5 Ways Businesses Can Dominate Google’s Local Search
Ways Businesses Can Dominate Google's Local Search

With the average small business set to spend around $75,000 on digital marketing this year, you need to find a way to make every dollar stretch. One of the best ways to improve your digital marketing efforts is to focus on ways to improve your search engine results. Google local search results give users a view into what’s happening near them and which businesses they should connect with.

Here are five ways to ensure that your business can hit the top of Google’s local results.

1. Start a Blog

When anyone uses a search engine, they’re either looking for a specific product or the answer to a question. With the help of a blog, you can take on both kinds of searches and show up in the results for everyone even tangentially interested in your business.

At the end of every blog post, where you’ve addressed the most common concerns for customers like yours, you can offer your products as the solution.

A blog is also a way for your clients to learn more about your business. People love to form a real relationship with the businesses that they support, especially small or newly created startups.

A blog gives you the opportunity to sell to customers without having to give a hard pitch. People are sick of the old ways of selling products and want something new. A blog is your way to get in touch with your clients without having to make them feel pressured to buy.

Search engines will reward you when you give real value to your clients and customers. With the help of a blog, you can give customers an understanding of how their lives could be improved with the help of products and services like yours.

2. Get Listed On Business Directories

With the death of the old yellow pages, the newest way to get in touch with customers is through online directories. If you’re not using Google My Business, Yelp, Yahoo! Local, and every other possible directory, you’re losing out on customers. By listing your business on all of these directories, you can be wherever your customers are.

You might notice that your business is already listed on one of these directories. It’s probably because someone wanted to write a review or because you were listed on another directory. Directories small and large will buy data from other directories to fill out their listings.

If there’s one wrong piece of information about your hours, your address, or the spelling of your business, you could be losing business. Leave no hurdles in the way of customers getting in touch with you. Make sure that all of your listings are consistent.

If you’ve got a relatively common name. people could be leaving negative feedback for your company Smith and Sons intending to leave feedback for Smith Inc. If you don’t take care of your listings, you could be losing business with a low ranking.

3. Collaborate With Other Local Businesses

Search engines love to see a business that is connected to other businesses. The internet was built on connections between people and so that spirit persists even in the world of blogging.

When your blog or your URL is mentioned on another blog, you’ll rank higher on search engines. When you use links, link to other local businesses.

If you work together, you can compete with larger or nationwide companies by building a strong local foundation for your business.

Ask for other businesses whose services complement yours to write guest posts on your blog. Ask to have your posts put on their blogs. Whenever possible, cross promote.

When you build a strong local network in your industry and with related industries, you broaden your reach and make it possible to beat out a bigger company.

4. Optimize Your Keywords

Your keywords are the best tool in your box for making sure you get directly connected to the clients who are searching for products and services like yours.

Start by doing some research on your industry. Go into a search engine and start looking for products and services like yours without naming your company. Dig into the search engine and try to see how high you come up compared to your competitors.

Try a few different combinations to see which words you do better on and where your competitors are beating you. Keywords that you rank higher on should be optimized.

Include the name of your city, town, or local landmarks when you list your keywords. Let search engines know the area you’re located in so that they can direct searches over to you and link up search users who are located nearby.

5. Get Social

Social media is a great way to connect with your local market. When you post about local events, use terms that denote where you’re located, and mention landmarks, you’ll come up in more search engine results.

When you post images, always include hashtags, tags, and text that describes where users can find you. The easier it is to find out where you’re located, the higher you’ll rank.

If you enter “pizza” in a search engine, you’ll get social media posts and well as business directory listings for local pizzerias. That’s because search engines know that most people are looking for something that’s close to them and easy to find. Having a strong social media presence will contribute to your overall ranking.

Google Local Search Results Yield Sales Figures

When you find a way to dominate Google local search results, you can ensure that your brand is visible on the most popular directory on the planet. Since there are few alternatives to having your company listed on any relevant business directories, you’ve got to ensure your local SEO game is on point.

If you want to ensure you get to the top of your local search results, check out our guide for more info.

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