Small businesses need local visibility to grow and that can come through online presence. You might be selling products online or have a brick-and-mortar storefront, but you will always need the local community to support you. If you are operating in remote places, you might not need local marketing strategies. However, the rest of us need local visibility to reach out to the closest potential customers.
What is local visibility?
SEO helps you draw in online visibility. There are many focuses on SEO practices, and some of them overlap. If you focus on your local presence, you will be able to boost your business ranking in different search types. First you have to determine current local SEO presence with SEO audit. There are online tools that can help you determine SEO audit.
Step by step process to improve online visibility :
When you are doing an audit, you might see some changes that boost local visibility. For example, if your business has changed its name, address or owner, recently, you might find wrong information on certain listings. These can be easily fixed and go a long way to improve local visibility. You need to consider additional tips to make a website stand out:
1. Get listed locally :
You need to focus attention on local-specific listings like newspaper and local magazines. You can also branch out more universal listings. Facilities from the Better Business Bureau or the local Chamber of Commerce can help you too. Better Business Bureau boosts online credibility, while joining Chamber of Commerce is worthwhile for your business venture. If you are a member already, you should review the listings to reflect the business accurately. There are more directories and listing options like social media sites. These include LinkedIn, Facebook, and more.
2. Make schedules for updates :
Outdated listings don’t help you much. You must create a review schedule to update listings regularly, especially if the business goes through changes. You need to keep a list of places where your business pops up online, and for that you need regular updating.
3. Create standard for listing :
Local search helps your business rank when there is consistency. It uses a simple and standard method called NAP, and this includes name, address, and phone number. No matter where your business is listed, these three have to be the same.
4. Manage online reviews :
Online reviews can help your local business grow and stand out among the rest. It builds credibility and can help you promote acquisition, which might not get your through referrals or listings. Consumers wish to see 4-5 ratings come up when they look for a particular type of service. Thus, if you have a repair shop or a restaurant or a hair salon, ratings are important for you.
5. Social media presence :
Small business might be irregular with social media updates. You should try and make regular social media engagement a priority. It can be weekly or twice a month, but it is essential to keep at. Social media is gaining traction and engagement can boost more visibility in the long run.
Note that SEO strategies are a series of layered activities. You need to start with audit and incorporate local visibility tips for your business routine. You can take help from expert companies like YEAH! Local, who offer SEO services to promote online presence. They can help you more than how you’d be able to cater to such aspects.
