As a small business owner, your local community should be your priority when starting your business. Taking advantage of social media and other online resources is key in bringing your business to the top, thanks to the power of local search engine optimisation (SEO).
Search engine optimisation is the process of improving local business website traffic by using various tools to increase visibility on web search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
How can your business conquer your community through the use of local SEO hacks? Here are some pointers to keep in mind.
Local Keyword Hunting
Local optimisation of search engines should be tactical and organised. The first aspect of your strategy is to look into intensive local keyword research. Though keyword studies, you’ll be able to know what the most popular search terms in your locale are through geo-specific key terms.
Websites and tools like the Google Adwords Keyword Tool, WordTracker, and SemRush are helpful in researching location-specific keyword searches. How do these tools work? They allow you to check the most searched terms in a specific area and how many times these keywords were typed on search engines.
In addition to this, these tools can provide insights on competitors and their rankings in relation to keywords. The best keywords to choose can be identified by combining competitor tactics with SEO tools.
Local Review Gathering
How does an SME business like yours gain organic credibility and a solid reputation? Reviews! Achieving positive ratings from various people really helps your business grow faster in terms of searches. Your ranking is affected by how people rate your business.
For your business to get better reviews, make sure that there are features on your websites that allow people to leave reviews such as badges and buttons that link them to website directories like Google My Business.
If your business has an online selling or shopping option, encourage your customers to sign up for your mailing list so you can ask them to rate your products or their experience with your business.
Local Social Media Marketing
Did you know that there are about 17 million active social media users in Australia? This number can be used to your advantage as a small business entrepreneur. Since there’s a large population online on social media platforms across the country, there’s a great chance that people in your local community uses popular sites like Facebook.
If you have not made a Facebook business page, do it now! Make sure that you update your About information with your business category, phone number, location, and business hours.
If you have done these steps, invite your friends and family to like your page, this will expand your reach as a business page. Connect your page with other local pages through likes to expose your page to your community. This will entice other people to be fans of your page, too. You should also remember to regularly post status updates like photos, videos, and polls on your Facebook page to keep your feed active and relevant.
Australian Business Directories for Local SEO
Another aspect of local SEO is ensuring you have an online footprint with the top Business Directories that support your SEO efforts.
Get the top 25 list! (Free Download below).
Conclusion
There are more than just four ways to optimise your presence online. SEO is such a vast art and science that’s ready to be innovated and discovered for different purposes. If you are still looking for ways to utilise local SEO, get in touch today and let’s discuss the online needs for your Local Small Business.