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Local businesses have to work twice as hard as larger businesses to get the same level of visibility and recognition. In a world where most people turn to the internet to find what they need, it's more important than ever for local businesses to make a name for themselves online.
Thanks to the ever-growing influence of online marketing, you can now reach more people than ever before without spending a fortune on marketing campaigns. There are several powerful local online marketing strategies you can try in 2022 to help you get the most out of your marketing budget. Let's look at ten of the most effective ones.
What is local online marketing?
It is important to understand what local online marketing is for you to implement it effectively. This type of marketing refers to the promotion of your products or services to a local audience through the use of online channels. It is different from traditional marketing in that it allows you to target a specific group of people who are more likely to be interested in what you offer.
Using local marketing solutions, you can reach out to potential customers and promote your business to them directly. Local marketing online is especially effective for small businesses that may not have the budget to reach a larger audience through traditional marketing channels.
10 Powerful local marketing solutions to try
If you are thinking of local marketing online but are unsure where to start, here are some of the most effective strategies you can try.
1. Local SEO
SEO refers to optimizing your website for the search engines so that you can rank higher in the search results. When people search for businesses like yours, they will be more likely to find you if you have a strong SEO strategy in place. That said, you need local SEO for local online marketing.
Local SEO is optimization focused on getting your website to rank higher for local searches. Local searches are those that are done with a location modifier, such as "plumbers in Seattle." To attract local customers, you need to ensure your website is optimized for local searches.
You can do several things to leverage local SEO for local marketing online. Let's look at the best local SEO tactics to improve your local marketing online.
NAP
NAP refers to your business's name, address, and phone number. It's important to have this information on your website when doing local online marketing so potential customers can easily find it.
You should also list your NAP on directories and review sites. This will help improve your local SEO and increase your business exposure.
Make sure that your NAP is consistent across all of your online listings. The name, address, and phone number should be the same on your website, directory listings, and review sites.
Optimize your GMB listing
A GMB listing is a business listing on Google My Business. When you set up your GMB listing, you're creating a profile for your business on Google. This profile includes your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, website URL, and more.
Your GMB listing is one of the first things that comes up when someone searches for your business on Google.
Make sure you take the time to complete and accurately fill your GMB listing. Include as much information as possible, such as a detailed description of your business, photos, videos, and customer reviews. The more information you can provide, the better.
In addition to filling out your GMB listing, add 3-5 category tags that describe your business. This will help Google understand your business and match it with relevant searches.
Finally, encourage your customers to leave reviews on your GMB listing. Positive customer reviews can do wonders for your local SEO.
Create local content
Another great way to improve your local SEO is by creating local content. This content is focused on your city, state, or region. It helps show Google that your website is relevant to people searching for businesses in your area.
Some ideas for local content include blog posts about local events, interviews with local experts, and roundups of the best local businesses related to your business. You can also create location pages on your website highlighting your products or services in specific cities or states.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, create local landing pages optimized for each location. For example, if you have a store in Seattle and another in Portland, you would want to create two different landing pages with unique content and keywords.
Build citations
Citations are mentions of your business on other websites. These mentions include your business name, address, phone number, and website URL. The more citations you have, the better.
Citations help improve your local SEO by showing Google that your business is popular and relevant. There are several ways to build citations for your business. One way is to submit your business to online directories, such as Yelp, Foursquare, and Yellow Pages.
Get listed in directories
As we mentioned, one of the best ways to build citations for your business is to get listed in online directories. You can submit your business to many popular online directories, such as Yelp and Foursquare.
2. Invest in your website
Your website is the backbone of your local online marketing. Therefore, it is important to ensure that it supports all local marketing solutions you implement. Ensure that your website creates a positive impression on any local customer who visits it to learn more about your business. These website tactics will help take your local marketing online to the next level:
Build a user-friendly website
Begin by ensuring that your website is user-friendly for mobile and desktop users. In today's world, it is essential that your website can be accessed and viewed easily on all devices.
If your website is not mobile-friendly, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to reach local customers. 61% of consumers say they are more likely to contact a business with a mobile-friendly website.
Make sure your website loads quickly
Another important factor to consider is the speed of your website. In today's fast-paced world, customers expect websites to load almost immediately. If your website takes more than a few seconds to load, you're likely losing potential customers.
There are several ways to improve the speed of your website, such as optimizing images and using a content delivery network.
Use local keywords
If you want your website to rank in local search results, you need to use local keywords throughout your site. Local keywords are terms that include your city or region. For example, if you're a plumber in Seattle, some local keywords you could use include "plumber Seattle" and "Seattle plumbing."
Including local keywords on your website helps show Google that your business is relevant to people searching for businesses in your area.
Use Schema markup
Schema markup is a code you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content. Adding schema markup to your website can improve your click-through rate and organic traffic.
There are several ways to add schema markup to your website, such as using a plugin or adding the code manually.
If you're unsure how to add schema markup to your website, we recommend reaching out to a local SEO expert.
Build custom landing pages for your ad campaigns
Relevant landing pages can increase your conversion rates by providing visitors with relevant and targeted content. Creating a custom landing page for each ad campaign allows you to control the message and offers that potential customers see.
When creating a custom landing page, some factors include using a strong headline, images or videos, and adding a call-to-action button.
3. Use social media
Social media is a vital tool when it comes to local marketing solutions. Promoting your business on social media will keep you ahead of your competition. Research shows that 54% of consumers go to social media to research products.
Make sure you are active on the platforms your target audience uses. For example, if you're targeting millennials, focus on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. If you're targeting baby boomers, Facebook would be a better platform to focus on.
To get the best local online marketing results from social media:
Run location-targeted ads
These are ads that are targeted to users based on their location. For example, if you're a restaurant in Seattle, you could target Facebook ads to people who live in Seattle.
You can also target ads to people who've visited your website or engaged with your page in the past. These are called "retargeting" ads.
Some location-targeted ads you can run to help local marketing online include store traffic ads designed to get people to enter your store. Alternatively, you can offer incentives such as punch cards for local customers' year-round visits to your store.
Post engaging content
Your social media content should be engaging and relevant to your target audience. Posting interesting and informative content will help you build a following of potential customers.
You can also use social media to run contests or giveaways. This is a great way to engage with your followers and promote your business simultaneously.
Include relevant information on your profile
When creating a business profile on social media for local marketing online, do not leave out relevant information such as your address, contact information, and business hours.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, include a link to your website or directions to your store. If you're a service-based business, include your service area.
Including relevant information on your profile makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
4. Use Google ads
Google ads are helpful local marketing solutions. They require little maintenance compared to social media ads.
Google ads are a great way to reach potential customers who are already interested in your services. Use the dynamic ads option to create ads that are relevant to the user's search.
For example, if someone searches for "floor repairs in Manhattan," your ad could say "Find the best floor repairs in Manhattan" with a link to your website.
For local online marketing on Google:
Use the SKAG strategy
SKAG stands for "single keyword ad group." This means that each of ad should be targeted to a specific keyword.
For example, if you have a carpet cleaning business, you could create an ad group for "carpet cleaning" and another ad group for "rug cleaning." Each ad would then be targeted to one of those keywords.
Track your conversions
The Google Tag Manager will help you to track your conversions. A conversion is when a user takes a desired action on your website, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
You can use the data from the Google Tag Manager to improve your local online marketing strategy by understanding which ads are working and which aren't.
5. Create a blog
Create a blog o drive organic traffic to your website. Blogs are excellent online marketing solutions as they help build brand authority, generate leads, and improve SEO.
When writing a blog post, ensure you include keyword-rich titles and meta descriptions to help improve your SEO Additionally, use high-quality images to break up text and add visual interest, Write helpful, informative content that provides value to your readers and include calls-to-action to encourage readers to take action
To do local online marketing with a blog, make sure to:
• Include your city or region in your blog post titles and meta descriptions
• Write about local events, news, and trends
• Include location-specific keywords throughout your blog posts
• Link to local businesses and organizations in your blog posts
Aside from writing blog posts for your website, write guests post for industry related sites in your local area. This is a great way to get your name and business in front of a new audience.
6. Ask for customer reviews
Customer reviews are one of the most powerful local marketing tools available. According to research, customer reviews are the second most trusted source of information about a business, after personal recommendations.
When customers leave reviews, they're not only giving their opinion about your business but also helping to promote your business to other potential customers.
To get customer reviews, ask satisfied customers to leave a review on your Google My Business. Alternatively, you can ask for customer reviews by emailing them after they've made a purchase or by including a link to your Google review page on your website.
7. Use call-only ads
If your business relies heavily on calls to attract customers and generate leads, then call-only ads are one of the great local marketing solutions for you.
Call-only ads are ads that can only be clicked if the user clicks on the "call" button. This ensures that users who click on your ad are interested in speaking to someone from your business.
To create a call-only ad, you'll need to create a new ad group in your Google Ads account and select "call-only" as the campaign type. Then, create an ad that includes your business name, phone number, and a call to action, such as "call now for a free consultation."
By using call-only ads, you can be sure that the people calling your business are interested in what you offer.
8. Run contests and giveaways online
Customers love contests and giveaways, making them a great way to attract attention to your business. When running a contest or giveaway, be sure to promote it across your social media channels and include a call-to-action on your website.
To make your contest or giveaway more effective:
• Make it local by requiring entrants to be from a certain city or region.
• Make it relevant to your business by giving away products or services that you offer.
• Keep it simple by having just a few entry requirements.
• Get creative with how you promote it. For example, you could hold a social media contest and ask people to share your contest post for a chance to win.
9. Implement a customer loyalty program
A customer loyalty program is a great way to encourage customers to return to your business.
You can set up a customer loyalty program in many different ways, but a common approach is to offer discounts or points for every purchase that customers make. For example, you could offer a discount of 20% off the second purchase or give customers one point for every $100 spent.
Customer loyalty programs are a great way to keep customers coming back and can also help you increase your sales.
To set up a customer loyalty program:
• Decide what type of loyalty program you want to offer.
• Create a loyalty card or online sign-up system so customers can start collecting points or discounts.
• Promote your loyalty program to customers so they know how it works and how they can benefit from it.
• Make sure you have enough staff to support the program. For example, if you're offering a discount, you'll need someone at the register to apply the discount.
• Track customer spending and award points or discounts accordingly.
10. Create an email list
Having an email list is one of the must-have local marketing solutions. Email lists are a great way to keep in touch with customers and prospects. Email lists allow you to send information about your business, such as new products or services, special offers, or upcoming events.
Email lists are also a great way to build relationships with customers and prospects. By sending out regular emails, you can stay top of mind and build a rapport with your customers.
To set up an email list:
• Choose an email service provider, such as MailChimp or Constant Contact.
• Create a sign-up form for your website or blog.
• Promote your email list to customers and prospects.
• Start sending out regular emails to your list.
Local online marketing is a great way to reach potential customers who are already interested in your services. There are many powerful local marketing solutions available, but these ten strategies are some of the most effective. If you use these strategies, you can be sure that your business will be visible to potential customers and that you'll be able to generate more leads and sales.
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