Local SEO Tools for SME’s
Beat the Competition with Micro SEO Strategies
For many large corporations the focus of their SEO strategy will be on a national scale. But often for small and medium-sized enterprises a more local view should be taken to maximise visibility with their target audience, and ensure they are reaching their potential client base on a regular basis.
Alongside the traditional search engine optimisation tactics there are a number of tools that can be incorporated within local strategies. Google’s Local Business Centre is a directory of businesses situated in a particular area that generally offer a localised service. Companies can display information that will enable potential clients to make an informed decision, for instance, a search for ‘Web Design in Lutterworth’ will deliver results specifically for that area, and enables users to weigh up their options.
Additional information that can be highlighted in a local business listing includes photos, videos, real time updates and ‘coupons’, a selection of special offers to entice customers to a business or service. And the best thing from an SEO perspective of Local Business Centre is that an analysis of page views and impressions is on offer, as well as the quantity of queries for each keyword that the company is optimising for. An ‘impression’ is the amount of times your listing is viewed, with the ‘views’ being the number of times your individual link is clicked. This instant activity analysis enables the user to assess the success or otherwise of each aspect of their campaign.
Allied to the Local Business Centre is Google Maps. This is a simple listing of your location on a map, but is as great way of promoting your business on a minute scale. For those potential clients looking for a ‘micro-search’, a Google Map really is the best way of achieving this.
How Do I Rank Highly in the Local Business Listings?
There are a few simple ways to boost your local listing. As with organic search engine optimisation, a fresh stream of new content is essential for the algorithm to recognise your listing’s value. This could take the form of new reviews, updated menus or seasonal special offers, and new photos/videos. Even adding new citations – which are essentially ‘mentions’ of a company on other pages - are another tool as well.
Linking to and from authoritative websites that have a high page rank will also prove valuable. These could take the form of powerful clients’ pages, trade associations etc, and are crucial to building a local community network.
The importance of these local SEO techniques should not be underestimated. The local business results are listed above the organic rankings, and as such are the first visual point of call for the customer which, as our video blog ‘ROI-Organic vs. PPC’ alluded to, is crucial. These tools are essential in trumping your competitors on a local level, and can help to be the difference between success and failure.
March 31st, 2010
Google Local Business listings have national potential - they enable you to set the area you cover to up to 620 miles away from your address.