70 percent of people who visit a business or purchase something will do so because of the information available online. With smartphone usage steadily increasing all around the world, online visibility is more important than ever. Of course, with big brands soaking up all the attention, how can your business compete? The answer lies in local SEO. In this article, we are going to talk about the benefits of local SEO and how you can use it to compete with bigger brands.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a process that helps a local business rank higher on the search engine results page. It utilizes technical optimization as well as a unique content strategy that helps you rank high for a specific location.
How Can Middle-Market Businesses Take Advantage of Local SEO?
Optimizing your online presence to suit local search engine searches can make a significant difference to your business. However, there are several technical aspects that you need to keep in mind
1. Make It Easy for Your Customers to Find You
If you want to get the most out of your local SEO, make sure you provide your prospects with all the relevant information they need. This includes your contact information, your physical address, your working hours…anything they’ll need to find your physical location.
Using the Google My Business tool is essential here. Make sure you provide all the information required when setting up a page using this tool to help your page rank higher.
2. Use Long-Tail Keywords
A lot of businesses make the mistake of targeting short-tail keywords in the local SEO strategy, but hese keywords are used by a majority of businesses and can be harder to rank. Using long-tail keywords is much smarter since they have a higher probability for conversion and can help you secure better visibility.
3. Cater to a Smaller Audience
Local SEO is all about targeting a specific group of individuals and getting them to make a purchase. Instead of targeting a general audience, try and focus on a niche. This will also translate into more efficient use of your resources and promises a higher conversion rate.
Focusing on a niche also helps you develop a content strategy that focuses on some specific keywords. Once again, this will help you rank higher in local searches.
4. Play to Your Strengths
As a middle-market business, you have something original to offer. While big brands aim for mass production that can fail to appeal after a while your business is:
- Offering a better product with a story behind it
- Observing ethical business practices
- Socially responsible
Use this when developing a content strategy for your local SEO to help you gain higher traction and generate more revenue.
To Sum It Up:
Many middle-market businesses fail to compete effectively with big brands. Using local SEO can be very helpful in this regard. Here’s what you need to do:
- Provide as much information as you can
- Use a long-tail keyword strategy
- Develop content that complements the uniqueness of your business
- Cater to a niche audience
If you’d like more help in using a local SEO strategy for your middle-market business, visit Go4ROI. Our team can help you tap into the various benefits of local SEO and generate high returns.