How To Supercharge Local SEO With Branding

You have read up on local SEO, done your keyword research, and optimized your website for search engines.

All good! But… why isn’t the search engine ranking for your local service business skyrocketing?

The truth is, your competitors are getting SEO savvy too. Everybody is chasing after the same keywords and reading the same how-to articles.

Now, we’re not saying don’t get your SEO ducks in a row – that’s the absolute minimum you need to do to thrive in today’s competitive market!

After all, your online traffic could suffer dramatically if you don’t get onto the first page of Google since 90% of searches don’t go past the first page of search results.

Meanwhile, spending a lot of money on ads may get you temporary results but they’re not nearly as cost-effective in the long-run as optimizing your website for organic searches.

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However, simply doing the basics is no longer enough to help you stand out from a large pool of service providers in local search results.

How can you capture the attention of your potential customers… and Google?

Turns out, they’re not that different!

Google considers user behavior as a signal of relevancy and uses it as a ranking factor, so what works for your audience will work for Google too!

How do people decide that they can trust a product or service provider?

In today’s crowded marketplace, we don’t have time to compare and research every single product or service. We take a shortcut by choosing those that we recognize.

We take a recognizable brand as a shorthand that we can trust the product or service. Have you noticed that when you’re looking for a product online, you often type in a brand name instead of the generic name? (E.g., Band-Aid, not self-adhesive bandages.)

When a website gets a high amount of brand queries (i.e., people use the brand name in their searches) compared to their competitors, Google takes it as a signal that it’s preferred over the others.

Since consumers prefer and search for brand names, Google gives them higher priority for all the terms they’re optimized for. As such, Google considers these sites to be more relevant and therefore, will rank them higher in relevant search results.

So, what can you do to build a brand for your local service business?

How To Create a Successful Brand For Your Local Service Business

First, keep in mind that establishing your brand is a long game. It’s not about making immediate sales.

The goal is to stay top of mind and position yourself as an expert. You want people to recognize your brand, remember it, and trust it. So when they need the services you provide, they’ll search for your business name.

Here’s how to build a brand that’ll capture the attention of your prospects and Google alike:

1. Choose a Unique And Memorable Business Name

If people can’t remember your business name, they won’t enter it into Google, right?

Your business name should be easy to recall and hard to misspell. For example, if you print out the website URL on a poster or say your URL on a radio ad, will your prospects be able to remember it clearly and spell it correctly?

When naming your business, also consider the names of your competitors. For example, if your business name is very similar to that of more established competitor, you’re likely to lose out on the SEO ranking.

In addition, include keywords in your brand name or URL if possible. This will not only aid recall but also signal to Google that your website is relevant to the search terms.

2. Deliver Great Services And Leverage Word Of Mouth

Providing outstanding services is the key to getting known for your expertise and building a stellar reputation that’ll benefit your business for years to come.

If you deliver great results, then your existing customers are likely to look you up online when they need your services again. Or they’d share their experience with others, who’d then search for you online. As a result, your brand queries will increase and Google will take notice.

Also, leverage the power of word of mouth by asking your happy customers to post online reviews about your business. This will increase your brand’s visibility on third-party sites, build brand recognition, and boost your credibility.

3. Create Value And Share It Everywhere

Creating value is one of the best ways to build trust and nurture relationships with your prospects and customers.

Publish relevant and helpful blog articles regularly (e.g., once a week) and don’t skimp on the promotional efforts. Share the content with your email list and on social media to build credibility while driving traffic back to your website.

You can also create videos to engage viewers and build a personal connection. It also helps you get found on YouTube and leverage the increasing popularity of video content on social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram.)

Select topics that allow you to showcase your expertise. Focus on helping your audience solve their problems rather than talking about your services – nobody wants to watch a 5-minute infomercial!

4. Engage With Your Community

As a local service business, you can enhance your brand by building relationships with the local community online and offline.

Participate in and/or sponsor local events and take advantage of the in-person interactions to build rapport with prospects. Take photos and videos then share them on your website, email newsletter, or social media to boost your local presence.

You can also join online neighborhood communities, such as Nextdoor, in which you can participate in conversations, add value, and become a trusted resource for topics in your area of expertise.

Conclusion

Establishing a unique and memorable brand can help you create a virtuous cycle that drives more traffic and improves your search engine ranking.

Of course, just building a brand and driving traffic isn’t going to bring you customers. You also need to dial in your lead generation and lead nurturing strategies to progress prospects down your sales funnel.

That’s why a lead generating website is such a critical component of SEO – when you drive traffic to your website, you want to get the highest ROI by capturing visitors’ information so you can follow up and close the sale.

Here at 99 Calls, we not only help you drive high-quality traffic but also build an optimized lead generation website to optimize your conversion rate. Learn more and request a free demo here.