Reasons to Target Local Keywords

Reasons to Target Local Keywords

It may be called the World Wide Web, but if your business offers services specifically to people in your immediate area then it's no good receiving an influx of traffic from Rio de Janeiro or Timbuktu, or even the other side of the UK.

That's where it can come in handy to specifically target local keywords and phrases, such as 'gardening services in Birmingham', or 'Bicycle repair in Liverpool city centre.'

While such narrowly defined keyphrases may not appear in as many search results pages as broader terms, they can help to ensure that the people who do arrive at your site are the 'right' people (which is, after all, the overall aim of SEO). It's also worth remembering that 'Bicycle repair in Liverpool city centre' still contains the broader keyphrase 'bicycle repair'.

Think globally act locally

Local keywords are also of growing importance when it comes to targeting Internet users who go online via their smart phone. According to a recent survey by mobile marketing firm JiWire, more than half of mobile phone users questioned said that they would be happy to share their geographical location data in order to find services and offers that were specifically relevant to where there they are. The survey canvassed the opinions of 2,800 consumers, and also found that 29% of those said that they currently use their mobile phones to find promotions within a mile of their current location.

As well as bringing more targeted traffic to your website locally relevant keyphrases are also less competitive on the whole. Going back to our example above, you might be competing with tens of thousands of other websites for the 'bicycle repair' search term, but only hundreds in the case of 'bicycle repair in Liverpool city centre'.

By targeting local keywords you can increase the amount of traffic coming to your website from individuals and businesses in the local area. Of course, if you do also offer your products or services to people further afield, you'll want to ensure that you do not alienate these potential customers by including broader content and references within your site.

Don't underestimate how important that local market is. Organic SEO creates its own momentum. By tapping into the local business ads and getting your listing up the page rankings, your conversion rate can and will increase.

And never underestimate the power of word of mouth either. If your local customers like you, be sure that they'll tell others.

Jonathan Celeste invites you to join the rest of his clients at the top of the Google mountain with a Search Engine Optimisation campaign from Onit solutions. http://www.onitsolutions.co.uk

Don't take chances with you web presence. Get it right the first time. Use a team that gets results every time. Call us today on 0845 224 1015 for more information on how we can help your business grow.