There are many different elements you need to factor into any local SEO campaign. One of the most important is content.
Good quality content has always been a factor in achieving high rankings in Google. However, achieving those rankings isn’t as important as it once was.
There are now so many other traffic sources including social media, advertising, and paid outreach that being on top of the Big G’s organic listings isn’t the be all and end all anymore. Especially in local search. But, we will return to this later.
Good content however, is still absolutely essential whether you are targeting national rankings or running a local SEO campaign. In fact, content is more important than ever before.
The object of any SEO campaign is to get people to your website. But that is only part of the battle.
Once a person has landed on your website they need to be persuaded to take action. They need to be converted into a customer, buyer, or, at the very least, into a lead. That is where your content will make a difference.
Converting browsers to buyers
The majority of businesses which run local SEO campaigns will be providing a service to the public or businesses of their communities. Plumbers, taxi drivers, or accountants for example.
Whatever your market, the aim of your local SEO campaign is to get people to look at your website. But that isn’t enough. They then need to either pick up the phone or drop you an email.
Unless you are selling directly on your site, there really shouldn’t be any other objective.
However, with every business facing so much competition online, those objectives will only be met by providing quality content. Something more than your competitors offer.
What to write about and how often
With local SEO you need to think beyond the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Your content, whether it’s a landing page, blog post or downloadable PDF needs to be well-written, informative and provide value. You’re writing for the customer not the search engine.
That’s not to say rankings aren’t important. But they will happen as a consequence of generating great content.
When deciding how often you should post to your blog, think instead about what you are going to write about. It’s quality that matters, not quantity.
Write about what your customers care about. Answer their questions. Address their concerns.
You need to create content that will make your customers pick up the phone and buy, or at the very least enquire about, your service or product.
Local content
If you are a local company, creating content which appeals to your community is a great way to attract new customers, shares on social media, and, as an added bonus, will rank for local search terms.
Don’t just stick to business. Local content will attract local customers.
I’m not suggesting you try to outdo your local newspaper but content aimed at your community will attract traffic, shares, and, eventually, customers.
Some ideas could be to create an alternative guide to your town, spotlight local attractions, and celebrate local occasions. If you sponsor a sports club or support a charity write about it.
Earlier I said content is all about quality and not quantity. Whilst that is true it also true you need to post content to your blog regularly. At least twice a month, preferably once a week.
Fresh, unique, and regular content will keep you well ahead of the competition in local SEO.
