Local SEO for small business is probably the best option to reach your target customers who are likely within your area. It helps your business to connect to people who are searching for businesses like yours.
Local SEO works on getting you placed in Google Maps results and for location-based searches. It is therefore important that this digital marketing strategy is cost-effective and optimized to increase brand awareness and revenue.
Costs may vary depending on the digital marketing agency you hire and the plans you subscribe to. You must understand what impacts your costs for local SEO for your business:
1. Competition
As a business owner, it is a must that we know all about our competitors. The same is true for local SEO for small businesses. It’s great if your product has a specific niche and that you’re the only player. However, if you’re not the only auto repair shop in your neighborhood, then you’ll have to shell out more for your SEO. This means you need to create better content and build up your domain authority like backlinks. Think also about your keywords. See who ranks high in Google having the same keywords as you. When others have higher authority score and more backlinks, you will need to do better and invest more to be ahead of the rankings.
2. Location
How many locations or branches do you have? The number of your locations also determines how much you need to invest in SEO. With each location, you will have to build additional citations which are mentions of your name, address, phone number on another website. This acts like a reference check as search engines need to confirm your business information is up-to-date. If everything is accurate, you have a greater chance on first page ranking.
3. Products and Services
The number of products and services you are promoting via SEO affects your cost. Simply, the more keywords you need, the more investment you will shell out. Every product will also need its own webpage and that comes out with its own competitor rankings in search engines.
4. Link building
If there’s one service that establishes your credibility, then that’s link building. This is the process of getting back links from credible sites that connect to your site (or cites you). An external site that backlinks to you raises your authority and trust. This signals Google that you are trustworthy and may lead to a higher ranking.
5. Website
If you don’t have a website, build it. If you have and it is unappealing to visitors, then refine it. It is important that you attract the attention of your visitors and keep them on your site. It is such a pity getting your ranking high on search engines yet you can’t retain visitors.
6. Page Speed Services
When your site is slow, visitors will leave. They will leave your page and check out other links on the search results. Hence, it will diminish your chance of ranking higher. Page speed service is normally not part of a SEO package. Make sure to get a clear understanding with your agency on this.
In consideration of the factors impacting the cost of local SEO, it is best to have an open and honest discussion with your chosen agency. It also helps if you speak to more than one digital marketing agency for you to make a more informed choice.
In Orange County, Maxeemize can help you with your local SEO strategy to help increase your digital presence. We have experts that can help you create, design and create content for you. Just give us a call and let’s have a conversation on your digital marketing strategy! Contact Us for a free review management consultation.