By Kay Gambrell, Local Business Expert & owner of Plan 2 Succeed
plan2succeedconsulting.com
Local business domination online, also known as dominating the Internet in your space, is not as hard as you think.
Is your local business awesome?
Absofrickenlutely!
It is awesome and because of this you deserve to get in front of the people looking for your services and products every single day!
Local SEO Trends For 2016 & Beyond
First let’s talk about a few trends. As Google continues to update their algorithms, I have noticed that a true emphasis on local is the direction the big G will continue to move towards.
This is a great thing if your business wants to reach people in a certain geographic location.
Quick Tips For Dominating The Internet
- ​Make sure you claim your business on Google My Business
When you claim your business page your goal should be to stick out like a sore thumb. - Give your page some more spice and really go the extra mile
In a nutshell you should do what most local business owners won't, and fill the pages out completely. - Local SEO and mobile friendly sites go together like peanut butter and jelly
Your customers are searching for you and more than likely it is on a mobile device, so make sure your site is ready to accommodate these potential customers. People are typing keywords into their mobile phone, or they are speaking them into their mobile phone. Either way, the mobile is tracking location, and is being used quite often by your customers. A responsive, mobile friendly site is a must! - Geo-targeted keyword search
This will be the key that opens up an amazing online marketing campaign.
Geo-targeted Keyword Research
Getting your keywords right sets the whole tone for your online takeover.
Geo-targeting simply means that you add city, state, or country information to target people from a specific geographical location that are searching. For example, "seo company keller tx", this keyword is specific to the location Keller, TX. As you start your keyword research, you should make Google your new best friend. There are many fancy tools out there; however, you do not need them to do great local keyword research.
Google, and a little common sense, will get you a long way. Think about all the keywords that your customers would type into Google to find you. Even ask friends and family what they would type in if they wanted to find your service/product. Make note of these words; I always write them down in Notepad. ​Go to Google and type in the first keyword, see what Google suggests as you start typing, as well as what they suggest at the bottom of the page.
Add all the keywords and suggestions to your list. Now take notes of the top 3 sites that are ranking for that keyword. Make sure to look at the top 3 map listings as well as top 3 organic listings. Add all of these sites to your list. Now head on over to Google Keyword Planner and input the keyword to get ideas. The other thing you can do that works really well, instead of entering the keyword, is to enter one of the competitor websites from your list and see the keywords associated with their website.
Although the big G is not the most accurate when it comes to how many people are searching locally for your keyword, they are great for giving you an idea. Also pay attention to the paid ads. If several paid ads (Google Adwords) show up for your keyword, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s a pretty good one. Businesses don't keep throwing out cash to keywords that are not making them any money.
Now that you are all set with some awesome geo-specific keywords - you are ready to dominate online. Make sure you use the keywords in your unique website content, in website titles, and in website links. You have a great foundation, now you can take these words and start your detailed online marketing campaign. Remember, marketing takes time, but with a great foundation, you are well on your way to meeting your business goals.
SEO Trends
The trends speak for themselves. Location is one of the important factors search engines are using to serve the most relevant results for searchers.
I'm sure that by now you can see that geo target keyword research is the true foundation to your online marketing campaign. Don't let procrastination, hesitation or fear stop you from getting all of the customers you want for your awesome business. Now that you have your location specific keywords, aka a solid foundation, it's time to go build the most gorgeous house in town.​
Kay Gambrell is a local business marketing expert based in the great state of Texas. Kay has been working in online marketing as owner of Plan 2 Succeed Consulting, LLC full-time since 2012. A marketer by day and a mama by night, she has a true passion for helping small businesses with online marketing & spreading the word about their awesome products/services.
http://plan2succeedconsulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaygambrell
https://twitter.com/Plan2succeednow
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