Stagnating businesses, desolate streets, a shrinking population, and a future riddled with uncertainty. This has become the common tale of many small towns and cities across America as more and more people seek greener pastures.
But in recent years, some outlying towns and faraway suburbs in over 11 states are changing this narrative.
Charming towns like Vineyard, Utah and Harrisonburg, Virginia are in the midst of a technology and business boom, attracting families and young job-seekers. If you own a business in a small town or city, or near a thriving metropolis, now is the perfect opportunity to shake things up and do some digital marketing.
But don’t get too intimidated. There’s one facet of inbound marketing that’s relatively easy and inexpensive to start. It’s called local search engine optimization, or local SEO.
This strategy lets potential customers find your business, despite your remote location. Unlike the traditional advertising methods you’re accustomed to, like radio or print ads, local SEO yields potentially higher returns but with less effort on your part. Instead of making noise to acquire leads, local SEO works by enhancing a business’s discoverability when people search for nearby businesses and location-based services online.
The best part about local SEO is that the learning curve is not so steep, so anyone can go the DIY route and achieve the desired results. Or you can skip the learning curve and hire an SEO agency in Virginia right away to maximize the benefits.
Click to Brick: Local SEO in a Nutshell
Local SEO is an effective way to promote your products or services to local customers at the exact moment they need them. It involves optimizing a website to rank better for geo-specific queries on Google, Bing, or other search engines. It also includes improving a business’s discoverability using multiple digital channels, like online listing directories, social media, and paid advertising. All these online activities boost your chances of attracting more customers to your brick-and-mortar location.
Even if your business doesn’t have a fixed address, say you have a mom-and-pop stall at the weekend market, local SEO helps keep your brand in a privileged position in public memory. Create enough buzz online, offer a memorable customer experience, and they’ll likely come by your stall whenever they’re in the area.
Local SEO is effective not only because it gives small, local businesses the chance to compete with the big guns, but it also caters to today’s tech-savvy, more informed consumers. Today’s consumers demand information at their fingertips and have higher standards when it comes to convenience, which is why 80 percent of disposable income in the US is spent within 20 miles of home.
That doesn’t mean, however, that customers go to the nearest shop they can find.
Their decision to drive to a store and make a purchase is informed by their online research, which can include local search rankings, reviews, and social media engagement. A business that’s within the tight radius of the searcher and scores high in terms of relevance (meets the searcher’s exact needs) and prominence (the business stands above the competition) is likely to get more foot traffic, and ultimately, higher profits.
Consumers are likely to bring these habits with them when they travel or visit nearby towns, which is why local SEO is not just for businesses in big cities. With high-speed Internet and spotless cell coverage now spreading farther into distant areas, there are even more reasons to stay connected with the world.
How Small Town Businesses Benefit from Local SEO
The benefits of local SEO and digital marketing in general to small-town businesses are tenfold and go beyond being discoverable.
From building a hyperlocal website to becoming a fixture in the community, there are plenty of ways you can boost your local presence. But start with these essentials:
Metropolitan areas are ever-expanding and creating regional business hubs and small-town powerhouses in their wake. These areas will become attractive to tourists seeking a weekend getaway, young professionals shifting to a more laid back lifestyle, millennials looking to start a family in a peaceful area, and even retirees.
Adopting a local SEO strategy ahead of time will prepare you for the winds of change that are bound to sweep over your town. And with mobile devices connecting nearly every corner of the world, there’s no reason to stay hidden.
Get found online today by working with the local SEO experts at Alkries, LLC. Schedule a discovery meeting today.
