Customers online only want one thing: easy access to information. They want to search for a service and find a business that offers what they need. Naturally, they’ll check out the top results first. The difference between these results is how they attract potential clients to make them click through to their website.
This is a problem with most small businesses. They might have a great physical store, but the lack or mismanagement of information online makes them hard to find. What you need is a strong online presence so that people can find you first. Let’s look at some of the best ways you can bring your business to the top of every customer’s mind:
1. Improve Your Online Presence
It’s one thing to have your business website appear on Google. It’s another for it to be featured on a business directory or a review website. A lot of social media platforms refer to lists for business contact information, while reviews of your business can help boost its SEO ranking.
Try Google Business or the Yellow Pages for starters. Next, search for business directories in your area and make sure that yours is listed. Consistency is essential, so don’t forget to use the same NAP information (name, address, and phone number) across all listings.
Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. You’ll trust a business that has the same contact information across all sites. Clients can quickly think that shops with inconsistent information are already closed.
2. Engage the Locals
Proximity and location play a large part in foot and web traffic. People visit the store they searched for 50% of the time, especially if they’re nearby. Take advantage of this by having your store’s location listed in as many places as you can.
If there’s a lot of competition in your area, you’ll have to improve not only your global search results but your local SEO, too. There are several ways to do this. Consulting a digital marketing agency in Virginia Beach can be a good start. Experts can review your business and find ways to promote it.
They can help boost your online rankings and build brand recognition in your community. This is important as building a strong local presence can have positive effects for years to come.
3. Energize Your Content
SEO experts know that regular posting boosts your search ranking. But what’s more important is how engaging that content is. Quality content gets shared more on social media.
Besides blog posts, consider posting photos and videos. Don’t forget to tag the location where you took them. Give customers a tour of your business by sharing what it looks like inside and out.
Your product or service might be helpful to another website or business. Once you have a lot of good content, try approaching sites to link back to you. These links are called backlinks. The more backlinks you have, the more search engines will recognize your domain’s legitimacy. This is called domain authority. The higher your domain’s (your website) authority, the better your search rankings will be.
Good SEO is not an accident. There is no shortcut. Take note of these three essential pointers to help build your SEO rankings. After all that hard work, make sure that people who do visit your website get what they need. Make customers happy and give them an option to leave feedback. Remember that positive reviews are one of the best ways to increase web traffic.
