Mastering Local Search Marketing Strategies

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If you're a marketer, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the changes happening in the search world. With Google's latest news about releasing AI Overviews for all U.S. users and OpenAI introducing GPT-4o, it can be hard to stay updated.

How will these changes impact your search efforts? Do you need to shift your search strategy?

We have the answers for you and more!

In this blog, we will discuss the evolution of search marketing, how it impacts your brand, and provide strategies to enhance your online presence. Towards the end, we will unveil our latest innovation for managing local search effectively. Let's dive in!

The Evolution Of Search Marketing

With the continuous evolution of search, marketers are concerned about maintaining their brand's visibility online. Although AI-generated search experiences are relatively new, it is important to avoid making sudden changes to your search marketing strategies at this time.

Curious about how your brand shows up in generative AI (genAI) results, also known as GAIRs? Don't worry, no need to panic just yet.

Did you know that around 75% of consumers do local searches every week? In the U.S., there are over 800 million monthly searches that include "near me," and more than 5 million keywords are connected to this phrase.

Focusing on traditional local SEO efforts is the key to making sure your brand is visible in both traditional and online searches.

For businesses with several locations, it is important to implement a local SEO strategy for each location. A well-executed multi-location SEO strategy can enhance your local search rankings, attract local customers, and increase brand recognition.

Even if your business only operates in one location, you can still use the following strategies to make sure that your business is easily found by your desired customers in your local area.

5 Tips To Boost Your Online Presence

Let's start by discussing the first tactic: Claim & Optimize Local Listings.

Local listings are essentially online profiles of local businesses that can be found on search engines, local directories, and platforms such as Google, Apple Maps, Yelp, Bing, and Facebook.

To enhance your visibility not only on Google but also on other platforms, it is crucial for your brand to claim local listings on all major local directories and eliminate any duplicate listings.

In addition, it is important to have reliable and correct information on all your listings. Your local listings should at least have the following details: Name, address, and phone number (NAP) citations.

Business categories. (Example: Sushi restaurant)

Business hours, especially during holidays and major events

Products and services your business offers.

Links to your website and social media profiles.

Attributes. (Example: Curbside pickup or wheelchair-accessible seating)

High-quality photos and videos.

After optimizing your local listings, you can focus on your local pages.

2. Create Local Pages For Each Location

A local page, also known as a local landing page, is a webpage specifically made for a single store or franchise location. Instead of being on external directories like Yelp or Google, it is found on your own website.

Your multi-location business may have numerous local pages, each providing details about a particular store and the nearby area.

These local pages should include all the essential business information from your local listings. In addition, they are crucial for driving conversions. Therefore, it is important to include calls to action (CTAs) like "order now" buttons or special promotions and discounts.

Leverage A Store Locator

Having well-designed and optimized local pages can significantly boost your business's visibility in local organic search results. This increased visibility often results in more conversions and overall business growth for your stores!

Store locators are like local pages. They are web pages that show all your nearby stores or third-party sellers that carry your products.

These store locators assist website visitors along their customer journey by providing important location details and special information about each store. They streamline the online shopping experience and make it simple for customers to reach out or visit nearby stores.

Well-optimized and compatible store locators and local pages will help improve:

Local search rankings.

Website traffic and online conversions.

Analytics, such as where visitors are searching and coming from.

4. Implement An Online Reputation Management Strategy

Improving your online visibility goes beyond just the basics. Local SEO experts emphasize the importance of reputation management. Surprisingly, high numerical Google ratings hold significant weight as the sixth highest ranking factor in Google’s local pack and finder. Additionally, the quantity of native Google reviews with text is the eighth ranking factor.

Not only do a high quantity and quality of reviews impact local search rankings, but they also play a crucial role in conversion rates. Our State of Google Reviews research report reveals that a one-star increase on a Google Business Profile (GBP) corresponds with a 44% increase in conversions.

To improve your reputation management strategy and gain more reviews:

Respond to existing reviews in a personalized manner to show customers you value their feedback.

Utilize social media to encourage customer feedback, ratings, and reviews.

Make leaving a review accessible! Include links to your GBP on your website and in emails.

Monitor the feedback that your business receives from reviews and make adjustments accordingly.

5. Create Unique Content

Creating content tailored to your local audience is crucial for your local pages, website, and listings. It is important to make sure that your localized content is optimized to attract and engage specific geographical areas.

For example, if you are focusing on the keyword "sporting goods store Seattle," make sure to incorporate locally relevant keywords into your URL, title tag, meta description, and headings.

Make sure to use local images, such as pictures of your stores and products. Don't forget to add geo-targeted meta descriptions, alt text, and descriptions to your images.

Your brand can create various types of local content, such as:

Blogs.

Surveys.

Infographics.

Whitepapers.

Social media content.

Neighborhood guides.

User-generated content. (UGC)

For a more in-depth look at what it takes to improve your brand’s local SEO strategy, download our Top 10 Things You Should Be Doing in Local SEO Now guide!

How SOCi Can Help

So, now that you have a good grasp of what it takes to build a strong local search strategy, it's time to enhance your brand's presence. As marketers, you know the importance of search marketing, but let's face it, creating a plan to implement it on a large scale is no walk in the park.

That’s where SOCi comes in! We’ve developed SOCi over the past ten years to help multi-location businesses improve their visibility on local search and social media platforms, create interesting content, and effectively manage the online reputation of each location.

We’ve upgraded our CoMarketing Cloud with SOCi Genius, an AI automation feature designed to streamline your daily localized marketing activities. One of the latest additions to SOCi Genius is Genius Search, which is revolutionizing search marketing!

Genius Search is the latest addition to the CoMarketing Cloud, taking listings management to the next level. It goes beyond the usual methods by providing a smart, data-driven approach to local search that adapts to changing consumer habits and market trends.

Genius Search utilizes various data signals like reviews, search keywords, weather, and holidays to provide AI-powered recommendations on a monthly basis. These recommendations can easily be accepted with just a click, leading to instant improvements in your business listings' rankings that resonate with each community.

Ready to enhance your local search approach? Let SOCi assist you in taking it to the next level. Reach out today to request a personalized demo for more information on Genius Search and our other innovative products!

Ready to start optimizing your website? Sign up for SOCi and get the data you need to deliver great user experiences.

Try SOCi For Free

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by SOCi. Used with permission.

Editor's P/S:

The article emphasizes the evolving nature of search marketing, driven by advancements in AI and the increasing importance of local optimization. It highlights the need for businesses to adapt their strategies to ensure visibility in both traditional and AI-generated search results. While AI-generated search experiences are gaining traction, the article cautions against making drastic changes to search marketing approaches at this time.

The article provides practical tips for businesses to enhance their online presence, such as claiming and optimizing local listings, creating local pages for each location, leveraging store locators, implementing online reputation management strategies, and creating unique local content. It also introduces SOCi Genius, an AI automation feature that streamlines localized marketing activities, including Genius Search, which provides data-driven recommendations to improve business listings' rankings. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to local search marketing, considering both traditional and emerging technologies.