Geolocation Marketing | HowTo.Agency

Local SEO Strategies that Matter Most RIGHT NOW

by | Nov 22, 2021 | Geolocation Marketing, SEO

We all know that small business owners face immense challenges every day. While many are solved with relative ease, solving the issue of generating traffic – both online and in-person is unfortunately looked over time and time again. Optimizing your website for local SEO is the first step towards achieving the traffic that you deserve.

local seo helps the closest and best customers find you

The Benefits of Optimized Local SEO for Small Businesses

Firstly, physical businesses that have actual storefronts yet haven’t optimized their local SEO are perilously close to several threats. But those businesses that have taken ownership of their local SEO and relevant platforms already find themselves on the front foot with these vital benefits:

Improved visibility in online search results
Superior and more relevant traffic
Able to build meaningful relationships with local customers
Foster trust with the community
An overall increase in sales

5 Time-Saving Local SEO Strategies to Enhance Your Business

Website optimization and local SEO can seem daunting and even worse – time-consuming. However, we provide 5 time-saving strategies that will enable you to enhance your online presence while empowering you to continue with the day-to-day tasks as a business owner.

1. Optimize Your Website

Many small businesses handicap themselves right from the start by building a website that is poor quality and not optimized to rank well on the search engines. To avoid missing out on prospective customers you need to pay attention to the overall design and layout of your website. Make sure your website ticks all the boxes below.

Easy to navigate
Consistent theme and message
A detailed About Us page
Use of local keywords
Mobile Responsive
Ensure all relevant business information is available
Use of a specific location

Overall, these are vital components that can immediately improve the online presence of your business and its standing on the search engines like Google, Yahoo & Bing.

2. Create a Google Business Profile

During August of 2021, Google was named as the most popular search engine with a total market share of 92.03%. This incredible number indicates just how important it is for your business to rank highly in Google’s local search results. To get one step closer to improving your local SEO, create a Google Business Profile account and claim your business.

Likewise, Google Business Profile is easy to set up and manage all the intricacies of your online presence. Take your time and provide correct details and information. This includes:

Business name, logo, and other identification
Correct business category
Contact information
Business location
Operating hours
Other essential information that will help prospective customers find your business

Furthermore, continue to keep your Google Business Profile page updated by posting regular articles and other content.

3. Sign Up for Online Business Directories

Creating a Google Business Profile account may seem like that’s the last thing you need to do, but signing up to relevant, local business directories will improve your local SEO even further. Business directories are readily available regardless of your operating location.

Leading names in the business directory community have been led by Yellow Pages, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. We certainly recommend signing up to each of these directories to further improve local SEO but there’s another directory to consider.

NextDoor is a prime example of a directory that’s incredibly relevant to your physical location. A key factor that differentiates NextDoor from its competitors is that when you post any form of content such as an article or image, that content automatically appears in the feed of anyone who is within 2 miles of your business. Such a feature will help connect your business with a relevant, local audience and lay the foundation on which to nurture future relationships.

4. Ask for Reviews – and Respond to Them

The pursuit of building trust and authority is something that all businesses attempt to attain. For a small business, however, trust and authority are influential in determining whether that business will achieve long-term success.

Reviews in this instance function as a form of testimonial to your business. So why would you not ask for them? Asking for a review is the first step of engagement post-sale and cements your business in the mind of your customer – making it easier to receive another sale in the future.

Positive or negative, you must always respond to reviews in a professional and friendly manner. Prospective customers can make a buying decision based solely on a positive review. But if you’ve resolved an issue, it indicates to prospective customers that your business is willing to go above and beyond to rectify any potential issues.

5. Connect All Social Media Platforms

The popularity of social media platforms has surged each year with millions of people joining platforms from Facebook to Tiktok. Each of these platforms represents another opportunity to build your presence online and improve your local SEO.

Your business and target audience will typically determine your choice of social media platform/s. Some offer better chances of connecting with prospective customers. With the choice of platform/s made, ensure that all details and vital information is correct (similar to Google Business Profile).

Having inserted your details successfully, you can’t let your social media platforms lie dormant – it’s called social media for a reason! You must post regularly and engage with your audience. Further, create a posting schedule of stipulated content and maintain it. Your audience will begin to become more familiar with how your business operates and in turn, are more likely to engage with you.

So, treat your social media platforms as an extension of your website. Just like your website, they should send a clear message that’s closely aligned with your values and how your business may benefit them.

Final Thoughts on Local SEO

In conclusion, traditional SEO strategies have dominated the online landscape with larger corporations trying to establish themselves as the ‘go-to’ business within their industry. But local SEO has grown in importance and stature to such a point that it can truly elevate the efforts of a small business.

Continue to work on your local SEO and website optimization when you have the time to do so. Regularly update your information and post content that is relevant to your location and community. Local SEO will always remain a marathon. Make sure that your business is in it for the long run.

So, do you need help with your SEO? JVI Mobile Marketing can help! We offer a variety of SEO services to help you reach your perfect customer. Fill out the form below to get started.

How to Target Local Customers Using Geolocation Marketing

by jayvics | Dec 5, 2019 | Geolocation Marketing

geolocation marketing targets customers who are nearby

You may be wondering how to target local customers using geolocation marketing. Local businesses have special marketing challenges. Namely, it’s your job as a business owner to make sure that the people who are most likely to patronize your business – the people who live in your service area – know what you have to offer and where to find you.

One way to accomplish that goal is to use geolocation marketing. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Geolocation Marketing?

Let’s start with the basics. Geolocation marketing is a type of marketing that’s location-specific. By that, I mean that you can connect with potential customers who are near your business and target them directly with offers and ads.

The benefits of geolocation marketing are clear:

You’ll have access to a highly targeted audience of people who are likely to frequent your business
You can attract new customers by reaching out to them with offers that appeal directly to them
You can learn about the shopping habits and preferences of your existing customers. Use what you learn to grow your business
You can reward your most loyal customers with special content and offers designed to turn them into brand ambassadors

In other words, geolocation marketing can help you to tap into a resource base of your existing customers and potential customers in your area, allowing you to connect with them and market your business in a way that’s likely to yield a high return on your investment.

Tools to Use for Geolocation Marketing for Your Business

There are three kinds of geolocation marketing that you can use depending upon your needs. They are:

Geotargeting. This is the broadest form of geolocation marketing. It uses the IP addresses of your customers’ web browsers. In practical terms, you can’t use geotargeting for precise target audiences because it can’t pinpoint your audience’s location exactly. It’s best suited for marketing to general regions, cities, or states.
Geofencing. Geofencing is more precise than geotargeting, allowing you to target specific neighborhoods and even streets. Don’t think that limits you, though – it can also be used for entire towns or cities. Geofencing uses mobile devices’ GPS locations instead of IP addresses. That means you can track your customers’ locations even if they move. It’s ideal for attracting foot traffic but not as effective for tailoring specific marketing campaigns to your target audience.
Beacons. Beacons are by far the most specific option for geolocation marketing. A beacon is a small device that you’ll put inside or near your business. It collects data from Bluetooth signals in smartphones. They’re ideal for use in places with poor Wi-Fi reception because they’re used for close communication. The Bluetooth technology allows you to send messages and offers directly to customers who are in range.

The type of geolocation marketing you choose depends on what you hope to accomplish with it. If your business is highly dependent upon foot traffic, you may decide that geofencing is the most cost-effective and useful form of geolocation marketing.

Tips for Using Geolocation Marketing

Now, let’s talk about some specific tips to help you make the most of geolocation marketing and grow your business. There are lots of ways you can use this technology. Here are some suggestions.

Target people in a venue or at an event. If yours is the type of business that relies on foot traffic and you’re near a popular event venue, such as a stadium or theater, you can set up a geofence to target people who are at the place you specify. For example, a bar could target concertgoers at a nearby theater. You can also use this option to target office complexes and neighborhoods.
Set up a geofence in your delivery area. If you own a business that delivers – whether you’re delivering Thai food or furniture – you can easily use geofencing to target the people who live in the area you service. Those people are the most likely to buy from you and they may not know about your business – until you use geolocation marketing to tell them what you have to offer.
Use geotargeting to map out your audience based on where they are. While geotargeting is a more “big picture” type of geolocation marketing, it can be extremely useful to help you find people who are nearby. For example, if you sell a luxury product, you can use geo-targeting to get your message to people who live in upscale neighborhoods.
Use geolocation marketing to learn about your target audience’s buying habits. For example, you might have a nearby competitor and use geotargeting to provide potential customers with an incentive to visit your business.

businesses can use geolocation marketing to attract nearby customers

Beacons

Use a beacon to attract foot traffic to your store. What if you own a retail store or restaurant that relies heavily on foot traffic? You can set up a beacon to ping your customers when they’re in range and then target them with specific offers. For example, if you own a restaurant near a busy downtown area or office park, you can send out an offer about your happy hour, including information about special deals on appetizers and drinks.
Speaking of beacons, you can also use them to send you an alert when a repeat or loyal customer is in your store. Imagine how flattered and grateful your customers will be when you show up at the door to greet them by name and show them what you’ve got to offer! This is a terrific tool for personalized marketing that can turn loyal customers into brand ambassadors.

The bottom line here is that geolocation marketing allows local businesses to use GPS technology to connect directly with the customers – and potential customers – who are most likely to frequent their stores.

The key to geolocation marketing is to determine which method will deliver the returns you want. That means defining your marketing goals and choosing the tech that’ll allow you to achieve them, whether it’s a beacon or a geofence.

Want to attract more local customers to your business? JVI Mobile can help.