Local marketing used to be simple. You would purchase a spot in the Yellow Pages, create physical flyers, and maybe advertise in the nearby newspaper. This allowed people to know about your business and its location.
Afterwards, web marketing emerged, leading to significant transformations. Initially, it was suggested to concentrate on broad keywords. However, with the advancement of the algorithms of Google and other search engines, the emphasis has now shifted to prioritising local searches over everything else. This is referred to as content marketing for local SEO.
Why is this significant? In brief, generating engaging content relevant to the local community is imperative. It is as necessary as breathing. To prove to potential customers that you are actively involved in the area, you must do more than just share your location.
The Fundamentals of Local Marketing
I have already written extensively about marketing at a local level; however, I believe it is crucial to provide a brief overview of optimising your website and content for local search. Remember the following pointers:
- Ensure that your website is optimised for mobile search and that it appears visually appealing on mobile devices.
- Make sure your website is optimised for local voice searches and searches containing the phrase “near me.”
- Select local keywords that have a considerable number of searches and are closely related to your business. The most effective local search words include the name of your city, state, or neighbourhood, in addition to relevant keywords pertaining to your business.
- Utilise rich snippets to incorporate significant geographical details into your Google search outcomes.
- Get backlinks from significant local websites to your own site. Keep in mind that, when it comes to creating links, it is more important to prioritise quality over quantity. To enhance your local SEO reputation, concentrate on local business directories, the Chamber of Commerce, and other relevant local businesses.
- Urge your customers to provide reviews and include links to your review pages on your website. Additionally, customer testimonials, which provide more detailed insights than reviews, hold significant value as well.
By adhering to these suggestions, you can initiate the process, yet you must still generate captivating content for the local audience in order to draw in customers.
Local Content Creation Tips
After optimising your website for local searches, your focus should be on generating local SEO content. This involves more than just including local keywords in your overall content. You must show visitors to your site that you are actively involved in and connected to the local community.
I have some recommendations to help you begin.
1. Identify the topics that your audience is interested in and include them in your writing. While it’s important to stay connected to your business, it’s perfectly fine to show enthusiasm for subjects that matter to your audience. For instance, you can write about a community event that is scheduled to happen or the first major storm of the year. If you have a customer avatar already, this task should be even simpler.
2. Compose a blog post discussing nearby happenings. Local events hold significance within any community, be it a small countryside hamlet or a bustling metropolis. As a business proprietor, it is essential to stay informed about such events and find ways to incorporate them into your company’s narrative. If you intend to contribute to your community by sponsoring a booth at a local fair, this task will be effortless.
Nevertheless, participating in local charitable activities and festive occasions offers you the opportunity to discuss your community and express your fondness for it.
One way to make case studies appealing to prospective customers in a specific region is by offering an “expert’s guide to…” that showcases your understanding of the area. For instance, a landscape gardener in Redcliffe could provide insights on the problems caused by saltwater or offer tips on eliminating redback spiders.
3. Have a conversation about news related to your area. Did the local soccer team in your neighbourhood qualify for the playoffs? Did your town receive national recognition for something? Is there going to be a new establishment opening in town? Any of these topics can be transformed into blog posts, and they can be particularly impactful if you can seamlessly link the story to your business.
Being actively involved in your local community online is an excellent method to discover inspiration for creating content related to your area. For instance, you can follow your nearby Chamber of Commerce on Facebook, sign up for your local newspaper’s newsletter, or visit the library to check out the latest announcements and advertisements on the bulletin board.
What is your content’s intent?
When you are producing content for a specific area, it is crucial to keep in mind that every blog post or social media update you compose must have a distinct purpose that is relevant to your business.
What do I mean by this? To put it simply, if you don’t have a clear understanding of why you are writing about something, it’s not worth spending time blogging about it. Occasionally, the purpose is evident. For example, if you own a hairdresser store, writing about hairstyles for formals could potentially boost your client numbers among a whole new group of people who did not know you before.
Sometimes, though, it can be challenging to determine the exact purpose. That’s okay, but it’s important not to overlook this step. With a bit of creativity, you should be able to establish a connection between any content you produce and your company.
If you are finding it difficult to find a natural connection between a local charity event and your business for blogging purposes, don’t give up. Rather, you can explore alternatives such as donating a portion of your sales to charity or collaborating with other local business owners to organise a fundraising event.
To improve your business and reach your target audience, it is vital to create local content that aligns with your company. While sharing generic content is still possible, prioritising local content is crucial for your Brisbane business growth.
