More Local Traffic... Without Ads
Rank Organically On Google
Local SEO in Fayetteville AR
More Digital Traffic = More Customers
A website with no organic traffic is like having a storefront showroom but only letting people come in by appointment. The only time people see what you have to offer is when you invite them.
In addition, as a service-based business, if you are not in Google maps you might as well not exist. Failing to give attention to this
How Local SEO Can Help You Grow
More Traffic
For a website, low traffic is a liability. Neglecting SEO costs many service-based businesses hundreds to thousands per month. If it doesn't rank, no one is going to see it. SEO done right gets more eyes on your business.
More Leads
Traffic is important, but if none of that traffic is converting (calling) then what are we doing!? You've got to rank for the right keywords, not just any keyword. When you rank for buyer intent keywords more calls come in.
100% Exclusivity
Instead of having to share leads with lead broker services, when your website ranks for the right keywords all the leads are exclusive to you. In addition, I only work with one industry per service area. 100% exclusivity on both ends!
More Calls
For a Service-based business your GMB is the gateway to more calls. The higher your rank the faster people see your info. Then they trust you because you are on top and completely relevant to what they are searching for.
More Authority
When people are looking for local services there is no better authority than to show up on top of Google Maps. It proves to your potential customers that you are real, serious, and in the neighborhood.
More Proof
Reviews are a huge part of a Google My Business listing. And like it or not they are hear to stay. But, if you are providing serious value to your customers it's a great system to prove it to anyone else looking for your services.
What is Local SEO?
Rank Higher in Search Engines for People in Your Town
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In layman’s words, the process of improving digital assets (i.e. websites, Google My Business (GMB) listings, Facebook Pages, etc) for the purpose of ranking higher against other digital assets in a search engine such as Google.
Local SEO focuses on ranking these digital assets in cities, towns, and neighborhoods in close proximity to the location of the business. The purpose of this is to get more local foot traffic and calls to grow the business.
The objective is to be found online for search terms that are related to yours products and services.
What is a GMB Listing?
Your Digital Store Front for Your Real Neighbors
A Google My Business (GMB) listing is your digital storefront on Google maps. It allows people to find local businesses, see where they are located, read descriptions of their services, get access to other links for information (such as a website), rate the service, and contact them directly.
Think of it as a yellow page listing that is based off a map instead of alphabetically by industry…and you don’t have to pay for it!
It is becoming Google’s social media outlet for local businesses.
Four Reason to Have a GMB
Location – Just like a physical storefront, location plays a huge factor to the success of a digital storefront. In the case of Google map listings, they show ABOVE the organic website listings. Considering that the rate of clicks drops the further down someone scrolls then you want to be as high as you can. Now you know why Google puts Pay Per Click ads at the very top. They are in this to make money too…
But at the end of the day, Google is trying to improve the experience for their users. This means they want to get the right information to the user as quickly as possible. For local businesses the maps listings become the most relevant.
Authority – This is a double edged sword, but it’s not going away so you have to embrace it. Reviews equal authority. The more positive reviews you have the more perceived authority you have. But, negative reviews diminish your authority. Overall it’s a system to keep service-based businesses performing at a high level. Yes, there is some controversy regarding the ethical use of review generation, but again, it’s not going away and you’ve got to learn to play the game. In any case, it is a fairly quick and easy way to validate your expertise and build trust with potential customers.
Cost to Own – It’s free! Literally it is free to have a GMB listing. Google charges you nothing. They want you to have a listing so they can provide the best service for their users so more people use their map app instead of another map app. Considering the location you can occupy on a Google search page and that is free to own, it’s a no brainer.
New Business – Your GMB listing provides the information and authority necessary to contact you without ever seeing your website. Many leads come directly from the GMB listing without even a glance of the website. People want solutions and they want them now. For a service-based business the GMB listing can be a huge resource for new business – which, correct me if I’m wrong, is why you are here in the first place.
Wait! If I Have a GMB, Why Have a Website?
Websites and GMBs Compliment One Another
Influence Ranking – Everything about your business on the internet is connected…or at least should be! Connecting your website has direct influence in the ranking of your GMB listing. When Google can see that your GMB listing is connected to your website they are able to draw more information and data to ensure they are getting the right information to their users. The more information you can provide to Google the better. Thus, it is an essential step in optimizing your GMB listing.
In addition, many SEO services have reported that they see a direct correlation with the organic ranking of a website and the ranking of the GMB listing. So, the better your website ranks (because of the content and authority it has built) then typically the better the GMB listing ranks. Building a GMB listing would be one of the first things I would do when launching a service-based business, but neglecting to connect an optimized website would be a bad business move for search result rankings.
Why Should I Invest in Local SEO?
Own More than a Digital Brochure
Frankly, if a website is not ranked on the first page of Google then typically the only time it gets seen is through referrals or perhaps social media links. That means your website becomes a glorified digital brochure. And like it or not, the majority of people now find business online and the internet is not going anywhere.
When your website is optimized to produce organic traffic based off of search intent (people are actively looking for what you offer), that is where the magic happens, and Google Godmother turns your digital brochure (a pumpkin) into a functioning business (a six horse carriage that will get you to the ball!)
When Should I Implement Local SEO?
The Longer You Wait the More Missed Opportunities
When’s the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago… If you are not currently implementing SEO strategies then you are already behind. So, the next best time to implement is now.
If you don’t have a GMB listing. Now is the time. If you have one, but it’s not bringing you any revenue, then now is the time. The longer you wait the further ahead the competition gets. And the further you are behind the fewer opportunities you will have to serve.
"Can I Do Local SEO?"
Save the Headache... and the Heartache
You could…but, it will take hours out of your week if you have an idea of what and when to do it and even more hours if you are trying to figure it out. And not to mention the cost of the proper tools to use to do it right and efficiently.
Consistent effort is critical. Google wants to see consistent effort and updates to ensure that you are active and engaged. You can’t set up SEO and be done. It takes consistent effort to show Google that you are alive and are trying to improve the experience for searchers.
Who Can Build and Rank a GMB?
You Can Build One! – Honestly, Google is trying to make it as easy as possible to create a GMB listing. They provide great step by step guidance to walk you through the process. If you can spare some extra time during the week then give it a go. If you don’t rank then let me know.
Ranking – I’ll be happy to create and optimize your GMB listing based off keyword research and competitor insights. Then we can create a game plan for consistent posting and review generation to keep you active and improve your rankings.
Think of it as a yellow page listing that is based off a map instead of alphabetically by industry…and you don’t have to pay for it!
It is becoming Google’s social media outlet for local businesses.
How Do You Actually "Do" SEO?
I know you are not here to learn how to do SEO. But a basic understanding will keep me honest! In a nutshell, here are the SEO cogs that have to be moved to rank higher: On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, and Technical SEO
Content – In the digital world we often say content is king. The reason why is essentially Google is trying to provide the best experience possible for their users. They want to show the right things to people when they ask for them. If your content does not show authority or proof of saying the right thing then Google will not prioritize your site.
Keywords – Keywords connect the topic searched for with your site. I.e. “Plumbing Near Me” vs “Plumber Near Me”
They don’t seem that different and there will be some overlap, but the former will pull supply stores and the later will pull actual plumbers. Keywords are critical in title tags and meta descriptions to help you show up in the right place at the right time.
User Experience – BUT you can’t just stuff a bunch of keywords into your copy to improve ranking. If the people reading your website can’t get past “Plumber Near Me” every third sentence they are going to get frustrated and lose interest. Plus, Google’s algorithm knows how to spot this too. Over all, you want good copywriting combined with keyword optimization to provide an engaging experience for customers and improve ranking at the same time. Read more about the importance of good web design here.
Backlinks are like votes on a website. Basically, the more quality votes a website has the more favor Google will give that website. Backlinks are created through collaborations with other websites that are related to your industry.
When it comes to backlinks, quantity is not nearly as important as quality. There are tools I use to determine a website’s authority and then work to get backlinks from higher authority pages.
It’s like Michael Jordan saying that Nike makes a great basketball shoe vs the sales rep at Foot Locker. There is more reputation and weight with MJ’s opinion vs the guy that is just trying to sell you something.
Speed – Speed matters. The longer it takes for your site to load the more opportunities you miss. Google wants to make a positive experience for people so they favor faster loading sites. When your site loads slowly, people bounce from your website and go on to the next business.
Organization – the way the site is organized makes a difference to both the algorithms and to people. The site needs to be formatted in a way to make it easy for the search engines to look at (or crawl) the content on your site. The easier it is the more likely a website is to improve rankings. Equally, the more confusing a site is the less time a potential customer will spend on a site. And viewing duration is a big factor to improving ranking.
Searchable – Website pages have to be indexed to allow Google to search the page and see what the page is about and the authority it is generating. If a page is not searchable then you lose out on more opportunities to rank.
Interlinks – Google is very particular when it comes to bad user experiences. One way to create a bad user experience is the link from one of your pages to another for no good reason or to link too often. Google wants people to not only land on your page but like it. Interlinking correctly will help users stay on your website. When interlinking is done incorrectly people have a bad experience and leave.
How Do You Rank a GMB?
This may be too much info, but a basic understanding will keep me honest! In a nutshell, here are the GMB factors
Correct Information – First you’ve got to provide as much correct information as you can. If at all possible, don’t leave a field blank! Google wants full participation and searchers want as much information as they can get as quickly as possible. So, “where are you located, when are you open, how do I contact you, what services do you provide, and what have others said about you” are all questions that searchers can get answers to from your GMB listing.
Activity – Second, you can’t just set it and forget it. Google and users want to know you are alive. The two best ways to do that with your GMB listing is reviews and images.
Reviews – Consistent positive reviews shows Google that you are alive and that people are finding value in your service. Therefore, they want to show you off to more of their users. Getting 5 positive reviews a month has a much stronger influence on ranking than 60 reviews in only one month out of the year.
Post More Images – The GMB listing is becoming more of a social media outlet for local businesses. You can now post images with limited text to showcase your products and services. To rank higher, you want more images or posts than your competition. Then you also want to make sure those images are geotagged to provide more verification that you are servicing the locations you say you are. Most smart phones do this automatically, but there are ways to geotag an image from a regular camera as well. Typically you want to stay away from stock images, but those too can be geotagged and maybe necessary in certain circumstances.
NAP – Stands for Name Address and Phone. It is essential this information is clearly displayed on your website. This solidifies Google’s ability to confirm you are who you say you are and that you are located where you say you are located.
Citations – a citation is when your NAP is mentioned on another website anywhere. Even if there is not a link connected, Google is able to determine where and if this information exists. The more your NAP is found the more likely your GMB is to rank. What matters is that your NAP across every website is exactly the same without any deviations. Consistency and count is key.
To bring this all together, you want to take some time and focus on getting your NAP listed as many places as you can. There is a right and a wrong way to do it and some websites are of more value than others…meaning they will provide more weight when Google is determining your validity. Most common places to list your NAP is social media, local directories, local blogs, industry directories, etc.
Proximity – I’ve said it once and I’m going to say it again…Google wants to please their users. They not only want to show local businesses that are relevant to the search but also those that are closest to the searcher. So, proximity does play a role in your rankings and where your GMB shows up. For example, if your physical business is located in Fayetteville, but you want to have your GMB rank in Bentonville, you would most likely need to create a separate GMB listing in Bentonville. It depends on the number of GMB listing competitors there are in the area.
Content – Again, GMB listings are influenced by your website ranking. So, if your website is ranking for “Fayetteville” and “Bentonville” keywords then your GMB listing might rank higher in those areas. This is based off the content that is in the website and the relevancy the search engines give to the content.
Are Your Digital Assets Making You Money?
If you’re in Fayetteville or NWA then look no further! However, I only work with serviced-based businesses and will only serve one niche per service area to provide 100% exclusivity. Just hit me up to find out if your niche is available.
Before you take any steps to fix your website and GMB through SEO
you need to know what is right and what is wrong.
I’ll walk you through your digital assets via a screen-cast
and show you exactly what needs to be done.
What do you have to lose?
