Local online advertising can help a business get a lot of attention from consumers who are searching for products and services similar to the ones that the company offers. It can also help them stand out of the crowd and get noticed. This type of marketing can help increase a business’s revenue, as well as their bottom line.
Local online advertising is generally less costly than large international or national online marketing campaigns and is often cheaper for smaller businesses. Many local online advertising purchases are affordable even for small businesses, which is ideal for those who are struggling to save money and are looking to really make an impression online. Some examples of local online advertising options include creating Google Places pages, listing direct to local businesses on Google Maps, and using social media platforms to share coupons and specials with customers.
Creating a Google Places page is relatively easy. In fact, it only takes a few minutes to create a page using Google’s basic web design tool. Business owners can choose whether they want their business listed in categories or in the search box, which features a list of your closest competitors. They can also choose from a variety of different headers such as text and picture menus to make their listing look more professional. When a potential customer searches for something on a popular search engine such as Google, they will see your listing first and you will appear higher in the search results.
Creating a Google Maps page is slightly more involved, but not by much. Business owners have the option of choosing where they want their Google Places lists to appear, how much exposure their advert will get, and what type of listing they would like. The location tool allows the consumer to search within a city, region, state, or country. If the consumer searches within a specific city, region, or country, they will be shown business listings that are near their current location. The greater exposure that a business receives through local online advertising, the better chance they have of getting new customers.
Businesses can also take advantage of the free marketing that the major search engines offer. Paid search is one of the easiest ways to market a business because consumers go to these sites in search of a specific product or service. For example, someone may search for “guitar lessons in Los Angeles” or “handmade soaps in Santa Monica.” By targeting specific keywords, local online advertising can target the right audiences for a business.
There are two main types of local online advertising. Pay per click advertisements (PPC) are placed on prominent positions in the search engines and include sponsored links, which can earn a business additional revenue. Organic listings are also commonly used for local web directories. These allow businesses to appear on the landing pages of local digital marketing and business directories for a modest fee.
With all types of advertising, there is the importance of maintaining quality content. It is important for local online advertising to have articles that accurately describe the business, the services that the business provides, and provide contact information. It is also important for online advertising to avoid placing the business’s address in the advertisement. Instead, it is most effective for local businesses to use the internet as a place to gather prospects and to create a relationship with these prospects. This creates a positive experience for the customer and helps to build their trust in the business.
When a local business starts to use local online advertising, they should consider paid search engine optimization as an option for PPC and organic listing placement. Pay per click advertisements can help a business gain exposure but without increasing their overall search engine rankings. Organic listing placements can help local businesses gain high positions on the search engines, but without paying for PPC, a business can quickly reach the top of the search engines and pay for results in a matter of weeks. A local online advertising campaign should include the development of a strong website and the implementation of a search engine optimization plan. This will help a local online advertising company to develop a strong business website and ensure that it has high search engine rankings and can generate local traffic.
