Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the strategy of building search-engine-friendly structure into your online presence. While updating your website with an SEO-friendly strategy is largely favoured to increase your search engine ranking, there are steps you can take today as a small, local business to ensure your cyber-persona is strong.
Local SEO and Your Business
Your business doesn’t need to be a global conglomerate or an e-commerce store to benefit from strong SEO. E-commerce websites forged the way with SEO, but local brick-and-mortar stores can learn from the e-commerce strategies to jump up in the search engine rankings.
Let’s look at why your business needs a local SEO strategy and what you can do today to help your business get noticed when your customers search online.
Why Do Small Businesses Need an SEO Strategy?
Your local customers are searching online for small businesses just like yours. How do you optimize your website to ensure your business shows-up on the first page of Google and other search engines?
Consider search engine optimization as another tool in your marketing belt, helping your customers reach your business. If you’re not reaching the right audience online, you’re missing out on a local market of potential customers.
Why You Should Strengthen Your SEO Strategy Today
There are many small changes you can make to your SEO strategy right now to increase your ranking on search engines over time. While implementing these changes may be quick and easy, the results will take time to show. If you start now, you’re working towards competing for your online audience of local customers.
Unlike other Internet trends, SEO is here to stay. Your efforts today will pay-off down the road but you need to start somewhere.
Things You Can Do TODAY to Boost Your SEO
Make a Google Business profile.
It’s easy to do and takes very little time, but setting up a Google Business profile for your business is a great first step in creating a strong local SEO strategy.
Keep your store hours up to date.
When was the last time you checked to make sure your store hours were updated on your Google Business listing and website? Ensuring this information is correct will build trust with your customers and search engines.
Protect your online reputation by verifying your address and business.
Your business’s social media page and Google Business profile will require you to take steps to verify your store’s identity/location. This may take some time, but you will be authenticating your business as well as making it harder for scammers to steal your business identity.
Update your contact information.
Do a routine audit to ensure your online presence has accurate contact information for your business. Any errors will frustrate your potential customers and be penalized by Google.
Reply to customer reviews.
Once your Google Business profile is active, you’ll be able to receive Google reviews. Whatever your brand strategy is for responding to reviews (both positive and negative), ensure you’re replying in a timely and professional manner.
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Whether your business is selling across the globe, or targeting a local in-person clientele, a strong SEO strategy will help your potential customers find your business.