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!
