Google is Focusing on Your Local Store, Are You?

Google is empowering the local results in the search.

Even when the search is not mentioning explicitly ‘nearby’ or ‘in my city’, the top results are local.
The dominance of local results can be seen in the maps and SERP equally. The search queries on mobile are 50% local. Once, there was a time when Google was considered to be favoring the big businesses and Bing was the friend of the small local businesses but if you are in SEO for some time, you know better.

Google has made it pretty clear that it is bent to convert the online traffic to the foot traffic. It is improving the maps to show the inventory and the special offers that are going on in the store. When Google is ready to send the buyers to your store, are you ready to catch them?

Is your store ready to serve the audience?

When a store is selling online and offline, more focus is put on the online store because it is where people are searching for the product. These store owners often forget that most of the people who began their search online, end up buying from the local store. It has become more important than ever to prepare your store to convert the buyers into regulars

Here is the strategy that would help you with the task. So, let us start.

#1. Make sure that you are one of the local results

While Google wants to display you in the local results, you should be ready to grab a place. Hire one of the best SEO service San Francisco and optimize your website. These experts know all about the optimization and they will use the best practice to gain an organic ranking. Start creating good content that may concern your audience. Use attractive images of your products to lure the audience. People search before they buy, so make sure that you make an impression during that attention span. Do not keep the best things for the last, place all your cards on the table. Use email marketing to get the leads and target the audience one-to-one.

#2. Give all the information that they want to know

NAP is not the only thing that the customers want to know. You should mention your address and phone number but the business timings, the catalog of products, directions, Google map, the inventory of the products etc. are important things that help the customer to come closer to your store. 54% people want to know the business hours while they search on mobile and 53% want the directions to the store. While surfing on the desktop or tab, 45% people said that they would want to know the availability of products before heading out to buy.

#3. Use social media to become popular

Social proof, need we say anymore?

Will you go to a store or buy a product with no reviews or bad reviews?

It is essential that you create a following on the social media. Encourage people visiting your store to leave a review at Google My Business. Ask them to spread the good word and offer free promotional goodies. Social media creates the audiences, so post regularly on it and make people connect more.

#4. Use customer retention programs and gain the loyalty

The major source of income of a local store is the returning customers. Run a customer loyalty program to bring the customers back to you. You can also invest in the referral programs to gain more customers. Keep up the good quality of your products and services. Keep the customers happy, make them feel that they have made a right decision to come to your store out of the long listing Google showed them. While people like new adventures, they stick to the local store which they trust. They do not switch stores knowing the lower prices because trust triumphs the price. You have to make sure that you are one of the stores they trust.

So, do not fear to promote your physical store online. No matter what niche you are in, you can always represent yourselves online. “SEO is a tough task”, says St Louis SEO agency but they also know that the expertise can make it a child’s play. So, hire an SEO firm, give your business the best chance and rule local search results.

Did you use the online marketing for your physical store? How is it going for you? Please comment below. Google is Focusing on Your Local Store, Are You?