Play SEO Locally

SEO (search engine optimisation) is the back yard where the big boys play, how can you, as a small business owner, hope to ever get a game? The simple answer is you can’t. Attempting to take on the big boys (the large national companies) will result in them bursting your ball and your budget and giving you a bloody nose into the bargain. So what can you do?

Well, you could always pick up your ball, run away crying and vow never to be as foolhardy again. Alternatively, move to your own back yard and play with people your own size.

Local Search engine optimisation is essential for all businesses that provide a product or service through an office, shop or business that is geared to a local market and is ideal when your website is lead-based(your website attracts visitors but the final transaction takes place at your business premises).

Local SEO optimises keywords that are focused on a locality, be that town, city or county. Competing on general  keywords, such as, insurance brokers, craft products or office supplies , for instance, will generate the interest of the big boys with their big budgets, once again, whereas using locations alongside keywords brings the game back to your yard.

Location keywords indicate to searchers, already looking for your products, that you operate in the specific locality. An example of this would be:  Mrs Smith lives in Torquay and wants to hire a domestic cleaner for her home, it is unlikely that she would enter just the keyword domestic cleaner because that would give her every domestic cleaning service in Britain. Mrs Smith would enter Torquay domestic cleaners and, lo, your website is top of the search results because… your website offers Torquay domestic cleaning services. Now you are both happy; Mrs Smith gets her home cleaned and your business has gained a valuable new client.  

To utilise locations as part of your keyword, your business must be listed on search engine maps and to be listed on these maps your business must provide website content that includes locality.

UKIM offers map inclusion as an essential element of their local search engine optimisation strategy for the simple reason that when a user enters a locality as part of search keywords, search engines bring up the results from their maps before more general keywords. So Torquay Domestic Cleaning Services would appear on the result page higher than domestic cleaning services, meaning, in essence, that you can play with the big boys but they have to play by your rules which include, naturally, a head start for your business.