Search engines have definitely revolutionized the way businesses and corporations market themselves. Consider this – when was the last time you used the yellow pages to look up a business? You probably can’t remember! Consumers searching for a specific type of product or service today are more likely to resort to search engines than the more traditional methods that were previously used to find a company. In the case of businesses serving a particular geographical area, search results take on a new dimension: that of local search.
Whether it’s Google, Yahoo or Bing, search engines have given consumers instant access to everything a person may need in their area, from a local plumber to a chiropractor or even the great new bakery down the road. Since people increasingly rely on local search results to find businesses in their area (especially on mobile devices), the potential for small businesses to capitalize on this behaviour is huge. It’s obvious that small business owners should take notice of this shift in consumer behavior and take initiative to benefit from it, but how?
Local SEO allows Small Businesses to Compete
While large companies with even larger marketing budgets have traditionally dominated the scene and used SEO services to get ahead, recently there’s been a huge shift to include small businesses in local search results. Google have recently implemented a new search algorithm (the formula that ranks the ordered results on the page) that is based on local relevance and geographic area, thus bringing small local businesses to the forefront. The growing interest in affordable local SEO services for small businesses stems from this inclusion of local data in search results. Now, small businesses can effectively compete with the big players online.
It’s All about Efficiency
If you’re a small business not using local SEO services, you are missing out on a huge piece of the pie that is being divided up by competing local business that are. The return on investment from SEO is often high, and time and time again local SEO has proven to be the most effective form of online marketing for small businesses. Many clients noticed a quick hike in calls and sales after they hired the experienced BlueHat Marketing team to implement their local SEO strategy, for example.
The fact of being a small business no longer means you can’t compete with the big names and be on the same footing when it comes to online visibility. Local SEO is your edge. If you have a sound and strong local SEO strategy in place, you’ll find yourself ranking high on Google with your business name listed above your competitors.
