What Is Local Search Marketing and How Do I Set Up My Local Search Marketing Strategy?

October 17, 2021

Local search marketing is how small businesses get found by nearby shoppers searching for products and services in their area. It builds awareness, earns customer loyalty, brings in sales, and delivers a strong return on investment. The tactics below cover community involvement, on-page optimization, relevant links, and complete business listings.

How do small businesses get started in local marketing?

Get active in your community. Participate in local events, teach a class at a local youth or senior center, or host a garage sale to raise money for a non-profit. BrightLocal collects and links information about local businesses and nonprofits, and serves as a useful resource for smart local businesses and non-profits.

How should you optimize your site for local searches?

Optimize your webpages for local searches. In the early days of the Internet, many consumers relied on intuitive software programs that pulled data by browsing search engine results, so small niche businesses with a strong web presence were not well represented in the major search results, and many of those smaller businesses were driven out of business. Today, many consumers use “people” and “place” in their searches, looking for businesses in specific categories and geographies. To reach these local searchers, use SEO tools such as local SEO (search engine optimization), SMO (social media optimization), and local Yahoo & MSN searches.

Once you establish a presence on the Internet, maintain it. Many small business owners do not consider the value of local search marketing until they already face challenges within their service area. Businesses that first establish themselves online often lack the financial means to build a marketing plan that works over the long term. Those who choose to get involved in local marketing should come up with an online strategy and stick with it.

What are the key parts of a local search marketing strategy?

On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization is one of the most important elements of local search marketing. With on-page optimization, a business can build a solid presence on the Internet and make it accessible to consumers. An on-page optimized website may not pull as many visitors as it could without optimization. In the past, on-page optimization meant placing your company logo on your web pages, creating internal pages for consumers to learn more about your company, and building link popularity. Today there are far more ways to optimize a web page for your company. Most consumers skim a web page today, so your on-page optimization has to be top notch in order to catch the attention of consumers and turn them into loyal customers.

Another way to achieve a strong local search marketing strategy is through the look of your website. Make sure that your website looks appealing and attractive to consumers and gets picked up by search engines. If your website looks unprofessional, consumers will not give your site any attention. A professional website that is done well can get picked up by search engines, which then leads consumers to your website. If you want to get ahead of the competition, build a strong presence on the Internet and make sure that you have an easy-to-navigate website that allows consumers to find what they’re looking for.

Links From Relevant Sites

Even though on-page optimization is a critical part of a Local Search Marketing campaign, many businesses often neglect this part of their campaign. You should never neglect an area of your website because that area may contain areas that will actually drive less traffic to your website. Build links to your website from high quality websites that are relevant to the service area that you’re marketing in. For example, if you’re marketing in a service area like pet grooming services, include links to pet grooming websites on websites that are related to pet grooming in your local search marketing strategy.

Business Listings

To be successful with your Local Search Marketing efforts, make sure that your business listing has all of the proper data included so that the search engines can accurately determine how to rank your site. List a physical address as well as the contact information for both your main company and your subcontractor businesses. Along with contact information, also list your hours of operation, whether you work at home or not, as well as the type of business that you operate. For your listing to be considered accurate, include all of these items. If you need additional assistance with your business listings, contact a professional online marketing agency to help you create a Local Search Marketing strategy.

FAQ

What is local search marketing?

Local search marketing is the practice of promoting a business so it shows up when shoppers search for products and services in a specific area. It helps small businesses build awareness, create customer loyalty, generate sales, and earn a strong return on investment.

How do you optimize a website for local search?

Optimize your on-page elements, build links from high-quality sites in your service area, and keep your business listing accurate with a physical address, contact details, hours, and business type. Tools like local SEO, SMO, and local Yahoo & MSN searches can help reach people who search with “people” and “place” terms.

Why are business listings important for local search?

Accurate business listings give search engines the data they need to rank your site correctly. A complete listing should include your physical address, main company and subcontractor contact info, hours of operation, whether you work from home, and the type of business you operate.