Local businesses must maintain an online presence to thrive in today's marketplace.
Yet, some local business owners mistakenly believe that the internet is only helpful in targeting worldwide customers instead of those residing nearby.
With this in mind, below are a few methods for generating local customers via online channels.
#1) Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile offers local business owners an accessible way to manage their online presence.
Notably, when users search for a particular business type, such as "grocery stores," the map pinpoints nearby grocery stores within their area.
Additionally, having a website is optional for Google Maps, which means Google will list your address and phone number as long as Google is aware of your business.
By all means, users frequently view Google Business Profile listings for local businesses, so it's well worth claiming and optimizing your listing.
Considering this, it's also worth noting that less frequently used search engines like Bing and Yahoo have their versions.
Therefore, it is also beneficial to maintain a listing on these platforms.
However, Google is the largest, most important, and most frequently used platform for local searches.
#2) Local SEO
Even though Google Business Profile listings are critical for local businesses, many people continue to use Google.com for their local searches.
Thus, you will also want to create an SEO campaign exclusively targeting area-specific keywords.
For example, if you are a plumber living in Dallas, you would strive to rank #1 for "Dallas TX plumbers."
But you will need links pointing to your website to earn the #1 spot.
And, in general, the more links you have, the better.
With this in mind, it is worth noting that not all links are created equal.
Considering this, there are two types of links: one-way and reciprocal.
Reciprocal links are where you and another website owner agree to link to each other's site.
However, while this tactic was effective in the past, there are better approaches than this one.
Thus, one-way links are preferred because they signal to Google that your site is likely legitimate and high-quality when another website links to it without receiving or expecting anything in return.
Having said that, how do you go about acquiring one-way links?
In reality, the preferred way of acquiring links is via articles, local directories, forums, and blog posts.
Accordingly, focusing exclusively on these sites will help your local business rank for numerous keywords.
#3) PPC Advertising
Pay-per-click advertising allow you to geo-target your campaigns.
Notably, this allows you to specify which locations you want your local business to show up for.
For example, if you wish to geo-target the keyword "used kayaks" exclusively for Maine, your business will only appear when people in Maine search for that term.
On the other hand, your business won't appear if somebody from California types in the same keyword.
In other words, even though the search query doesn't include "Maine" in the keyword, you will still only appear when local people search for it.
In Conclusion
In the final analysis, the critical thing to remember is that proper utilization of online platforms and resources could generate substantial revenue for your local business.
Hopefully, the three tips listed above will help you get started.
Hope this helps,
Erik
We implement creative, results-based digital and hybrid marketing strategies for local business clients.
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