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Originally Posted On: https://selfimagemedia.com/how-to-use-local-search-marketing-to-attract-more-customers/

 

If you’ve ever consulted with a San Diego SEO expert, you’ll probably know that you can get more customers by promoting local search marketing. Before local customers can find your business though, you have to promote it using all available local marketing strategies.

 

Using Google My Business for instance, is one sure way to get local visibility. SEO services in San Diego can tell you that at least half of all Internet searchers are looking for local information.

 

That stands to reason of course, since they would most easily be able to take advantage of services provided by a local business. If you are ready to attract the maximum possible local business, you might want to consult a San Diego SEO service to find out the best way to go about it. Below, you’ll find some general strategies for attracting more local business.

Getting a leg up on the competition

One of the best advantages of local search marketing is that it will thrust you ahead of your rivals. By using local paid ads in your overall strategy, you can take this a step further. You probably won’t even have to worry about the competition, because you will have leap-frogged past them.

 

Even if your rivals are a better fit for the search criteria entered by a user, you might still show up at the top of the page because you paid for the privilege. If your company is at least a reasonable match for the search criteria entered, you may occupy the top spot in search rankings regardless of your actual relevance.

Targeting specific markets

You don’t really need to have a specific physical location in an area in order to conduct business. You can be operating remotely, targeting a local market. As an example, you may offer counseling services via Zoom or Skype. That can be done from anywhere, but if you drum up local business, that would be a great way of growing your practice. To this end, you can use social media, Yelp, Google My Business, and paid ads.

 

Some businesses also create a sitemap on their website so visitors can more easily locate them. This will also tell Google a lot more about what your website has to offer, possibly increasing your rankings. Any business that has several locations around the country can gain a clear advantage by taking this approach.

Increasing traffic relevance

Getting the most relevant traffic is very important to your business for a number of reasons. First of all, relevant traffic includes those users who are ready to make a purchase. They won’t waste much of your time, they won’t have many questions, and they’re probably ready to buy right now. On the other hand, less relevant traffic might be individuals who take up lots of time, ask lots of questions, and then end up buying nothing.

 

When you market to a local audience, you’re much more likely to get relevant traffic that results in purchases. Another aspect you should consider about relevant traffic is that you have to pay for ads whenever a user clicks on them. That means all those clicks that don’t result in a purchase are actually costing you money. When you have more relevant traffic clicking on your ads, more purchases will be made, and you’ll get more return on investment.

Stay in sync with Google

Whatever else you do, make sure that you comply with all the guidelines issued by Google relevant to search engine rankings. Keep in mind that these guidelines change frequently, so you’ll need to stay abreast of them at all times. If you happen to make a misstep and violate one of Google’s important tenets, you may find yourself with a lower search engine ranking than you expected.

 

For sure, you should avoid the obvious missteps such as misrepresentation and inappropriate ad copy. It would probably be a good idea to designate some individual in your organization to monitor Google algorithms, so you can remain in constant compliance.

Provide a good user experience

Even if you’ve done everything else right on your website, you need to make sure that your users have a good experience when visiting. Believe it or not, Google has ways of determining whether or not visitors appreciate your website.

 

For instance, if your bounce rate is high, Google will realize that your content is not considered especially relevant or useful to an audience you might be targeting. Is Google determines that you’re content does not satisfy users, your website simply will not be displayed, and you will slip in the rankings.

Keep your website clean

One of the worst things that could happen to your website is that it becomes infected with a virus or some kind of malware. When Google determines that this is the case, your website will be avoided like the plague. Even if you’re running paid ads, Google will make an effort to protect users and shun your website.

 

If Google believes your website has somehow been infected, it will apply a malware tag that virtually quarantines it from being visited by users. The bottom line is – check your website periodically to make sure it stays clean and uninfected.

 

Does your business need help getting found on local search? Request a free online audit and quote!