Content marketing for Search Engine Optimization is the big online trend, and, the best part is, it works even better for local businesses than it does for national and multinational companies.
Marcus Discovered SEO the Hard Way
In 2007, his swimming pool company in Northern Virginia did very well. In 2008, after the financial crash . . . not so well.
Back against the wall, Marcus went online to research how to save his business.
What Did His Customers Want to Know?
That’s what Marcus asked himself. He wrote posts telling people everything they needed and wanted to know about in-ground fiberglass pool construction.
The Search Engines Loved Him
No other swimming pool installation company online was writing about the business as Marcus was. His blog posts ranked highly in Google for hundreds of swimming pool keywords.
Within six months, his Pool and Spa website got more traffic than any other pool construction site. The leads and sales wouldn’t stop pouring in. Annual revenue went up to $6 million.
What did he do that had this turnaround occur? What worked so well?
Keywords Attract Traffic from Search Engines
When searchers go to Google and other search engines, they communicate what they want by putting in keywords and phrases. Obviously, it’s how Google knows you want to find sites about houses or house flies or the House of Representatives.
Over the years, Internet browsers have learned to make their searches more specific and, therefore, get better results. As a result, not many people will search for “houses” without adding “for sale in Boulder Colorado” or “Italian architecture” to get the exact information they need.
Online Businesses Used to Optimize for Specific Keywords
In years past, businesses and marketers created pages optimized for “houses for sale in Boulder Colorado.” These pages often didn’t say much, but they contained the phrase “houses for sale in Boulder Colorado” many times.
However, now Google and other engines are smarter. They know an article or blog posts that use such vocabulary as “real estate,” “homes,” “for sale,” “realtor,” “Boulder Colorado” and other related terms means the page is about real estate for sale in Boulder.
Content Marketing Naturally Uses Keywords
When you write articles or blog posts designed to help your prospects and customers by answering their questions about your business and your industry, you naturally use relevant and appropriate vocabulary. You write about types of swimming pools, or dog breeds, or spinal manipulations, depending on your business.
Your customers see how you’ve informed and helped them. The search engines see your page is about its subject matter. The more helpful articles you publish on your site, the more industry-related keywords Google sees you use.
Why is That So Wonderful for Local Businesses?
Local businesses have the advantage of serving a defined, limited geographical area.
If you need heart surgery, you won’t use the services of a surgeon in Bulgaria or rural Idaho, unless that’s where you live. You need a local doctor. And would you rather hire the heart surgeon who gives you a short consultation or the one who has a website full of good advice for avoiding heart surgery? If you’d read and followed the tips on the blog, maybe you wouldn’t even need the procedure.
If you’re a Divorce lawyer in Connecticut, you aren’t competing with lawyers in Los Angeles, so it doesn’t matter how many blog posts they write. If one of your prospects in Connecticut reads a useful post by a divorce lawyer in Chicago, they still need you to go to divorce court with a lawyer in Connecticut.
Therefore, local businesses gain an edge in local search just by including their geographic location. Make sure your site contains not just your state and city, but your neighborhood, suburb, street name, district or any other term local people might use to pin down you how close you are.
Your only competition is the nearby businesses that you already know. Chances are their sites are mere online pamphlets. Use content marketing, and you’ll beat them for online searches.
What Do Your Put in Your Blog Posts?
Marcus tells you: They ask, you answer.
Give them the advice they need to hear. Tell people what other won’t. Explain to the reader what they need to know about structuring that business or saving the marriage or eating properly.
If They Know Everything I Know, Won’t They Do Everything Themselves?
A few will, where that’s possible. However, no matter how much you educate patients about heart surgery, nobody is going to do that for themselves.
Most will simply want to pay you to do it for them. You’re the professional. You’ve proven you know what you’re talking about. And you’ve proven you want to help them.
For more information on SEO for local service businesses, Search Engine Marketing, Digital Advertising or Internet Marketing visit our website and contact us today. We can be reached by phone at 215-393-8700. Our website has a live agent available 24 hours a day.
