No matter the industry, service, or product, there is sure a lot of competition out there and it seems to only grow each day. A great way to narrow down your competition is to start local. Here are a few methods to increase your business’ local search results online:
1. SEO - Google tends to lead the pack when it comes to local search engines. Next in line, comes local search sites (such as Yahoo Local), followed by Yellow Pages and Citysearch. Make sure your business is listed in as many local online guides/search engines as possible. Focus on using keywords that include your location and hiking your SEO that way first.
2. Include Images – When creating your local result on these pages, be sure to include a photo or your business logo to go along with your profile. Users report that images grab their attention more than text and they were more likely to contact a business with a logo/image attached than one without.
3. Be Thorough – Many sites offer a free profile to go along with your listing. Whether this includes your basic business information (ie address, phone number, website, owner, etc.) or a more in depth profile (about paragraph, portfolio, coupons, videos, business category, etc.) make sure to take advantage of it and fill out every available field. The fuller and more in-depth your profile, the more established your business looks compared to your competition.
Here is an infographic from MDG Advertising that deals with local search and the value it holds over those who are searching and those who are hoping to be found:
Infographic by MDG Advertising
Until Next Time!
Bonnie Olswanger | Thrive Web Designs, a Boise web design company
