There is no question that people are searching online for a majority of their product and service purchases. In 2014, 67.5% of these searches were done on Google. It has even become a verb, “I’ll Google it.” These days, we hear every small business owner talk about how they want to rank in Google, Bing, and other search engines.
I provide a service in a certain area and I have a website. Why am I not ranking when people search these terms?
The reason you aren’t ranking is that the search engines don’t automatically know what your business is and why it is relevant for certain search terms in certain areas. Although search engines have become very sophisticated, they still don’t know that your business exists unless it is mentioned in many legitimate places online. Ok, well how do I do that, you may ask?
Through local optimization, we can create a legitimate and thorough online presence for your business. We claim and optimize your Google and Bing Business profiles and submit you to many top-ranking local directories and web sites. Additionally, we submit your information to multiple data feeds that verify and create citations consistently over time. Google and other search engines gather this information and use it to figure out what your business does, where it is, and how relevant it is to searchers.
When you rank for a local search, your business will appear in the list next to a map on the results page. Local results are circled in blue below. Organic results are in red.
Local Optimization doesn’t just help your business rank in Google, it also helps you control the accuracy of your business information online. If a potential client finds you online but your listing has the wrong phone number, an old address, or a link to the wrong website, they will most likely become frustrated and move on to another company. When we optimize your business for local, we ensure that your information is accurate and consistent across the web.
How does Local Optimization differ from traditional search engine optimization (SEO)?
Traditional SEO deals completely with your website. It can involve ensuring that your website has proper site structure, creating keyword rich content, and developing an ongoing marketing strategy that might include blogs, videos, and more. Doing a traditional SEO campaign can cost up to thousands of dollars a month and yield similar results. While we don’t focus on your site optimization, we will consult you on your site as it relates to your local success.
As the search engines get smarter and more complicated, it becomes more and more difficult to rise to the front page of rankings. Ideally, you should get your business online when you open (like you would get listed in the Yellow Pages). Google and Bing give more authority to businesses that have been online longer, so it is incredibly important for you to do local optimization now!
If you are interested in local optimization, or want to chat about process and pricing, please contact us today to get started.
