Imagine for a moment you live on a small island that for all intents and purposes can be considered an “isolated” local market. Now imagine that you own a small business on that island…let’s say, a sporting goods store. Presumably, the lion’s share of your marketing/advertising budget is going to be focused on that local market: people outside of the island are unlikely to travel there specifically to buy your footballs and sneakers, so why would you waste resources targeting them? This is where local business listing optimization comes in…
As a small business owner looking to get noticed on the web in a local market, one of the most cost-effective things you can do is research available options for free or premium business listings. Local television, radio and news spots can result in great exposure, but are expensive, and you’ll never really know how much of your audience is actually willing to buy your products: such traditional methods are the marketing equivalent of throwing you-know-what at the wall to see what sticks.
Creating a business listing that appeals directly and only to the people living in your local market ensures that your message is being exposed to the right audience. Using our own local search platform in the Cayman Islands as an example (see above image), you can see how the sheer personalization of information helps it to stand out. Here are some helpful tips when searching for and choosing which local websites/environments to create a listing on:
1. Ensure That You’re Able Upload A Wide Range Of Company Info
Many sites that offer “free” local listings are often doing it solely for the traffic and not because they care about their customers: if all they want from you is your business name, address, phone number, but nothing else, it’s probably not worth your time. Look for sites that also allow you to upload your logo, a brief description of your business and bullet points with unique selling points that differentiate you from competitors. Even if you have to pay a small fee to include more detailed information, it’s worth it for the sake of reaching your local demographic on your own terms.
2. Customize Your Keywords & Search Terms If Possible
Depending on your market, you may be lucky enough to find a site that allows you to choose the specific keywords you want potential customers to find your business by when searching. For example, if you’re a sporting goods store, you’d likely want to appear for things like “running shoes”, “soccer equipment” and “sports stores”, so it’s important to consider your strongest sales areas when doing this (particularly if the site limits you in the amount of keywords you can use).
3. Don’t Be Afraid Of Customer Reviews
A lot of businesses, particularly in smaller markets, are scared to create local business listings on sites that allow for customer reviews, fearing that the potential for negative comments makes it a risk not worth taking: not true. A way to avoid this is to choose sites that have a moderation process for user reviews: on a site with a good, fair moderator, negative comments are typically not allowed unless they have an element of constructive criticism to them. Choose a reputable site that doesn’t allow spam, and you’ll find that user reviews are one of the best ways to get raw, consistent feedback on your offerings that you’d never find elsewhere.
