When it comes to owning a local business, attracting the right audience in the right places is key to success. A business website will certainly help grow your audience, but if it is not directed at those that can actually access the products and services you offer, it is wasted space on the world wide web. Unless you operate on a national or global level, anything you do needs to be tailored to the people in the area or community you are operating in.
Why content matters
Connecting with your local audience is an essential part of a successful content marketing plan. Back in the day when the internet was still young and search engines followed a simple pattern, all you had to do in order to be listed among local search results was stuff the right keywords in the right places and you were sorted. If your website mentioned “cheap car dealer in Greymouth” often enough, you would be guaranteed a spot at the top for anyone searching for that particular phrase. It didn’t matter whether your website actually had anything do to with the automotive industry.
However, search engines have since evolved and become a lot smarter. While keywords still matter in the world of search engine optimisation, Google and its counterparts now take a deeper look to determine whether your website delivers on its promises. After all, their main purpose is to provide the best possible experience for their users. For local businesses, this means providing content that is valuable, helpful and relevant to their target audience.
Benefits of local content
Providing content that is written specifically for a certain location has a number of benefits. You will most likely attract more qualified visitors to your website, receive a higher number of inbound links and shares on social media and create more brand awareness. You can also establish and deepen relationships with your customers and ultimately boost your sales.
What to write
Creating location-specific content follows a few simple rules. It all comes down to implementing your geographic area into your website content in a natural way so that search engines understand your content is tailored to that specific region.
Look for the unique
Especially if your business is operating in a few different areas, make sure you individualise your content for each particular area. Rather than just swapping out place names, take each area’s unique character into consideration and build your content around that. Including landmarks or mentioning specific events, occasions and happenings will help your readers develop a connection with you and regard you as a reliable local brand.
Local blogs vs. location pages
While blogs are a great way to improve your online presence in general, they are not necessarily the right tool to attract local clientele. Most visitors will land on any of your website pages, therefore focus on local landing pages and location-specific content throughout your website and use blogs to provide your target audience with general background information, news and updates from your industry.
Make it local
If you service different cities and areas or have branches in different regions, consider creating locally optimised pages for each one. The number of location- and city-specific search queries is constantly increasing, so the more pages you provide with unique content, the more value your customers will find.
Subtlety is key
Search engines no longer focus on keyword density alone. Clear and concise communication and easy-to-understand content has become much more important. Therefore, when it comes to your location, less is more. Rather than mentioning your area in every single paragraph, keep it natural and weave it into the flow of your website content.
Contact the friendly team at Energise Web today for questions about location-specific content and how to boost your local business in search rankings. Our experienced copywriters can help keep your internet presence up to date and ensure you attract customers where it matters.