Using the internet to attract new customers is a key component of any major business marketing plan. Many small businesses however, fail to use the internet to full advantage, though, because they primarily serve a local clientele. Although the internet is truly world-wide in terms of the ability to reach readers, proper use of keywords and page structure can position a company web page to attract traffic on a local level as well.
These large organizations use the strength of their online presence to attract internet traffic. Many of these are not adept at competing for local business, relying instead on their brand recognition to attract local business. Small enterprises can focus their web presence on unique product or service characteristics as well as on their location to attract internet traffic and sales. This requires the discovery or identification of what is termed a ‘local niche market.’ Also known as ‘Localization,’ this process allows small businesses to compete with much larger ones.
Localizing a web page simply means that a company web page will appear for product or service searches conducted for users seeking services in their area. For instance, a search on Google for “SEO Consultants Denver” should return companies providing this service in the Denver metropolitan area, leaving out ones in other parts of the country. Competing for position on the search engines for phrases such as “SEO Consultants in Denver” is much easier than competing for “SEO Consultants.”
What are the first steps towards localizing a small company web page for local search? Three easy tasks are required: Inclusion of a Geographic parameter Identification of a specific feature niche Create a local niche keyword phrase
Adding in a geographic name or parameter just implies inclusion of a city or region name in the webpage keyword section. Usually, the geo parameter or city name should appear first in the keyword phrase. In most cases, the geographic parameter is simply the name of the metro area in which the company does business.
Web managers should always install the street address – including city and state – where the business is located. Having this as part of the web page design confirms for the search engines that the company really is interested in doing business in that locale.
Coming up with a unique niche is required to set the business product offering apart from others. It also helps avoid direct competition with major corporate web sites. The central objective is to identify a descriptive term or phrase that describes a unique business characteristic or piece of ‘value’ provided by the small business. Another objective is to find a phrase that is not dominated by a major competitor. When a phrase is identified, run a Google search for that term. If the main result is a major competitor in the area, try to identify another phrase. The Google Tools provided in the Adwords system are free and can be highly useful in researching useful phrases.
When a good phrase has been identified, combine it with the geographic parameter. This results in a localized keyword phrase. The local phrase might result in something similar to “SEO Consultants Denver.” In this instance, users searching for SEO services in the Denver metro area are likely to see this web page returned as a highly placed search result.
Of course pursuing local traffic won’t pull in gobs of national viewers, but this technique can help get a new enterprise off the ground. Besides, what good is it to be the number one result for a phrase like “Aluminum Siding” if the company only provides service in Dallas? In the end, focusing on local search terms is a highly effective way to market new and small business via the internet.
Denver SEO Consultants help organizations nationwide earn more income and revenue using the common search engines. From Low Cost SEO, article marketing and link building services to help companies of all sizes compete for new revenue via the internet.
