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In 2016, 87% of internet users used a search engine to look for information on local products and services (Source: eMarketer). 87% makes a lot of opportunities for your local business. How do you make sure your business can capitalize on these opportunities?
Local search should be the foundation of your local marketing strategy. Online information regarding your business needs to be visible and up-to-date to pull your consumers to your website. In addition to your name, address and phone number, your consumers should be able to find your business hours, photos, link to your website and more. The more information you give, the more new clients you will attract. Indeed, when a consumer finds local information in the results of a search, he is more likely to visit a store. (Source : Think with Google).
But wait! This information must be kept up-to-date, clean and without duplication or your business might be penalized: unsatisfied clients, lower ranking in search engine result pages, lower traffic to your online platforms and decrease of your brand visibility. In short, it will hurt.
The more you keep your local listings up-to-date, the higher you will be from a local search standpoint. It is the same principle as maintaining your storefront: if it is clean and welcoming, clients will want to come in.
When it comes to your local marketing strategy, it is hard to overlook social media. Facebook is, as a matter of fact, one of the key players when it comes to local. It does not only offer Facebook Places, it also allows you to stimulate your current consumers or potential new clients with posting and targeting.
Your local marketing strategy will only be complete if it takes into consideration online review management. Like it or not, consumers have plenty to say about their experience with your product, your service or your brand. And with 88% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, managing your online reputation becomes essential.
And when all of the above is done?
When all of the above is done, it is time to optimize. As you know, online directories and search engines never sleep. What about your team?
If done manually, of course, managing your local marketing can become a burden. Thankfully, TECHLOCAL can help you manage your local listings, duplicate and online reviews while giving you keywords tracking and analytics report. Want to know more? Click here.
To get advice from our experts, contact us.
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