If you run any kind of business in America, there is a high probability that at some point some kind of marketing company has contacted you. Similarly, you have probably gotten the “Why you need SEO” spiel many times. Let’s not forget PPC and AdWords!
It seems like there are more and more ways to put your business in the online world – so much so, that it’s becoming difficult to realize what actually works and what doesn’t work.
There are two methods of online marketing that have worked for the last ten or so years.
- Organic marketing
- PPC (Pay Per Click)
However, there is a third form of online marketing that is slowly starting to become a prominent business-driver. That’s right – local marketing.
What is Local Marketing?
Local marketing has many parts to it, but essentially it is the components of your online marketing that strictly deal with your location. Things like directory listings, certain social media profiles, local keyword research, and local PR are all things that fall under this category.
Why is it so important? Simply put, if someone is searching for something on their phone, the local carousel is going to appear 99% of the time. If your business isn’t on this local carousal, you are missing out on a great conversion opportunity.
We have been seeing a trend with local search; people aren’t going to websites on their phones when they can just contact the business right from Google. Why would they? Google has made it easier for the user to contact any business they are looking for based on their location and query. So, as a local business, why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of that?
Important aspects of local search
As mentioned earlier, there are many aspects of local search. For example, one of the main aspects is how many directory sites your business is listed on. Sites like Yelp, Google+, and Foursquare are all great examples of sites that were made with local search in mind.
It isn’t good enough to just have your business listed on these networks. You need to make sure that your address, phone number, business name, and other information are all identical to what you have on your website footer and all of your other listings.
Another important aspect of local search is reviews. The more reviews your website has on Google+, Yelp, and other directory websites, the more Google is going to favor you in local search. Why is this the case? Well, the reviews show that your business is alive and running. As we all know, many businesses close every year. So, make sure that you are constantly getting reviews.
Finally, add some micro data to your website. Schema.org has some great information on how to use this markup code to increase your local search results.
The Conclusion
If your business has a physical address, you are going to want to start marketing locally right away. For more information on local marketing services, contact your marketing firm today.