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As a small business leader, you can improve search rankings and help people find you by using these six digital marketing tactics. Get ready for more customers to discover your company online and partner with you!
1. Strategic Web Development
82% of customers research companies online before buying or choosing a service provider. That means if people can’t find your website, they can’t learn how you help others find solutions — let alone buy from you.
But with a strategic website, your business will be easier to find online, show credibility, pre-qualify leads, and serve as a 24/7 salesperson. Here are a few ways to make sure your customers can find your site:
- Coding and designing the website for desktop and mobile
- Including SEO titles and meta descriptions for each page of your site
- Optimizing page content and slugs with keywords your customers would use
- Linking to reputable external sources, as well as your own site
- Making sure your site loads quickly
2. Brand Reviews
81% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and the average person looks at 10 reviews before they’re able to trust a company. So it makes sense that positive feedback may improve your online visibility — and your Google search rankings.
To improve your local SEO (and those rankings), ask your best customers to leave you an honest review. This may feel awkward at first, but people often don’t write reviews unless they have a negative experience. When you deliver a great solution that helps them solve a problem, encourage them to tell others about it. It’s as easy as emailing them with links to leave a Google, Facebook, or Yelp review.
Once you start getting feedback, check your reviews so you can respond to each one. 94% of customers read a business’s reply to reviews, so make sure you’re professional in your responses.
3. Online Business Directories
Listing your company in free online business directories, like Google My Business, will help people find you. Customers can click through to your site, read reviews, and learn when (and where) to visit you — all from your directory.
Claim your Google Listing to ensure that your business information is accurate, up-to-date, and easy for local customers to find. First, visit your Google My Business page and request a verification. Then, Google will send you a postcard with a verification PIN number so you can log in and enter your PIN.
Once you’ve claimed the listing, include these things in your online directory to guide customers to your business:
- Business name, category, and a short description
- Address (and suite number, if applicable)
- Phone number
- Hours of operation
- A link to your website
4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads
With pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, you pay a small fee only when a user clicks on your ad. Businesses can display ads in places like Google (above organic results) and Facebook (marked as “Sponsored” in users’ feeds).
You can create these ads and bid on company-specific keywords at an online auction. For example, a lawyer who offers debt relief services might bid on the phrase “personal bankruptcy attorney.” Your bid amount will determine where your ad will appear in search results or on Facebook. And you won’t pay unless or until users click through to your website from the ad you’ve placed.
When you invest in PPC advertising, you can:
- Track clicks, impressions, conversions, and costs per click (CPC)
- Understand customers’ behavior and search patterns
- Set your own budget and decide how much to spend on each ad
- Create responsive ads that work on mobile and desktop
- Target your best customers with relevant, engaging ads
5. Relevant Content
Another digital marketing tactic that will help potential customers find you? Writing unique, fresh, relevant content that meets their needs. Your goal is to get quality content in front of your best prospects with little to no effort on their part. You can guide them to this content on your website, in search results, and on social media.
Think about how you can help prospects when they’re searching for answers to their questions. For example, let’s say you own a home remodeling company. Your ideal clients would ask questions like “What should I know before remodeling my bathroom?” Knowing this, you could write a blog for your website that addresses things to consider before a bathroom renovation.
Once you publish this blog, clients asking “What should I know before remodeling my bathroom?” can find your content in their search results. (And the more helpful content you have online, the better your search engine rankings will be!) You can also promote your blog through social media, increasing brand awareness and guiding more prospects to your site.
6. Social Media Posts
To reach your customers, you have to meet them where they are: online (and on social media). If a current follower reads your posted content, they’ll be able to click through to your website and learn why they should keep choosing your business.
Having a successful social media presence doesn’t mean you should be on every single platform. Instead, create conversations, share content, and reach your followers with the information they want. Facebook is a great place to start, since it has more than 2 billion active users and makes it easy to share blogs, quizzes, or videos.
Driving greater engagement through more social interaction leads to higher search engine rankings. Encourage your current customers to ask questions, share posts, or leave a Facebook review to interact with your brand.
A major buying obstacle people face is being unable to explore businesses online. And because 75% of your prospects won’t scroll past the first page of search engine results, it’s worth it to make sure they can find you.
With these six digital marketing tactics, you’ll increase consumer trust in your brand and drive traffic to your website. The better customers can find you online, the more they can do business with you!
Our marketing protocol has been proven to help companies make more money, filter bad advice, free up time, and eliminate the worry of following ineffective planning.
Treefrog Marketing is a marketing agency focused on small business and located in Lafayette, Indiana. We specialize in strategic marketing and advertising, graphic design, web design, social media, SEO, and more. For more information, please visit our website. You can also connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
