Did you go through the steps in our last blog to start improving your local SEO ranking? If not, read this first. If yes, you’re ready to move on to these next steps!
Industry and geography specific platforms
Depending on your particular situation, there may be other platforms out there just waiting to give your business a boost. For example, doctors can benefit by being listed on HealthGrades.com, home designers and contractors can benefit by being on Houzz.com. Lastly, local chamber of commerce websites often offer free listings for local companies. Some will not be free, and if you have to pay make sure the traffic that will result from it will be worth it.
Get your name out there
You also get “points” with search engines by just getting your name out there, whether in blogs, social media engagement, sponsoring events, etc. The directories are just the beginning. Having people talk about your brand in a positive way is worth much more.
Ask customers for reviews. We’ve mentioned this before, and we’ll mention it again. Today reviews are so incredibly important, it’s not even funny. It’s better if you can reply to these reviews with a thank you. With negative reviews, get into the habit of explaining the situation through a public reply, taking care of the customer to make their issue better – give a coupon, refund, etc.
Remember the point of getting all these channels out there is:
- To increase brand exposure with relevant audiences
- To ensure search engines like Google find a broad and accurate representation of your business throughout the internet on quality platforms.
It’s all about building trust with new customers and Google alike.