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Five important tips to be visible on the search engine results page (SERP)

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The power of the internet in attracting business and generating revenue is undeniable across all industries and what’s driven visibility in search engine results to be  one of the main, if not THE main, target of today’s organizational marketing strategies. However, given the fierce competition and the costs associated with search engine optimization (SEO), many small businesses believe it impossible to make inroads, resulting in lost opportunities to get their products and services in front of consumers and to increase their bottom lines.

Fortunately, progressive small businesses seek solutions and often look to ENet for input on how to compete against their peers with the larger budgets. Our answer? Local SEO.

Local SEO is a set of techniques often used by businesses to work around these issues. The most important things that distinguish these techniques from other SEO processes and procedures are their low costs and high ROI.

Start with the website
Local SEO starts with a properly optimized website. The domain name should be selected with care, ensuring it reflects the brand and the company’s unique selling point (USP), as it forms the basis of the efforts. Once the domain is operational, make it easy for search engines to discover information about the business by ensuring your contact information and business information is on every page.

Ensure consistent information across the internet
One of the most important aspects of local SEO is consistency. As a small business owner, it’s important to make sure that information such as address(es), email(s) and phone numbers are consistent across all information channels. This includes all business listings and websites that show up in the search for the city or area.

Constant monitoring of business listings on websites such as Google, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Yellowbook, Facebook, DexKnows and other local business directories ensures that potential customers are able to contact you anytime.

Maximize profile listings
Merely updating and monitoring information within various business listings is not enough and may cost small businesses many customers when it’s the only focus. Instead, maximize each listing by completing the entire profile, to include photos and links to pages highlighting services and products. These additional details become a great incentive for customers who are shopping based on a particular feature or price.

Maintain separate profiles for every location
A crucial mistake that many small businesses make is to overlook other locations when filling out listings. Thus, when potential customers search local results, the business is often absent from the competition. This means every location must have its own entry with its phone number(s) and above all, links to special offers or information valid for that particular locale.

Take reviews seriously
Many small businesses will completely ignore online reviews, which is a major mistake considering these reviews are an important part of local SERP. A better strategy is to respond to  issues raised in the reviews in a calm and professional manner. This highlights your willingness to go the extra mile for your customers.

In closing, realize that Local SEO is one of the best ways of influencing the Local SERP. Follow these five tips to significantly increase your traffic and new business. Should you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the ENet team. We’re more than happy to help.

Onsite/Offsite Search Optimization (SEO), Content Marketing, Email Marketing & Social Media Marketing