Local Search Marketing (Local SEO) and Local Search go hand in hand. They comprise two parts - Local Search Optimisation efforts or buying online adverts. This article looks at Local Search Optimisation and not paid advertising (PPC).
As with any other aspect of a business, there are certain marketing requirements needed for local search. Business owners need to focus on optimising their business (and website, if they have one) for local search which is a big part of Local Search Marketing. The end objective is to get more conversions such as new customers (each business must define its own conversion objectives).
Replacing Print and Radio Adverts
Optimisation for Local Search is really just another form of marketing in today's environment. Just as print ads and radio commercials have specific guidelines, so does Local SEO. Just as offline visibility used to be an essential skill, today's business owners need to know how to better their local online visibility. Google has said that you do not have to have a website for Local SEO but it does help, provided that it complements Local SEO.
Local marketing can be undertaken without a website which is what businesses did before the Internet. By implementing some of the techniques that are covered in this blog series, businesses can also be found in online searches without a website. But, for our purposes, it will be assumed that you do have a website.
On-Page/on-site v Off-Page/off-site
Any changes that you make to your website are often referred to as “On-Page” or “On-Site” activities. Changes that do not involve modifying a website can be referred to as “Off-Page” or “Off-Site”.
An example of an on-site activity is writing a blog post which is hosted on your own website. An example of an off-site activity would be publishing social posts referring to that blog post in the expectation that people will click the link taking them to the blog on your website.
If you are focussed on local search marketing your blog posts should talk about your locality amongst other things. Your social posts should take place on as many local directories as possible and certainly should include posts on your Google My Business listing.
We work with your website designer to improve your ability to be found in Google and other search engines. And to look good wherever you may appear online. We specialise in local SEO and most of our work is off-site. But there still needs to be some on-site work undertaken by your webmaster to complement what we do. If you would be interested in finding out more, please use the Contact Form on our website.