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How to harness the power of local SEO and get your business found

How often do you find yourself hitting Google (or your favourite search engine) to find a local service or business when you need something? We’re betting it’s pretty often! Buying local, or supporting local small businesses, has become more critical than ever before. But given that small businesses typically have a much lower budget for marketing, you probably don’t know everyone out there in your local area. Or maybe you haven’t come across them yet. Now turn that around onto your business. Wouldn’t you love to be the go-to for your area of expertise in your local area? Here’s how the power of local SEO can support your business and get you found.

Why focus on local SEO?

Did you know almost half of all searches on Google are aimed at looking for local businesses? That equates to more than 2.5 billion searches looking for services in the searching person’s area or neighbourhood.

After all, what’s the use in searching for the best pizza and getting a list of awesome places in New York City if you live in BC? Of course, you want to know the best pizza place that’s right near you, don’t you?

Yes, we live in a world that provides many services to just about anyone on the planet with a good internet connection these days. But there are still times when you might want to keep your services to people in your local area. And that’s why focusing on local SEO is essential.

The better your ranking in your local area, the stronger a position your business will be in, even in more global search terms.

It also helps you build a following, to strengthen relationships with other businesses and consumers in your local area. More than three-quarters of people searching for local services will then visit that business after finding it on a search engine the same day.

What about ads?

Yes, ads work, and they absolutely have their place. Especially when they’re done properly. But, consider this… Facebook and Google ads are kind of like going out to hunt. You’re putting ads out there and targeting specific audiences in the hope that they will like what they see and take the bait. However, SEO is much more like farming. You’re sowing those seeds of your business on the internet, cultivating them and allowing them to grow. It’s a slower process, but it builds and spreads. You might start with a box on your window ledge with a few herbs in, but before you know it, you’ll be buying up the neighbouring field and beyond.

This is why local SEO is important. You need to start right here, where you’re based. And as your audience and market grow, so too will the spread of your SEO power!

So, how can you make local SEO work for you?

There are lots of ways to optimise your SEO for your business. Here are a few of our recommendations.

#1: Optimise your website with on-page SEO for local terms

Do you have your location on your website? If not, then make it happen!

#2: Set up your business on multiple directories

You need to be listed on Google My Business, Bing, and other places like Yelp. Make sure you’re listing your location as part of your entry.

#3: A Google My Business profile is key

There are steps to get it all set up, and it might take a bit of time to build information and get reviews. But GMB is helpful for improving your local SEO and your chances of local searchers finding you.

#4: Create content that focuses on your location

Yes, write a blog post about your services in your local area!

#5: Build backlinks with businesses in your local community

Get to local networking groups and meet other local business owners to collaborate with and refer to each other.

Of course, doing all these things (and more) is a lot of work when you’re trying to run your business. That’s why Chewie Media offers it as part of our SEO optimization packages and maintenance of your website. We’re all about helping you grow your business visibility organically as well as through other digital marketing channels.

It’s time to harness the power of local SEO. If you’d like to know more and find out what your website’s SEO score is right now for free, click here for all the details.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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