If there’s one advantage that small businesses have over big corporations, it’s their local presence. Whether you’re an established business or a newcomer, it pays to focus on local potential customers rather than casting your net too wide. In the ocean, you might face competition from giant corporations, but in the local sphere, you might have the edge.
That’s because most big corporations won’t focus as much on local search. You won’t have as much competition on localized searches for keywords as you’d have on a nationwide or even global scale. As a small business, it’s a good idea to start out small. Here are some ways to improve your performance in local search:
1. List or Claim Your Business in Google
Google has introduced a way to get the most out of local search. If you search for a business or an industry, you’ll notice that the relevant information pops up by the search results. This includes the office timings, address, etc. While in the general listings, this might not matter. In the local listings, it gives your potential customers all the information that they need. To get your business’s name on the page, all you need to do is list your business or claim in it Google through the My Business Platform.
2. Supply the Right Information
Supplying the right information is vital. You don’t want potential clients to reach a dead end, after all. For example, if you had a business property in Dublin City but had to move to South Dublin, you need to update that information on Google. If you don’t, Google search might just send potential clients to your previous location in Dublin City and that would damage the credibility of your business. All you need to do is to log into your My Business account and edit the information. Make sure that you keep all information current and up-to-date.
3. Local Keywords
Most businesses use this but it bears repeating. The competition for certain keywords would be high if you use them alone. However, if you use local additions, the competition might reduce. For example, if you’re a restaurant that provides contemporary French cuisine, you can use the keywords modern French cuisine restaurant, but the competition for that particular keyword would be very high. However, modern French cuisine restaurant in South Dublin is specific and local. For this keyword, the competition might be less fierce and the rate of conversion will be higher.
4. Localized Content
Most people know that they can use content to figure higher in the local search results, but few realize that relevant local content can boost rankings significantly. If your website has a company blog, it would be a good idea to keep the content there focused on your industry and on the locality. That would catch the search engine’s eye sooner. Be sure to use relevant content and involve local businesses in it. For example, you can write an article about supporting a local charity and helping them host an event. This would lead to online and real world marketing. It would also improve your Google rankings.
