The antidote when you struggle to attract local customers
The #1 growth secret most local business miss...
“The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, ‘WRONG JUNGLE!’”
—Stephen R. Covey
I first realized there was a big opportunity for local businesses to grow using SEO about a month ago.
Since then, I’ve learned as much as I could about it as humanly possible.
I’ve gone through two courses (one free and one paid) on how to optimize a business with local SEO.
And while I’m still learning (especially as I use my business as a guinea pig), I think I’ve got a good understanding of what’s involved.
But before I start sharing HOW I’m building my business using local SEO…
Let’s examine the WHY behind why I’m doing the things I’ll be doing.
Because if you want to boost your businesses visibility and dominate your local area, you need to have a marketing roadmap.
And one of the biggest mistakes you can make, (as the opening quote by Stephen Covey alludes to) is to start doing things, without knowing whether those things you’re doing actually moves the needle.
So check this out:
It’s from a local search audit I ran on my own local marketing agency.
As you can see, I’ve got some work to do before I dominate the Montreal marketing agency space.
With that said, let’s break down all the ingredients that go into Local SEO.
The 3 Elements That Make You Rank at the Top Of Google Maps.
According to Google, one third of mobile searches are related to location.
And searches for [“local” + “business(es)”], have grown by more than 80% year over year.
In other words, the goal of a local SEO marketing strategy is to show up in the top 3 results of Google maps.
Because those businesses get 90+% of all clicks, leads, and sales.
Like this:
These three businesses become seen as of the only options in the local market. Your potential customers choose the “best” option from this list.
And because of that, these business generate the most revenue.
So, how can we get our local business into the map pack?
I’ve taken everything I’ve learned over the last month and distilled it into three main elements:
1. Google Business Profile (GBP)
Let’s continue with our fertility clinic example in Montreal.
I could (and will) write several newsletters on optimizing your GBP, but for now, just know that this is a MASSIVE part of showing up in the Map Pack.
Optimizing the GBP involves things like:
Photos
Reviews
Name, address, Phone number (NAP)
Google updates
etc…
2. On-Site SEO
This has to do with your website architecture.
The two key principles for excellent website architecture include:
Including the right pages on your website
Ensuring each page is easily accessible for users and search engines
Here’s an example of how to structure your main menu:
From what I understand, this has a lot to do with your industry and the buyer intent keywords you want to optimize for.
For example, if your were an electrician, instead of listing psychological disorders, you’d want to list the different services you offer.
Things like:
Generator installations
Solar panel installations
etc…
3. Off-Site SEO
Off-site SEO is the work you do that nobody sees.
In the local search audit I ran on my business, this concerns the “links and authority” bucket.
It consists primarily of getting (local) backlinks to your site and building citations.
Local Backlinks
When I first learned that backlinks were important to local SEO, I felt a little discouraged because my website is brand new, and I have very little authority in the field right now.
But then I learned that these backlinks—unlike with traditional SEO—don’t have to be from the Wall Street Journal to be valuable.
They’re actually referred to as “church links”, because they can be from ugly, non authoritative, local websites. (The kind your local church might have.)
Because we want to rank locally, links from the community, and other small businesses are often more valuable than when it comes to local SEO.
(Yay!)
Citations
These are similar to backlinks, except that rather than just a hyperlinked text back to your site, they literally display your Name, address, and phone number on other websites.
Usually directories.
Yup, think Yellow pages, yelp, etc…
The more places that list your business information, the better.
When it comes to citation building, think of it like the ante in poker.
While you won’t win because you paid the ante (buying citations), it allows you to sit at the table and compete.
They are essential to a local SEO strategy.
Iterate Your Way to the Top of Google
If I’ve learned anything when it comes to local SEO, it’s that it’s never a one-and-done game.
It’s all about making small, consistent improvements over time.
And now that I’ve shared the 30,000 foot view, it’s time to eat my own dog food start sharing the actual things I’m doing to improve in these 3 areas.
So stay tuned for upcoming issues.
(I’ll also try to be less preachy, and just share from my experience.)
I’m happy you’re here for the ride.
Warmly,
Nicholas.