Almost all business starts out as a local enterprise. Even the largest corporations in the world began as small businesses serving local customers. With that in mind, local SEO strategies are designed to help small businesses grow and expand by ensuring that their websites perform better in local searches.
To be clear, local SEO is a subset of a broader SEO discipline. It relies on many of the same strategies that are simply modified and attuned to local needs. This includes creating content that performs well on all the major search engines.
According to Salt Lake City’s Webtek Digital Marketing, certain types of content seem to do extremely well with local searches. Webtek recommends the following content types for improving local search:
1. Landing Pages
A landing page is a specific page separate from a company’s home page. It is designed to attract user attention based on a specific type of information the consumer is interested in. For example, SEO experts often rely on landing pages to promote special deals or sales, introduce new products, or invite new customers to make that first purchase.
For the purposes of local SEO services, landing pages should be specific to a certain region. One company might have separate landing pages for multiple cities in the same county. Another might utilize a countywide landing page. The specificity of location-based landing pages is determined by how a company wants to reach its target audience.
2. Sale and Discount Information
A business looking to expand its local reach should make a concerted effort to develop content around sales and discounts. Imagine a local company selling pool supplies. The company’s annual spring and summer sales should be highlighted on the website with special content devoted to those events.
A landing page would be an obvious good start. It could be enhanced by blog posts, videos, infographics, or any other type of content that highlights each particular event.
3. FAQ Pages
Businesses connect more effectively with local customers when they provide detailed answers to critical questions. Therefore, FAQ pages are ideal for improving local SEO. They do two things in this regard:
- Improve search engine results by utilizing the most attractive keywords
- Improve a company’s reputation and build trust with customers.
It is strange that so many companies do not utilize FAQ pages, given the level of frustration consumers often express over not being able to find answers to what they perceive as fundamental questions.
4. Relevant Local News
Any local news relative to a company’s business provides a valuable material for onsite content. Perhaps a company is involved in a local charitable event. One or two blog posts outlining that event can do wonders for local SEO. Likewise, if a local industry is impacted by something significant, carrying the news on the company website is a good way to attract new visitors.
5. Relevant Press Releases
Companies expecting to get the most from local SEO services should absolutely utilize press releases whenever there is important company information to reveal to the public. Has your company brought on new team members? Introduce them with a press release. Are you planning to add new services? A press release lets the public know.
Local SEO is a key ingredient in utilizing the internet to grow and expand a small business. Remember, all business starts locally. If your company is not yet utilizing local SEO services to enhance your ongoing marketing efforts, you are missing out on what could be the most effective tool for reaching your customers. Investing in local SEO is very much worth it.