Today, consumers can find most businesses online because the internet offers a broader reach than traditional marketing methods. There are many digital marketing strategies, but perhaps the most famous one is search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO involves getting relevant keywords for blog posts through extensive keyword research. Depending on the content and keyword’s relevance, a website will rank on search engine results pages (SERPs). While highly effective, it sometimes isn’t enough, so marketers turn to local SEO—a variant of SEO that targets specific locations.
Since local SEO focuses on a particular area, the scale is smaller and makes it easier to succeed, especially for smaller businesses. In this article, we list down the reasons why companies should practice local SEO more.
#1 – It’s a Cheaper Marketing Option
Like traditional marketing, digital marketing methods also require money—the only difference is that it incurs fewer expenses, and SEO is one of them. A double-edged sword to this aspect is that these costs are associated with long-term results, meaning you won’t incur expenses sooner, but you need to maintain your SEO efforts to ensure success.
#2 – Lets You Be Ahead of Your Competitors
If you don’t use local SEO, you can bet that other local businesses—your competitors—are applying it. It poses a threat to your enterprise because they’re getting the customers that you should be receiving. Being good in your niche is not enough if you’re serving little to no customers.
To test your effectiveness, look up your business’ niche on Google. For example, if you own a Chinese restaurant, look up “Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles” and take note of the results. If your business doesn’t come up on search results, it isn’t listed, and people won’t notice you. What’s worse is that most users click only on the first page, meaning you won’t be seen either way even if you’re listed—albeit on the second or even third page of search results.
#3 – You Can Attract Newcomers
Local SEO targets prospective customers in your area, but it also has the power to attract new customers to your business. More people are relying on local businesses instead of big companies to support and stimulate the local economy, so you should take advantage of this opportunity.
Visitors who aren’t from your locality don’t know the ins and outs of it, so they usually turn to the internet to find the best places to go, such as shops and restaurants. If you use local SEO, there’s a chance that they’ll see your business first. They’ll also know that the listing is authentic, incentivizing them to go to your establishment.
#4 – Mobile Searches Are the Trend
Smartphones are known for their efficiency in web browsing because you can do it from the palm of your hand. When a user looks up businesses using their mobile phone, the results that will appear are in the immediate area because of the device’s location settings. Since local SEO targets a specific area, this feature works to your advantage.
Conclusion
It’s always good to think big about digital marketing, but you should start small through local SEO. If your local SEO efforts pay off, you’ll see your business grow gradually, as long as you maintain your practices.
Marvel Marketing offers top-quality services for digital marketing in Calgary. We propel businesses to success in the digital space, and yours could be next. Contact us today to learn more!
