In the current digital world, maintaining a strong online presence is crucial for all businesses, particularly those offering local services. As more individuals use search engines to find what they need, businesses that are easily discoverable online and have a strong online reputation hold a significant edge over competitors. In this article, we’ll explore how to enhance the local online visibility of your service-based business using two essential marketing approaches: SEO and PPC
9 Effective Ways for Local Service Businesses to Enhance Online Visibility
As a digital marketing educator and advisor, I’ve had the opportunity to not only educate my students about the significance of integrating search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising for businesses but also witness the positive effects of this combination firsthand. Here’s how to utilize these two strategies to attract traffic, generate leads, and optimize a limited budget.
1. Choose the Ideal Company and Domain Name
Naming your business should be a well-considered decision. Aim for a name that reflects your brand’s identity and is not easily replicated. For local businesses, selecting a name aligned with your target audience’s search intent can be highly beneficial, but avoid forcing it. I encountered a dentist who named their practice “Dentist Near Me” and secured the domain dentistnearme.com. While this extreme approach has SEO advantages, it might not always be the best choice as others might imitate it, potentially diminishing its effectiveness.
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A useful tactic is to include your city, town, or service area in your business name, although it’s not mandatory.
2. Organize Your Business Listings
Maintaining an updated Google Business Profile is another excellent way to enhance your local business’s online presence. Regularly refresh your business information, add photos, and create posts featuring deals and informative articles to establish trust and credibility with potential customers. Extend this practice to all your online listings to increase your chances of ranking in local searches. Listings management tools can simplify this process.
This will simplify the process for potential customers to find and connect with you.
Are your listings optimized for local search?3. Utilize Keywords Strategically in Blog Posts
Create informative blog posts rich in keywords that address common questions potential customers might have, not just about your business but also related to the products and services you offer. This will not only elevate your website’s search engine ranking but also foster trust and credibility with potential customers.
You can leverage our SEO-optimized blog post templates to get started!
4. Position Your Most Important CTA at the Top Right of Your Homepage
Ensure your website is user-friendly and offers a seamless user experience. We have numerous website examples you can explore here. Incorporate prominent call-to-action buttons, such as a clickable phone number in the top right corner and footer and a large contact form in the footer. These easily accessible and intuitive buttons simplify the process for customers to contact you, book a service, initiate a free trial, and more. Your primary CTA should be located in that right-hand section.
5. Monitor Your SEO Performance
Along with tracking your PPC performance, it’s crucial to monitor your organic/SEO performance. Utilize Google Tag Manager and GA4 to analyze SEO metrics and customer behavior against your goals, as well as Google Search Console. You can also use Google Looker Studio (previously Google Data Studio) to keep track of organic performance.
6. Optimize Your PPC Budget with Location Targeting
This is a crucial home service business marketing tip. One common challenge for small businesses regarding advertising is budget constraints. I worked with a client who had only $10 per day for advertising. To address this, I employed location targeting to reach a 5km radius around their business. This strategy helped them conserve their advertising budget while effectively reaching the right audience.
7. Focus on Bidding on Keywords with Commercial Intent
When managing Google Ads campaigns, you specify the keywords you’re bidding on. While numerous keywords relate to your business, prioritize those with strong commercial intent for your PPC campaigns. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify terms potential customers might use when searching for what you offer. Reserve informational intent keywords for SEO. For PPC, opt for commercial or transactional intent to ensure your ads not only appear in relevant searches but also receive clicks from users most likely to convert.
8. Maintain a List of Negative Keywords
In addition to targeting high-commercial-intent keywords, utilize negative keywords—terms you don’t want your ads to appear for. This prevents your ads from showing up for irrelevant searches and receiving clicks from users who aren’t a good fit for your offerings. In my experience, this is particularly crucial when operating with a limited daily budget, even with broad match.
9. Implement Conversion Tracking
Another vital aspect of running Google Ads campaigns is measuring your success through conversion tracking. This visibility enables you to capitalize on successful campaigns, offers, settings, and strategies while eliminating ineffective ones to improve your ROAS (Return On Ad Spend).
Refer to our list of conversion tracking mistakes to ensure you’re capturing the most accurate data.
Enhance Your Local Business’s Online Presence with SEO & PPC
The optimal approach to improving your local service-based business’s online presence is to combine SEO and PPC. Both strategies contribute to enhancing your visibility on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for various keywords. By implementing the tips outlined above, you’ll effectively reach your target audience and cultivate trust and credibility with potential customers. Here’s a recap of the tips from this post:
- Select the Right Company and Domain Name
- Organize Your Business Listings
- Utilize Keywords Strategically in Blog Posts
- Position Your Most Important CTA at the Top Right of Your Homepage
- Monitor Your SEO Performance
- Optimize Your PPC Budget with Location Targeting
- Focus on Bidding on Keywords with Commercial Intent
- Maintain a List of Negative Keywords
- Implement Conversion Tracking