Before a small business can conquer the world, it will need to focus on gaining a competitive edge in its local area. The first step in dominating your local market is establishing an online presence. Generally, businesses with a commercial storefront will use local SEO campaigns to drive traffic to their location and boost sales. Service-based businesses also use local SEO as a way to edge out the competition and generate more qualified leads.
According to Google, over two trillion searches every year are performed by consumers looking for information about local businesses. If you are looking for a way to boost the results your local SEO campaign yields, then you need to realize the importance of social media. Below are some ways you can use social media to accomplish your local SEO goals.
Start By Curating Reviews and Sharing Them
When a local consumer starts to research businesses in their area, they look for a few basic things. An online presence is one of the first things you will need to show up on a local consumer’s radar. The next thing you need to focus on is highlighting your company’s ability to provide great customer service. The best way to do this is by acquiring positive reviews from satisfied customers and sharing them on social media.
Not only will sharing these positive reviews help you garner attention from local consumers, it will also help in your pursuit of search engine dominance. Reaching out to customers for reviews can be intimidating. However, if you offer them discounts on products/services for positive reviews, you will have an easier time convincing them.
Optimize Your Facebook Business Page
If you want to build a following on social media, choosing the right platforms to use is crucial. As you look at the various social media platforms online, you need to consider your target demographic. If you are trying to attract attention from an older audience, then Facebook is a great option. Establishing a Facebook business page is the first step in this process.
As you start to fill out your profile, you need to opt for the local business category over the company option. By doing this, you are telling Facebook and the people in your local area using this platform that they can actually visit your storefront or place of business. The company page setting on Facebook is more generic and only suitable for businesses operating in multiple locations.
Use Geotags On Your Instagram Profile
Did you realize that Instagram allows you to create a particular location for your profile? This detailed geotagging feature narrows down the location of your business to latitude and longitude. When search engines like Google attempt to verify your business location, Instagram geotagging can be helpful. This geotag feature also allows local consumers to identify where your business is located.
If you are passionate about engaging with people in your local area, you can’t deny the importance of social media.