It’s not uncommon for small businesses to feel adrift in the complex world of internet marketing. It isn’t that the statistics aren’t clear. Inbound leads like those generated by search engine optimization cost 61% less than outbound leads, 21% of marketers who subscribe to SEO services are highly satisfied, and as much as 80% of search engine users ignore paid advertisements. Internet marketing is important, and SEO shines as one of the most important components. Still, many small businesses are overwhelmed by SEO and aren’t sure where to begin.
The internet is a big place, which is largely why the idea of ranking highly is so intimidating. That’s why local SEO packages are so important for small businesses. Local internet marketing and SEO is about achieving high rankings for users in your immediate vicinity, and, let’s face it, that’s really all that matters for a large number of small businesses.
Whether you’re tackling SEO yourself or hiring somebody else to do it for you, it’s good to know what really matters in local SEO packages. Though many local SEO packages focus primarily on Search Engine Land offers three rules for local SEO that will help you get the most out of your package.
- Improve your website.
- Share your business details.
- Promote yourself via social media.
Improving Your Site
Google owns between 65 and 70% of the search engine market share, and it’s been pretty clear about what sites need to do to boost local SERPs. Here are the key points:
- Make the site’s structure clear and accessible to crawlers as well as users.
- Fill your site up with high quality content.
- Make sure visitors can find ways to contact you easily.
Sharing Your Business Details
It’s critically important that your business name, address, phone number, description, photos, hours, and other relevant details are available. Focus on these three ways to make sure they’re sprinkled liberally around the web:
- Submit your information to local sites and directories.
- Make sure all information is accurate. If you’ve changed name, location, or phone number, make sure you update all the directories where you’re listed.
- Claim your listings. This gives you much more control over what’s displayed.
Promoting via Social Media
Studies have shown that at least 65% of adult internet users have social networking profiles, and Google is starting to value their opinions much more. To procure more ‘social votes,’ concentrate on these three things:
- Create profiles on prominent sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. If you have a location, create a Foursquare profile, too.
- Make your content easily share-able with tweet and share buttons. Offer deals and perks to followers and friends.
- Collect reviews. Ask your customers to review you on Google+, Yelp, and other directories.
Other important components of quality local SEO packages include mobile optimization, listings on Apple Maps, a Google+ listing attached to Google Maps, and a listing on prominent local apps. If you can get off to a good start with local SEO, you’ll be poised to achieve higher rankings where they matter most. The most important thing to remember is that you’re optimizing for local users, and not for bots. Target your customers and the rankings will follow. Refernce materials.