Based in the heart of the National Forest, we're able to serve businesses around the country.
Building a strong online presence
Having a solid online presence is crucial for new businesses looking to attract local customers. Local SEO, or local search engine optimization, is a powerful tool that can help businesses improve their visibility in local search results. Here are five essential steps to kickstart your local SEO strategy and boost your online presence.
Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing
One of the first steps in improving your local SEO is to claim and optimize your Google My Business listing. This free tool allows you to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. Make sure to provide accurate information about your business, including your name, address, phone number, website, and business hours. Add high-quality photos, respond to customer reviews, and regularly update your listing with relevant posts and offers to engage with your audience.
Optimize your website for local search
Your website is the digital storefront of your business, so it's essential to optimize it for local search. Include your location in key areas such as your meta tags, headings, and content. Create location-specific pages for each of your business locations, if applicable, and ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. Incorporate local keywords relevant to your business to improve your chances of appearing in local search results.
Get listed in online directories
Online directories are a valuable resource for improving your local SEO and increasing your online visibility. Ensure that your business is listed accurately in popular online directories such as Yelp, Yell, and TripAdvisor. Consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) information across all directories is essential for building trust with search engines and potential customers. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on these platforms to further boost your credibility.
Create high-quality, local content
Creating high-quality, locally relevant content is key to attracting local customers and boosting your local SEO. Develop content that resonates with your target audience and provides value to them. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, and infographics that showcase your expertise and address common questions or concerns in your industry. Incorporate local keywords naturally into your content to improve its relevance to local search queries.
Utilize social media to engage with local audience
Social media platforms offer a powerful way to engage with your local audience and improve your local SEO. Create and maintain active profiles on popular social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Share updates about your business, promote local events and offers, and interact with your followers to build a loyal community. Encourage customers to check-in, tag your business in posts, and leave reviews on social media to boost your online presence. Avoid engagement baiting - asking people in the text of your post to 'like' or 'share' - as social media platforms penalise posts and pages that do this.
TLDR
Mastering local SEO for new businesses is crucial for attracting local customers. By following these five essential steps, businesses can strengthen their online presence and improve visibility in local search results:
- Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing
- Optimize your website for local search
- Get listed in online directories
- Create high-quality local content
- Utilize social media for engagement
DIY, DWY or DFY?
At DigitalArena we want you to succeed online, and this can be achieved in several ways.
- DIY: You can Do It Yourself, as many small businesses and startups try to do at the beginning while they get going.
- DWY: We can Do it With You, by providing support, instructions, templates, in areas your business needs help with, while you carry out the majority of the activity yourself.
- DFY: Or, we can Do it For You as a full service, offering as many or as few of our areas of expertise as you like on retainer or project by project.
To find out more, please call us on 01530 452276 or email support@digitalarena.co.uk.
