According to an estimate in a 2017 Review Trackers’ study, more than 35% of all search traffic is local. That said, optimizing your site for local SEO is the key to driving users to your site. This is a crucial marketing strategy, especially for smaller regional businesses or companies that want to drive traffic to multiple locations.

Optimizing for local SEO helps you compete more effectively against established brands that have been in the industry for ages. Here are eight simple steps on how to improve local SEO for your business.

Optimize for Google My Business

Google My Business is one of the best tools for getting your business in front of local customers searching for your products and services. By creating a Google My Business account and filling your listing, your local business will appear on Google Search local results, Google Maps, and Google Search Knowledge Panel. This makes it easy for customers to find your address, business hours, photos, and other information.

Optimize Website Content for Local Keywords

You want to optimize your website for keywords that are relevant to your local customers. Once you’ve done keyword research and have a list of local keywords you’d like to target, infuse them into your web content, headers, meta descriptions, title tags, and other SEO elements to boost visibility.
If you’re not sure which keywords to target, we at Digital Engage understand the ins and outs of keyword research. We’ll help you target the right keywords to improve your local SEO.

Optimize Your Website for Mobile

Closely connected to the practical importance of local SEO is the rising use of mobile devices. Your local customer could be in the neighborhood and using their smartphone to look for a company like yours. Paying particular attention to mobile-friendly web design, for example, improves your local search rankings.

Create Local Content

Creating local content is a great way to grab a local customer’s attention. Consider setting up location-specific webpages or writing blog posts about local events and activities. Creating local content can help you gain authority for areas you’re targeting. For example, if you own a car dealership in Miami, you can write an article with maintenance tips or other location-specific advice for car owners in Miami.

Optimize for Voice Search

Thanks to the prevalence of voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa, voice search is gaining popularity. Businesses need to leverage this and optimize their content into more conversational tones. The trick is to make information readily available as more people will be seeking answers or solutions to a problem when using voice search.

Get High-Quality Relevant Links

High-quality, relevant links from other websites provide ample opportunities to boost your local SEO. They factor in Google’s local ranking algorithm because they indicate your legitimacy and authority in a particular field. An excellent first step is to get your business listed in online directories.

Leveraging your offline relationships is also another way to go. For example, you can talk to other businesses or partnerships about linking to your website. Publishing high-quality content is also beneficial, as others will want to link to your website.

Get Regular Reviews from Happy Customers

Online reviews are essential in today’s world of stars and ratings. According to various studies, many people value positive third-party opinions as much as personal recommendations. Be sure to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews.

Use Location Pages

If you’re serving customers in different locations, leverage location pages by optimizing them to target those specific areas. Include details specific to each location, such as photos, individualized descriptions, contact information, etc. on each of the respective pages. This will ensure that local search results are relevant to local customers.

The Importance of Local SEO

Following the tips mentioned above will help increase your business’s visibility to local customers and increase your bottom line. However, optimizing your web presence for local searches can be challenging, especially without technical expertise. Not to mention, you never know when Google will update your algorithm, so it’s crucial to stay up to date on the most recent developments.

Need help with local SEO? Call Digital Engage today at (423) 397-2467 or contact us online to speak to our friendly customer service. We are committed to helping your local business grow and realize its full potential.

If you are struggling to convert traffic into sales online, you might have a problem with your bounce rate. In other words, people that are visiting your website are simply bouncing away. Fortunately, there are ways to improve your site, lower your bounce rate, and boost sales.

What Is Bounce Rate?

Bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors to your website that leaves before viewing a second page. A high bounce rate can be indicative of many things. Maybe your site didn’t have a persuasive call to action. Perhaps users were unable to find what they needed in a timely and efficient manner.

You can find your bounce rate using Google Analytics. Content that is “good” or “bad” depends on your type of site and your company goals. For instance, a search engine, like Google or Bing, typically has a bounce rate under 30 percent, which is considered excellent.

However, simple landing pages with single calls to action like “add to cart” have bounce rates ranging from 70 to 90 percent. This range is considered substandard. The rule of thumb says that service, retail, and portal sites will have lower bounce rates compared to simple landing pages and content websites.

There is no one sweeping fix to reduce the bounce rate. The figure may be a result of one glaring issue or a combination of several problems. Here are ten practical ways to troubleshoot for high bounce rates.

·        Provide a Better User Experience

A user’s personal experience with your website can go a long way towards whether or they purchase your product or service. That is why it is essential to not only have a site that is intuitive to use, but aesthetically pleasing as well. A robust website should feature compelling visuals, easy readability, and a distinctive tone and color scheme.

·        Reposition Your Call to Action

A compelling call to action should clearly and explicitly lay out what the purpose of the company, product, or service is. Users should be able to understand everything they need from this simple phrase.

·        Tell Your Brand Story

Telling a compelling brand story can capture the hearts and minds of your target audience. Bring your brand to life with an exciting origin story or engaging mission statement. If you can attract people this way, you will be more likely to develop a loyal following.

·        A/B Test Your Site

A/B testing allows you to test two versions of your webpage against one another to determine which one is more effective. This strategy is not only crucial for the landing page, but also can be applied to help you better target specific audiences, regions, and keywords. For instance, if your product is sold across the world, you can use A/B testing to show them content that matches their language and cultural experience.

·        Keep Your Content Fresh

Regularly populating your pages with engaging content is imperative, especially if you produce art, videos, photos, or blogs. Businesses that updated their blogs periodically see 126 percent more leads than competitors that do not. Fresh content is also a chance to excite visitors about your call to action, upcoming announcements, or new products.

·        Use SEO

Search engine optimization or SEO is the use of specially selected keywords to target specific audiences. Choosing effective keywords will increase the likelihood that visitors connect with your brand message and click through your website. Great SEO is a self-fulfilling cycle, as the keywords will lead to more clicks, which will boost your site on search engines, which will generate even more clicks, etc.…

·        Use Videos to Get Eyeballs

Video is the ideal way to get someone’s attention in a hurry. The visual experience is designed to deliver your message quickly while demonstrating what your company is all about. Videos are always a tremendous opportunity to entertain the audience and give them a taste of your company’s personality.

·        Use High-Quality Images to Grab Attention

The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. So, if you want to get your audience’s attention, make sure you have unique visuals in the right places. High-quality images can increase the time users spend on the first page and the likelihood that they visit a second one.

·        Maximize Customer Reviews

Let customers do the talking for you with user reviews. Considering that 70 percent of customers look at product reviews before they purchase an item, testimonials can influence audience members on whether or not they follow through on buying. The best reviews are ones that build trust with the reader without sounding like they are selling a product.

·        Demonstrate Your Credibility

If your company sells to or partners with other name-brand businesses, flaunt it. People are more inclined to trust you if you can authentically associate yourself with a brand that they already know. You can also showcase any awards, certifications, or endorsements that your company has earned along the way.

Contact us at Digital Engage to learn more.

SEO or search engine optimization is the practice of improving the visibility of a website. This effect is achieved through increased rates of organic or unpaid website traffic, in part because of higher quality content. Getting the most out of SEO can boost a website to the top of any search query.

Understanding how to top search engine results involves knowing how the process works behind the scenes. For instance, Google uses crawlers to gather information about content across the web and feds the results into an algorithm. The algorithm then matches the data back to a search query.

SEO can be a powerful tool for any small business. Well-executed SEO means higher quality and quantity of traffic as well as more organic results. Here are our seven essential tips to guide your small business through the world of SEO.

Optimize Information on Your Website

Your website is one of the most visible platforms for consumers to engage with your business. That is why all the information on and associated with the site should be strategically written. Something as simple as a domain name that accurately reflects your business type and location can make a world of difference.

Information optimization comes in many forms. This process includes adding specific keywords on page titles to identify your business’ products and services and making contact information easily accessible. Similarly, ensure your website copy mentions your business’ location as much as possible, mainly if you rely heavily on foot traffic for sales.

Encourage Users to Write Reviews

A majority of consumers use product reviews to decide whether or to buy a product. An impressive 68 percent of Americans are more likely to use a business if they read a positive review. Similarly, the Harvard Business School reports that a one-star increase in a company’s Yelp rating can lead to a 5 to 9 percent increase in revenue

Put simply, a wealth of persuasive user reviews can make or break your business. That’s why you should be advocating for reviews, whether it is in a company blog or on a coupon. Whatever strategy you use, make sure you make the testimonial writing process as convenient as possible.

Develop a Strong Social Media Presence

Proper use of social media can elevate a company to a whole new level. Social media is a perfect opportunity to keep an audience up to date with new products, services, and events. It is also a powerful tool to connect with fans and spread your brand message genuinely.

While the list of tips to develop a strong media presence is infinite, the most crucial aspect is to understand your brand voice. Being consistent with your company’s brand mission and identity will make it easier for people to connect with what you are saying. There are also countless excellent examples of branded social media presence, including Wendy’s, Ben and Jerry’s, and Nike.

Find Better Keywords

Before writing new copy, it is essential to know what search terms and phrases users are searching for that might lead them to your site. This insight can inform future decisions on what to write, whether on social media, commercials, or a blog. One of the easiest ways to find these terms is with Google AdWords.

The tool allows you to see how often specific keywords are searched and how it relates to your content. Similarly, you can see what things you should not write. This process, which is especially useful in pay-per-click campaigns, is known as using negative keywords.

Make Use of Hyperlinks

A hyperlink is a clickable link that leads from one webpage to another. These are most commonly seen with text but can be inserted into images or buttons too. Hyperlinks are valuable because they create backlinks.

When Google’s algorithm analyzes website content, it rewards backlinks explicitly. They can lend credibility to your website while increasing page views. They are also a way to add a lot of information to your site without taking up additional space.

Use Internal Links

While hyperlinks connect to webpages outside of your site, internal links say within the existing domain. Conveniently internal links make it easier for visitors to navigate your website and improve bounce rate and conversions. They simultaneously reflect the value and quality of a page.

Internal links are also useful to the Google algorithm PageRank. These links can distribute inbound traffic across your site, and the result is higher rankings for other pages on your website.

Create a Google My Business Listing

When people want to learn more about your company, they use Google My Business. The platform provides information, ratings, and reviews so potential customers can make an informed purchase. It also allows you to reach new customers that you might not have been able to otherwise.

Your listing should include important, accurate information, such as your:

• Business hours
• Website
• Service category

One of the most important features is the locating tool of Google My Business—it’s essential to ensure your address is correct. Customers will be able to see your service area and proximity to their location. Additionally, the platform gives small businesses the chance to advertise their products and services for free.

Utilize Negative Keywords

Figure out what keywords not to use is as important as determining the ones to use. Using negative keywords ensures your ads do not appear on irrelevant search queries. This method also allows you to boost the quality score and reduce the cost per click for each ad.

The best way to find negative keywords is to see what search terms lead to your ad. Here, you can target what are the most and less useful phrases or words when it comes to click-throughs. That way, when people use negative keywords in queries, your ads will not appear.

Digital Engage is a full-service digital marketing agency, get in touch today.