Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become a crucial tool for business owners to get more traffic to their website. But if you really want to be found then the key element lies in local marketing, according to Media Street Apps founder and director Jonathan Lloyd.
?While it’s good to have a SEO plan that involves plenty of blog posts and articles, if you aren’t using local keywords then you won’t reach the people that mater most?, he states. For example, a cafe in Chelsea. It’s fine to market yourself according to people coming to visit and don’t know where to go, but your most loyal following will be the local community. They already live in Chelsea, so why search for a cafe in Chelsea ?
So, when it comes to local marketing, you’re not only looking for industry-specific terms, but those based on geography as well. Lloyd recommends using Google AdWords, where you can see how many times keywords + cafe has been searched. By compiling this data, you can find out the approximate times that phrases have been searched monthly.
But Lloyd explains that ?when it comes to larger organisations with thousands of locations, the challenge lies in how to ensure consistent business details are placed in as many local directories as possible. You might want to think bout having a different landing page for each location. This way you expand potential SEO and increase traffic.
But what is the most crucial aspect of local marketing” Getting digital. Having just a physical store won’t cut it anymore. But you also can’t create a website and think that will be enough. Measuring and tracking online is really important. If you’re following a particular trend in a sector, then track it and use it to your advantage. It gives you affirmation whether or not you’re pleasing the crowd and what teaks you can make to your product or service offering. If you use collected data from research and report on it, you could also be on your way to becoming a thought leader.
Lloyd’s two most recommended tools for tracking come in the form of Google Analytics and Google Webmaster, both of which can be plugged straight into your website.
?With Google being the main search engine it makes sense to use their tools. It’s a quick way to garner interesting information that wil help you on your path to local SEO.
