by Adam Jones on 18-May-2017 11:20:00
If you’re a local business you will understand how important it is to cover every local aspect possible. Even gaining tiny grounds in new areas can open the door to even more customers and clients. It’s often the case that local businesses stick to what they know and keep it safe. Yes, this works for many businesses that have a great local customer/client list, but what happens when this list runs out and dries up? In this article, I will be discussing 3 simple tips that you can implement to gain even more local presence!
Let’s begin…
Tip 1 – Have A Verified ‘Google My Business’ Page
My first tip isn’t anything new and it’s been around for years. Formally known as ‘Google Places’ and ‘Google Local’ it’s now named ‘Google My Business’. This is where you have a verified Local Google page which can be displayed when a user is performing a local search. You would be surprised how many businesses out there have a ‘Google My Business’ page but have not verified it. By verifying it you’re sending signals to Google that you’re serious about your business showing up for local searches.
Not only do you need to make sure your page is verified but you also need to make sure the page is 100% up-to-date. The last thing you want is for a potential customer to land on your page, try to call the number only for it to be your old number. This goes across anything you do online for your business, if your details change then change it everywhere! This could really hurt your enquiries level if people are contacting you on old details.
Tip 2 – Get Listed On Local Directory Websites
Again my next tip isn’t anything new and you should be doing this anyway. Getting listed on local directories can be a real help when trying to improve local presence for your business. Being listed on a local directory again sends a signal to Google that you’re serious about your business showing up for local searches. If you’re a local business that is listed on a local directory this shows Google that you really are local and stand more of a chance showing for local searches.
Not only will this help your organic local rankings for your website but local directory sites also rank well. Which inevitably means you’re likely to improve local traffic to your website, meaning more business!
Tip 3 – Gain Reviews From Happy Customers On Local Review Sites
My last point is a straightforward but powerful tip. The importance of gaining reviews not only goes for your local presence but the concept needs to be expanded across your whole marketing campaign. Gaining reviews is one of the biggest things you can do for your business online. The benefits to your online presence are massive but to your overall business- it’s huge! Gaining reviews from happy customers on local review sites will send powerful signals to Google about how you treat local customers. The more reviews you’re able to get across different sites the better position your business will be in locally.
Like I said before, never stop at just doing this locally, the more reviews you get across the board will really boost your whole business presence. Not only will it help in the online world but people really do listen to others opinions when it comes to a product or service. Hardly anyone will buy a product or use a service without doing some research. If you can build a list of positive reviews across the board this will work wonders for your business!
Learn more about reviews with this fantastic article - How To Get Online Reviews To Make Your Business Stand Out From The Crowd.
Final Thought
Whatever type of industry your business is in, you always need to strive to improve your local presence. Never get to a point where you’re content, always strive for more for your business. The more work you’re able to do on your website and online presence as a whole will result in more customers/clients through the door. The moment you stop working on this you will start losing business. If you need help with boosting your local presence get in touch with us today and speak to one of our experts!
Additional Resources – Learn Even More
If you want to learn more about how you can improve your local presence, we’ve published a large range of great articles to help! Here is a small selection of articles for you to read:
Local SEO Services: How to dominate your local competitors in Google
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