Being on the web is good, but being visible is better. For fear of being crushed by their competitors, many small businesses give up and see no point in taking care of their web presence. Just because you're small doesn't mean you don't belong on the web.  On the contrary, there is less competition there, so favoring targeted and Topnotch SEO local marketing could help you increase your visibility.

What is local web marketing?

Local web marketing is ideal for businesses with physical outlets. As its name suggests, it allows you to locally target your prospects according to a very specific geographic area. You don't need to want to reach everyone; the important thing is to reach the right person, at the right time and in the right place. So, before you start, you must know your personas perfectly: who are they? What do they do? And above all, where are they? Why do you require marketing agency for this?

With the geolocation system present on all of our smartphones, a local customer can ultimately be a passing customer. Local web marketing therefore does not stop only at the inhabitants of a city or region. Martine who lives in Lyon could very well be targeted by one of your advertisements during her visit to the Ceruse.

5 ways to increase your visibility and attract local prospects 

The essential Google My Business

Did you know? According to Google, 4 out of 5 users use a search engine to do their local searches. Google My Business is therefore the essential platform on which your business must be present. It allows large and small businesses to stand out on the Google search engine. It's easy and it's free. All you need to do is create your company profile and fill in your contact details, your sector of activity, your hours and some photos. Fill in each of its fields carefully, because this form will represent the online showcase of your business.  Although Google is the most popular, you can also create a listing on Bing Places for Business, the equivalent of GMB, but on Bing. 

Online directories and directories 

We can never tell you enough, the more present you are on the web, and the better your SEO will be. So, increase your chances of being visible by being present on online directories such as TripAdvisor, Yelp or the Yellow Pages. Provide at least the name of your company, your address, a telephone number and the URL of your website on each of these sites. 

Geolocation on social media 

In order for your posts to reach people close to your business, you have the option of sharing your location. Whether on Facebook or Instagram, posts and stories can be geolocated. For example, say you post an Instagram story mentioning Lyon's position. It will be accessible and could be viewed by those interested in content from that city. The reputed and Topnotch SEO always recommend it to increase the reaching potential

To expand your reach and reach new local prospects, consider hashtags. On the Instagram social network, many city-specific hashtags are consulted and followed. By using strategic hashtags, you increase your chances of being visible to the target you want. 

Local influencers and partners 

We advise you to favor local micro-influencers because their audience is often much more qualified and engaged than influencers with large accounts. First, the financial compensation of micro-influencers is less important. Second, micro-influencers are closer to their followers. Third, they have a knack for activating word of mouth 2.0 in minutes! 

Even if the objective remains to make people talk about you and to gain visibility, also think of partnerships with local businesses and associations.

Ads to increase point-of-sale traffic

In order to encourage Internet users to visit the store, we recommend that you set up Facebook ads with a “point of sale traffic” objective. Very easily, you can target people who are geographically close to your point of sale. The “find the route” call to action is very effective in encouraging people nearby to go to the store. 

You now have all the keys in hand to effectively boost your visibility on the Web. Even small businesses can do well by promoting local marketing.  Need a helping hand to develop your strategy? Make an appointment with our experts to discuss it.