SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) has been integrated into a digital marketing strategy with the aim of increasing visibility, although it is not always aimed at expanding the market, sometimes it is important to boost local SEO…. Why is local SEO important? Read on and we will explain why.
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Defining a brand’s target market
The first thing to do before implementing a digital marketing strategy with SEO is to establish the geographic scope of the target market. All companies start at a local level, but their aspirations are often for larger markets such as national and even international.
Some products may be successful in broad markets, while others will only succeed in local markets. This is the case of local gastronomy, law firms, supermarkets, repair companies, etc. Clearly the audience for these businesses is local, so they need to focus on making themselves known in a smaller space before growing as a brand, if they want to integrate into other markets…
What to do to improve local SEO?
Local SEO has a lot to do with the market in which the company is going to apply a marketing and communication strategy. First of all, it is necessary to segment the public and carry out a market study.
Once the gaps and needs of a given location are known, it is time to improve the visibility of the brand in search engines. These are some of the most popular strategies to improve a company’s local SEO.
Insert location-related keywords
This is the easiest way to get noticed within a local market. Customers will search for services close to home and enter keywords into Google related to this.
For example, a New York law firm will be searched for with keywords such as “best lawyers in New York”, “law firm in New York” or “where to find a lawyer in New York”. The firm should ensure that it appears when clients search for these keywords.
Presence in local directories
Local directories make it easy to locate a business and can be a very cost-effective form of advertising. Examples of local directories in which any business can have a presence include local or city print and digital magazines, email newsletters, forums or general information websites.
Using Google My Business to a local audience
Google My Business helps businesses to improve their online presence: it improves the visibility of the business and analyses where searches come from. The reviews that are inserted in this application can help to improve the image of the brand.
With Google My Business, more precise and targeted communication strategies can be developed for a specific audience, in this case a local audience.
Outdoor advertising strategy
Outdoor advertising is one of the most effective marketing strategies at the local level, although it should be complemented with the use of local SEO. Outdoor advertising (banners, roll-ups, posters…) should use the same keywords as web texts, digital banners or social media posts.
Local SEO is not only about keyword selection, it also combines the presence of images, informative text or attention-grabbing content. Only once the digital marketing strategy is defined (characteristics of the target audience and the geographical area where the strategy is to be applied) can outdoor advertising be developed.
You can carry out several local marketing actions or focus on one until you get results, then ideally you should complement several strategies to increase visibility. Each company or brand is different and it will be necessary to test until you find the right local SEO strategy. Remember that SEO does not offer results in the short term, you will have to be patient…