Growing Importance of Local SEO in Jacksonville
Much has changed in the world of business since covid hit two years ago. Trends that were already in place have accelerated, and chief among these is the shift to digital-first solutions.
That means customers are shopping online more frequently, for the sake of convenience and completeness. Gas prices are also up, so people aren't driving around as much. While word of mouth remains the most powerful marketing tool, more and more conversations are moving online to social media sites and local review sites like Nextdoor, and Yelp. Google Reviews also play a huge role with how customers select the companies they do business with.
Why Local SEO?
If local businesses want to stay competitive with national chains that have global marketing campaigns, they're going to need to focus on local SEO. Local SEO helps smaller firms leverage digital technology by directly connecting them to the communities they serve. This can involve social media outreach, local media mentions, and an online marketing campaign that focuses on location as much as anything else.
The first step is to establish a local presence through Google Business. This will enable map-based results and allow local customers to give a rating to your business. When properly designed and maintained, these types of listings can dramatically raise visibility, web traffic, and phone call inquiries. One thing we regularly ask and evaluate with clients is whether or not they're really ready for the kind of traffic and customer surges that can come with a successful local SEO campaign!
It is also important for every local business to establish a social media identity. You won't necessarily need to be active on every platform, but it is good to have some sort of entry on all the major platforms so that you can direct people to the place(s) where you are more active. If we find that your best customers are more likely to be on Facebook, we'll focus on Facebook - but there should still be a Twitter and Instagram account pointing to your Facebook profile!
A good local SEO can also be a powerful networking tool. Not only do SEOs have knowledge of marketing and computer systems, they're also regularly working with diverse firms across a wide range of sectors and industries. They can help to put you in contact with other businesses that may turn out to be great suppliers, clients, or partners in new ventures. They know which local companies are looking to expand and branch out, and they can help to set up valuable B2B meetings and relationships that just make sense.
Most of all, a good local SEO should be a real expert on the location they're working in. Many national firms - even overseas SEO companies - advertise themselves as local SEOs targetting the Jacksonville area market. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they know anything about the places they're trying to get customers. Jacksonville has a unique culture and way of doing business, so SEOs who aren't familiar with north Florida can't really get the same kinds of results with local customers. They won't be able to provide the network effects described above, and they tend to use a scattershot approach that risks low quality work and low conversion rates. That just means you're paying for a whole lot of traffic that won't turn into sales.
Focused, Professional, Local
The most successful SEO campaigns are highly focused on identifying and promoting the exact key search phrases that are most likely to generate sales. Diversification is still important to prevent disruptions caused by search fluctuations, but it's critical to recognize that not all traffic has equal value. Don't get conned by SEOs promising a certain amount of visitors. Focus on how many sales and new customers they're bringing, instead!
A truly local view will always bring the best results to your local business's local SEO campaign, so don't waste time with out of state and overseas SEOs. Call the original: JacksonvilleSEO.net is ready to help build your business, today!
Jacksonville SEO and internet marketing
JacksonvilleSEO.net is proud to announce search engine optimization and internet marketing services in northeast Florida! Whether you already have a website that needs improvements and increased traffic, or whether your business is new to the web, we've got you covered. We can build websites from scratch, or set you up with the latest content management systems, or even create custom mobile & desktop & web-based applications.
Of course, existing websites need attention, too. It may be that a previous consultant provided what looks like a great website - but it just can't convert! Or maybe the conversions are there, but the traffic is rare. Either way, our SEO experts are experienced in identifying, diagnosing, and solving all your web related problems.
What is SEO?
SEO is short for "search engine optimization." Specifically, it refers to the process of optimizing a website to increase it's organic performance in search engines. Ideally, a website would like to rank for as many common search phrases as possible. SEO is the process of achieving this and it can take on many forms!
SEO is typically divided between "on-site" and "off-site" activities. "On-site" SEO refers to analysis and modification of the website itself. This can involve reviewing code, producing new web content, or even looking at the structure and hierarchy of the data.
"Off-site" SEO largely refers to the acquisition of backlinks from other relevant websites. In-content editorial links have the most influence and impact, so it's important to have good tactics for webmaster outreach - and a good plan for how you're going to earn those endorsements!
What is Internet Marketing, then?
While SEO refers to a specific type of Internet Marketing intended to influence search engines, internet marketing can also focus more directly on more traditional approaches to online brand awareness. This can involve social media engagement, content marketing campaigns, and paid advertisements. There are many ways to build traffic and share the word, and they don't all rely directly on SEO!
A vibrant social media following can be a recurring source of traffic, leads, and audience engagement (such as organic backlinks!) It can also be a means of connecting with your fans and customers, as well as a place to get valuable feedback and head off potential image and PR problems. We can also actively monitor for PR issues, controversies, and complaints - before they go viral. No one needs a pandemic of bad press!
Local Jacksonville expertise
Unlike other "local SEOs," we're just focusing on the market we're local to: Jacksonville, Florida. We've lived here most of our lives and we're familiar with the unique culture and attitudes of the First Coast. This means we know the competition and we know what it takes to break through to the local audience.
From Southside and Baymeadows to Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, Arlington, or Oceanway, we've got the knowledge of local businesses, neighborhoods, and populations that might be interested in your products or services.
Keyword Research
The first step toward increasing organic search traffic is to think about the types of keywords and searches that indicate the type of user intent you'd like to attract. By researching existing search patterns and comparing it to your brand and product features, we can create an organic SEO strategy that delivers the largest impact with the most manageable budget. We're all about efficient returns, and that means focusing our energy exactly where the sales are made.
Link Building
Our link strategy is always focused on content first. Whether that content is on-site or off, we're going to create articles, guides, and media that attracts links. We can guarantee at least some of these will be off site and contributing as backlinks because there are a lot of highly visited third-party blogs and platforms that provide a great opportunity to showcase your company's offerings and accomplishments. With good content and active social media outreach, good links are certain to follow.
Ongoing Review
We also keep a constant eye on results so we can adjust or change course as needed. Sometimes, a specific niche or market behaves a little differently from the others, so it's important to take inventory of our results and the corresponding effort. This also means we're able to provide reputation management and PR services. We'll see the complaints and the controversies crop up in real time - long before they've cost your business!
