Optimizing your local online presence is a must in 2023 if you want to get more leads, clients, and brick-and-mortar foot traffic.
These tips will help your business reach more local customers when they are online looking for your service or product.
This list includes both paid and free local online marketing strategies so you can take action no matter what your budget is.
Online marketing can be overwhelming at first, so I recommend focusing on 1-2 tips at a time. If you don’t have the time or you need to focus on other areas of your business, I’ve included tips on finding a local online marketing agency or a digital marketing consultant.
Here are the best local online marketing tips to get more leads and customers in 2023:
1. Set up and optimize Google My Business (GMB)
Google My Business is how local businesses show on Google. It allows your business to be listed on Google Maps if you have a physical location and organic search results when someone searches your business or services on Google.
It can show in a few different formats depending on the exact search and if the user is on a mobile or desktop device.
The more optimized this is, the better chance you have at your business showing when a person searches for a term relative to your business.
You can create or manage your GMB listing by visiting Google’s Business Profile Manager. Completing your profile only takes a few minutes and is done through a step-by-step process.
Cost: Free
Here are some items that are eligible to show on your GMB profile:
- Name
- Address
- Phone
- Hours of operation
- Website
- Attributes
- Reviews
- Photos
- You can view the whole list here.
What makes GMB listings show?
- A user searches your business name
- A user searches for your service in your service area. EX: “Seattle plumbers”
- A user searches for your “service” + “near me” term on Google. EX: “plumbers near me”
How to optimize your listing:
- Make sure all your details are always up to date
- Complete each section of the setup
- Make sure you have the correct category for your business selected
- Add photos
- Get and manage reviews
- Check out the Search Engines Journal’s complete guide to GMB for more in-depth steps
Pro Tip: Send a personal thank you letter to past customers with whom you had a good rapport and ask for a positive review on your GMB profile. Reviews help boost credibility and rankings. Also, make sure to respond promptly and address any negative reviews.
2. Improve your local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) includes techniques that help your website rank for searches on Google. For example, when a user searches for something like “West Seattle CPA,” a good SEO strategy will help your website show in the first result on Google.
Cost:
Free if done by yourself
Consultant or agencies (varies by scope, but generally around $300 – $3,000 per month)
Create localized content:
You can improve your rankings on Google’s organic search results by optimizing for local searches. That means you will want to have content on your website related to your business and mention your local area.
For example, if you have a residential painting service in Seattle, you could include local terms and relevant local information:
EX: “We’ve been providing residential home painting services in Seattle for over over 15 years. Our office is located in West Seattle, and you are welcome to come in and collaborate with our design team to completely tailor your project. Our team uses the most up-to-date paints and procedures to ensure that your paint job lasts for many seasons in the unpredictable Pacific Northwest climate.”
Local content examples:
- Local services pages (a page for each location you serve)
- Location-specific terms in the content
- Location relevant content (i.e., community, weather, events, etc. that is specific to your location and industry)
Onpage SEO optimization
In addition to local search content, you can optimize your on-page SEO. This just means making edits/updates to your site and content that make it easier for Google to crawl and read your website.
Google has bots that read and index your site. If they can’t correctly read your site, it can impact how you rank.
How to improve your on-page SEO:
- Make sure your pages have meta descriptions
- Make sure your content is formatted with headlines and subheadlines
- Use image alt-text
- Internally link pages
- Make sure your site works well on mobile devices
- Check out HubSpot’s complete on-page SEO guide for more tips and steps
3. Optimize your website for mobile visitors
In 2022 the number of searches from mobile devices will continue to grow. In 2014 – 2019 alone, there were over 94 billion local search queries in the US (source: statista.com). That’s why it is so essential that your website is mobile-friendly. You want your potential customers to have an easy time navigating your site and make it easy for them to get in contact with you.
First, check if your site is mobile-friendly using Google’s mobile-friendly test tool.
If your site is not mobile-friendly, it’s usually due to some common issues- like having small text that is hard to read, the content not fitting on the screen, or clickable elements like buttons to close together.
If your website is hosted on a landing page builder like Wix.com or Squarespace.com, you should be able to fix things in the editor pretty easily by enabling the mobile-friendly setting. If you use WordPress or another custom platform, take a look at updating your theme to a mobile/responsive theme.
How to make your website mobile-friendly:
- Use a mobile-friendly theme
- Ensure text is not too large or small
- Clickable buttons should not be too close together
- Make navigation as simple as possible
- Reduce page load times
4. Make a click-to-call phone number
If you have a local business that needs to generate more leads, consider making a click-to-call phone number show at the top of your page on mobile devices.
Phone calls tend to have a much higher conversion rate, and 65% of customers prefer to contact a business over the phone instead of filling out a form (source: invoca.com).
The phone number should be in the hero section of your website, which is the topmost portion of a page that you see before scrolling down. You can also include click-to-call buttons throughout your content or on or above lead forms.
5. Submit your business details to local business directories
In addition to GMB, you can submit your business details to directories, increasing your chances of having your profile viewed by potential customers and helping with your Google Search rankings.
Business directory examples:
Here is a list of 22 local business directories you can use to start.
In addition to some more prominent directories like Yellow Pages and Bing Places, you can search for directories related to your industry. Brightlocal has a great resource with the top business directories by industry that you can browse and submit your business’s details to.
Here are the steps you can take to get your listing added:
- Visit the directories website
- Check if you are already listed. Most directories have a search function to search your business name in the directory quickly.
- Most directories will have a “add your listing” button
- Follow the steps and list your business.
6. Run geo-targeted Paid-Per-Click (PPC) search ads on Google
Google PPC ads show on the Google Search results above the organic listings. They are great because you can bid and show ads based on the term a user searches on Google, and you only pay for each click. That means you can bid on specific terms with high relevance and intent for your business.
Along with bidding on specific terms, you can target specific locations and radiuses as small as one mile.
When a user clicks a search ad, they will be directed to the page of your website that you specify. Ensure that the page has a clear call to action like “get a free estimate” or “call now” so the user knows what steps to take.
Steps to setting up PPC search ads on Google:
- Create a Google Ads Account
- Compile a list of keywords you want to target
- “location” + “service/product” EX: Seattle house painters
- “service/product” “near me” EX: house painters near me
- “service/product” EX: house painters
- Determine the location you want to target (usually your service area or the city your business is located in)
- Set up and run your campaign – YoutTube step-by-step guide
Depending on your industry and the terms you want to bid on, Google can become very expensive. I recommend working with a consultant or agency unless you have time to learn the nuances of Google Ads to avoid unnecessary spending.
7. Run geo-targeted call-only ads and call extensions on Google
In addition to PPC ads, you can run call-only ads on Google and call extensions that show your phone number on the ad. In fact, 70% of mobile searches click on call ads to connect with a business (source: invoca.com).
Learn how to set up your call-only ads from this call-only ad tutorial.
Learn how to set up your call extensions from this call extension tutorial.
8. Run Local Services Ads on Google
Another great local online marketing tactic is local services ads. Local services ads show at the top of the Google search results and include a verified badge. You must go through the verification or screening process after creating a profile.
These ads generate more leads and are only available for select industries. Google automates them, so you only need to set up your profile and determine a budget, and Google will automate the rest. You control your budget, and you can pause the ads when you like.
Visit Google’s Local Service Ads page to get started. They have account specialists available to help you set them up.
9. Run geo-targeted Facebook and Instagram ads
With Facebook and Instagram, you can create paid ads that target specific interests and demographics of users. Like Google ads, you can target specific locations or radiuses around a particular area.
When running a Facebook ads campaign, the most common placement for ads to show is on a users’ Facebook and Instagram feed.
You can use Facebook’s ads library to search for competitors to see what types of ads they are running.
Check out this tutorial by Shopify on creating a Facebook and Instagram ad campaign.
I hope you found that list helpful. If you have any questions about the above steps, feel free to send me an email, and I’d be happy to help or point you in the right direction.
How to find a local online marketing agency:
There are many local online marketing services that can help with the above tips. You can do a quick Google search and look for businesses in your area.
When you reach out, be sure to ask for examples and results from their past projects. Aso, confirm the cadence you will be reviewing performance and make sure expectations on deliverables are clear.
Some of the above marketing strategies, like SEO, do take time before you see results, so keep that in mind as you assess performance.
5 tools to help with your local online marketing:
- Google Page Speed Insights – Check your page load speed
- Google Mobile-Friendly Test – Check if your site is mobile-friendly
- Brightlocal – All in one local search management platform
- Google Keyword planner – Get search term volume estimates
- Canva – Create social ads
- Facebook ads library – Review paid social ads from other businesses
Local Online Marketing FAQs:
What is local online marketing?
Local online marketing is the process of implementing digital marketing strategies that help businesses connect with their target local customers to generate more revenue. Some strategies include local SEO, geo-targeted paid ads, Google My Business optimizations, and more.
What is local digital marketing?
Local digital marketing involves creating local online marketing campaigns to get more customers.
How do you do local marketing?
To do local marketing, you need to create digital marketing campaigns that target a specific audience for a given location. This can be accomplished through SEO, updating, and monitoring business listings, creating paid search ads for geo-related keywords, and much more.
How can I promote my business online locally?
You can promote your business online locally through targeted paid ads on Google Ads and Facebook.
What are some examples of online marketing?
- A home remodeling contractor creating a Facebook ad targeting an audience interested in home services for a particular zip code.
- Buying local services ads on Google to promote your business at the top of Google’s search results page.
