number expanded to around 3 billion already.
These figures prove that people nowadays are now relying on the internet to gather information about current events and any point of interest.
For any business owner, these changes are a wake-up call to put behind the traditional ways of marketing. The art of SEO is the thing today. And as long as there is internet, SEO will remain. In fact, it is expected to grow and advance in the years to come.
Where to conduct Local SEO?
SEO does not only work in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. For local business, you can reach out to your customers by targeting online business directories. These lists are virtually accessible to anyone. You can put the name of your company, contact, address, and any related information.
Here are some of the online directories that your business should be found in:
- Yelp
- Better Business Bureau
- Angie’s List
- Merchant Circle
- Whitepages
- Superpages
- Yellowbook
- City Search
- MapQuest
- Local
- Foursquare
- BizJournal
Aside from these directories, part of your local SEO strategy is to create influence over social media platforms. You could easily promulgate your business if you have the means to get in touch with your customers on a personal level or approach.
In these scenarios, social media sites are the most useful tools. Most of us today have accounts to the different social media platform. Facebook alone has 1.5 billion active users while Tumblr and Instagram have 555 million and 400 million, respectively.
If you have a creative way of doing local SEO to these social media networks, then people can certainly know and avail your business.
Why Should Business Do Local SEO?
There are a lot of reasons why local SEO is already a necessity for businesses. It doesn’t matter anymore if you are just starting or you are already an established industry. The point here is that SEO can help in promoting and preserving your business
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Online directories have high conversion rates
It was found out that using local online directories can convert more customers than the traditional way of advertising. Some directories can even guarantee you of up to 50% customer conversion. This means that in every ten people, five of them can turn into your actual clients.
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People are going mobile
The Internet is not just for the computer alone. These days, portable devices are more convenient to use. People today are heavily dependent on mobile phones and tablets to access the internet. Of course, downloading apps to find any local businesses are a thing today. The good thing is, local SEO can cover both PC and mobile users. Hence, getting potential customers is a convenience.
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Local SEO wastes no money
Doing local SEO requires you to invest on it. That is a reality. However, unlike traditional marketing, SEO enables you to reach directly to your customers. Paying for an advertising space in a local newspaper may give you less return compared on executing an online ad campaign.
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Only few business are using SEO
SEO has yet to be saturated. Many are still foreign about the concept. For some, they talk too much about SEO, but they don’t know how it works. SEO is not just about ranking in search engines, but SEO is an art of engaging with your people in a way they will become your customers.
Take this as an example: Only 10% of businesses have enlisted their places in Google Places local listings. You can benefit from this situation to get ahead!
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Newspaper readership is down
Some figures suggest that local newspapers lost around 80% of their audience for the past two decades. This phenomenon is because information is more vast and available on the internet rather than on these paper mediums. Moreover, local SEO will boost your opportunity to become a future headline online!
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