Businesses in the 21st century must be online. Those who are not get left behind. Only by creating a website and taking the time to develop a digital marketing strategy can an enterprise hope to reach a substantial audience. A website is the online storefront of a business, regardless of the industry, sector, or niche. Merely creating a website isn’t the only way for a business owner to increase online exposure, however. There are a series of steps to take to ensure a business is seen far and wide, such as by implementing the two strategies below.
Local SEO
Local search typically involves a location or “near me” in the search query. Standard SEO takes into account specific keywords and long tail search queries, such as ‘how to build a website’ or ‘web design.’ However, when a potential customer uses “near me” or a location, the search engine algorithm understands they want suggestions for businesses in that area offering the service.
How to utilise local SEO
Local SEO relies on particular techniques, including Google My Business and citations. When a business adds both these methods to their marketing strategy, the bots discover the information when they crawl the internet. For those without digital marketing expertise, it is highly recommended to enlist the help of a professional team, such as digitalmarkgroup.com, who will work with you to create successful SEO strategies.
Google My Business
Google My Business is a business’ profile. It’s essential that every business takes the time to enter their information into this platform as it will appear in a variety of places, including the Google Local 3-Pack and Google Maps results. Currently, only 37% of businesses appear as a Google My Business local listing.
Citations
A citation uses a business’ crucial NAPW information, typically in a directory or listings website online. NAPW information includes:
- Company name
- Physical address
- Phone number
- Website address
There are two types of citations: structured and unstructured. Structured citations appear in listings and are created from information supplied by a business. Unstructured citations are taken from visible information, such as social media.
Citations are one of the crucial factors of local SEO. For a local business, if you do not include this information not only on your own website, but in places where customers will be searching, you will be left behind. Competitor websites will overtake your site.
Guest Blogging
It’s no secret that blogging is a prevalent way to boost online exposure. It’s extremely common to find business websites with a dedicated blog section, where content is regularly posted. However, guest blogging takes this exposure one step further. By guest blogging, a business not only expands its reach, but sets itself up as a leader in the sector. For specialist sectors, including the freelance industry, reputation is everything. Without it, no one will trust a business to be able to provide the services with knowledge and confidence.
How to utilise guest blogging
A business needs to find a number of highly authoritative, reputable sites to feature on. Look for leaders in the industry and reach out. Remember, it’s always quality over quantity. When looking for a guest blog, consider:
- Rank
- Domain authority
- Subscriber count
- Website engagement
- Social media engagement
- Target audience
- Guest blog promotion
When you answer each of these questions following dedicated research, you will be able to narrow down guest blogs to the ones which will boost your online exposure the best.
Additionally, when you are writing and submitting an article, always consider what it will offer readers. It needs to provide value and information to ensure the readers remember who you are and what you do.
Are you an entrepreneur with a successful website? Feel free to share any tips with other readers.
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