Local SEO Solutions in Raleigh
In 2014, Google introduced the Pigeon update that changed the course of local search engine optimization (SEO) for good. Since then, the local space has changed rapidly and increasingly became more difficult for many businesses. Just last year, Google has again expanded its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal, prompting businesses to board the mobile train and roll out big changes to their websites.
Nowadays, the state of play is that if you wish to see your business in the first pages of Google, you have to deeply understand and play by the rules of search and continuously build on your SEO game plan – one that’s for the long term.
One way to boost your SEO campaign is to employ local SEO strategies. This is especially helpful if you own a local business as local SEO is all about attracting people near you.
Local SEO efforts may include establishing a Google My Business page, claiming all business listings online, and utilizing geo-targeted keywords — all are meant to make your brand highly visible for online searchers who are physically located near your business.
When done right, local SEO helps your target customers discover your business at the exact moment when they're ready to enter a shop or restaurant like yours. It doesn't only boost your brand presence online but also increase the foot traffic to your business.
As business owner ourselves, we understand the current needs and challenges of the small, local shops and companies in Raleigh. Trust us to use that knowledge to make sure your local SEO campaign impacts your business positively.
Local SEO Strategy
For a successful local SEO campaign to work, you need experts to guide you through all its intricacies. Local SEO is just one piece in your marketing and sales funnel, but its real value manifests across all aspects of your business. Amistad Pros offers professional local SEO services in Raleigh to help you develop the right strategy.
But there are many local businesses who have breezed through all these changes and tribulations with minimal losses. The secret, according to our local SEO specialists, is to develop a smart and solid local SEO strategy, which involves five critical elements as mentioned below:
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1. Target Audience
Your customers are the foundation of everything your business does. Taking a good look at your customers, and by that we mean understanding their personalities, needs, consumer patterns, and pain points. This way, you can align every aspect of your local SEO campaign with your audience’s buyer journey.
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2. Strategy
Local SEO employs many strategies like gunning for geo-targeted long tail keywords, assessment of on-page elements on the website and building optimized backlink profile. It’s important to lay down your objectives and goals and how you’ll achieve them in a given timeframe. Have a clear understanding of how your local SEO strategy aligns with your sales and marketing goal.
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3. Actionable Goals
Like all businesses, you want yours to grow and stay ahead of the competition. But, in building a local SEO campaign, you should focus your energy on clear, honest, and actionable goals. At the end of the day, you want your products and services to drive sales. Local SEO is a big investment, but it will only pay off it gets people to buy your products and services.
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4. Content
How you create content and how to promote it properly is perhaps one of the most integral part of your local SEO strategy. This is where deeply understanding your audience plays out. More than building backlinks, content should be regarded as a tool to engage people, build trust, and take them on a valuable journey with your business. In local SEO especially, your audience should be the foundation around which you create content. It lays the path that drives higher conversion rates and concrete results.
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5. Analytics
But then how do you know for sure if your investment in local SEO is paying off? How do you track and review user engagement and conversions? This is where analytics steps in. This free Google tool lets you capture actionable data like keywords your customers are using to find you. This way, you can make the necessary adjustments and make smarter decisions in the future. As mentioned before, local SEO is just a piece of your marketing funnel, so it has to be aligned with the bigger picture for it to actually work.
The Power of Local SEO
If you own small, local business in Raleigh, having a local SEO campaign can be extremely rewarding. Here are some of the benefits that local SEO brings to the table:
Capturing Customers at the Right Moment
With local SEO, people who live or work near your business location can find your shop, cafe, or office at the exact moment that they need a product or service like yours.
Providing Business Information to the Right People
A great local SEO strategy helps you provide potential customers the information they want when they want it. Say, your restaurant has free WiFi. You can display and highlight that information throughout your listings and other local SEO efforts online. This way, you get to attract people who are looking for that detail when choosing a local restaurant.
Building Your Credibility Online
Local SEO helps build your credibility as it allows you to provide a lot of bite-sized data. For instance, a Google My Business listing gives you a chance to display business address, contact number, and even star-rated customer reviews on search engine results pages.
