You already know the importance of having a website for your business. However, is that website helping you achieve more sales and leads? If your site is not optimized for local Birmingham traffic you may be missing a lot of sales.
The following article is going to show you exactly how local SEO can work for your business and increase your earnings.
More Traffic
Without a doubt, more people are finding local businesses through the internet. There was a time when someone needed to find a business they would call directory assistance or look in the phone book (remember those?) but those days are long gone.
With the availability of Smartphones and tablets more than 78% of all people in need of a product or service turn to an online search.
Best Return On Investment
While there are many forms of getting your brand out to the public, search engine optimization is the most cost effective. While there are many ways of getting brand awareness they can be rather costly. Have you looked at the cost of getting a 30 second radio spot or a half page ad in the Sunday paper?
The reason SEO is so much more cost effective is because you are targeting people who are actively seeking out your product or service and if they live in or near Birmingham, they are more likely to choose your business rather than one in a different city.
The Field Is Wide Open
While the online world has become much more competitive there are still many businesses who are not taking advantage of it. This is a perfect opportunity for your business to dominate local search results.
This is the perfect opportunity to get your foot in the door and reach the number one position before the competition does.
In fact, many keywords are wide open and all that is needed is for a local business to create the content that is needed to rank for that particular keyword.
Online Searches Dominate Towns
At a certain point in time a business could be found easily through local newspapers. At this point in time there are fewer and fewer people who are reading local newspapers. It is estimated that local newspapers have seen a decline of over 80% in readership in just the last 20 years. This is due to internet technology getting more accessible and faster.
It is easier and cheaper for people to find all of their information and news online. In addition, they are able to seek out all local businesses with a simple search. This is why it pays to invest in Birmingham SEO to target local customers.
There is one thing that has happened online that has helped a majority of businesses while hurting others. It is the power of the online review. people know have the ability to leave a review on Google about their experience with a local business.
This is just as powerful as word of mouth or getting a recommendation from a neighbour or friend. There are also review sites like Yelp that offer unbiased reviews about local services and businesses. This enables people to get an accurate idea of the service before ever stepping in or calling.
All of these have an impact of local SEO efforts. If you have been prolonging your decent into local SEO, now is the time to get started. Get a jump on your competition and scoop up those easy to rank for keywords.