As a business owner, you are aware that marketing is key to your success. But what type of marketing should you focus on? Should you invest in paid advertising, social media, content marketing, or something else? One type of marketing that you may want to consider is local search marketing. 

Have you ever tried searching for a business on the internet and see the little box with all those businesses listed? That’s a local search. And if you’re not leveraging it, you’re missing out on potential customers.

Local search is a great way to get in front of people who are looking for your type of business. And it’s not just for brick and mortar businesses – even online businesses can benefit from local search.

It is a powerful way to reach customers in your area who are looking for your services. By targeting your marketing efforts to local residents, you can connect with potential consumers who are interested in what you have to offer. And by using the right techniques, you can improve your chances of appearing in local search results.

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about local search marketing. We’ll begin with the basics and work our way up to more advanced tactics.

The basics of local search marketing

Many businesses are losing out on opportunities to get in front of more potential customers because they don’t know how local search marketing works. The basics of local search marketing, while not as complicated as the rest of SEO, can be overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re doing. But today, I’ve got just the thing for you- a simple guide on ranking your site locally so that no matter where someone is looking, they’ll find your business.

1. Claim your Google My Business Listing

The first and most important step in local SEO is claiming your Google My Business listing. This will take your business on the map (literally) and make it easier for potential customers to find you when they’re searching for businesses like yours. Ensure all information is correct and up-to-date, including your hours, address, and website.

2. Optimize Your Site for Local SEO

Once you are done setting up your listing on Google My Business, you’ll want to start optimizing your website for local SEO. This includes things like including your city and state in your title tags and meta descriptions, adding schema markup to your site, and creating a Google+ page for your business.

For example, if you’re a plumber in Atlanta, you could use keywords like “Atlanta plumbers” and “plumbers in Atlanta.” However, you could also use more specific keywords like “plumbers in Sandy Springs” or “Atlanta plumber reviews.”

3. Submit Your Site to Local Directories

After optimizing your site, the next step is to start submitting it to local directories. This will help increase your website’s authority and give you more exposure to potential customers. A few good directories and listings to start with are Google+ Local, Yelp, FourSquare, and List My Businesses.

4. Create Local Content

One of the effective methods to rank your site locally is by creating local content. This could be anything from blog posts about local events or businesses to infographics about your city or state. By creating original, engaging content, you’ll not only attract more visitors to your website but also help you rank higher in local search engine results.

Advanced techniques for local search marketing

Most people have done the basics, but there are a few advanced techniques you may not have tried yet that can help get your business in front of more customers. If you want to learn more about the broad world of marketing and business, check out DigitalGpoint.

Without further ado, here are four advanced techniques for local search marketing:

1. Try Google AdWords

Google AdWords is a great way to get your business in front of more people. You can create ads that will show up when people search for specific keywords related to your business. You can also specifically target your ads to areas so only people in your area will see them.

2. Try negative keywords

Negative keywords can be a great way to refine your campaign and make sure you’re not targeting the wrong people. For example, if you’re selling used cars, you might want to use the keyword “brand new” as a negative keyword. This will make sure your ad doesn’t show up when people search for “brand new cars.”

3. Collect reviews

Reviews can be a helpful way to show potential customers that you’re a credible business. You can collect reviews on your website, Google, and other review websites. Make sure to respond in good and bad reviews to show that you care about your customers.

4. Measure your results

It’s important to measure your results so you can see what’s working and what’s not. You can use tools like RedTrack and Google Analytics to track your traffics and campaigns and see how many people are visiting your website, where they’re coming from, and what they’re doing on your website. This detail can help you fine-tune your marketing strategy and make sure you’re reaching the right people.

Summing It Up

So there you have it – your start-to-finish guide to local search marketing! We hope you found this post helpful and that it gave you a good foundation on which to start building your own successful local SEO strategy. 

Remember, the basics are key when starting out, but don’t be afraid to experiment with advanced tactics and strategies as you gain more experience. Thanks for reading – we look forward to hearing how your local search campaigns perform.