By Garth Bevan
Most people would agree that a web presence is absolutely vital to a modern company’s success. However, the reasons for this aren’t always as obvious as many people would assume. For example, one should consider the nature of competition within various markets.
There was a point where a small business couldn’t really compete with more well established competitors. The Internet has dramatically changed how people look at such a seemingly uneven competition. The main problem with these two companies competing has to do with market saturation. A smaller company simply has trouble trying to grow within a space already dominated by a larger one. However, the Internet is essentially limitless. This has led to many of the larger companies targeting areas which they normally wouldn’t concern themselves with. This can also create large gaps within traditional markets which a small company can then work with. It’s a complex subject which is much easier to understand with a few examples.
Consider a hypothetical small business in the Houston area. They primarily create and sell locally made art, clothing and jewelry. Simply putting up a website and some social media options would pit them directly against some of the largest corporations in the world. However, the general Houston culture is highly appreciative of these types of endeavors. As such, Houston SEO agencies would put special emphasis on this smaller local company’s location. This strategy is often known as local SEO.
Local SEO efforts usually try to put special emphasis on marketing to people in the company’s immediate area. These are all areas which larger companies tend to neglect. A huge corporation will often shut down stores or franchises on a regular basis. As such, working on a base of local marketing tends to be rather risky. However, a small business is almost always going to be and stay a part of the larger local community. As such they’re able to get significant benefits by targeting this niche.
Again, this complex subject can be better understood with some examples. Imagine what would happen if someone typed jewelry into a search engine or mapping system. The hypothetical person might be looking for a gift to give his girlfriend. The nature of the transaction would make in-person discussion a significant benefit. If the search turned up a local address than he’d be more inclined to try it in comparison to results which made him rely solely on online shopping. Even seeing results from locals who loved items they bought in the store would give him a significant push to try it out. The Houston SEO agencies would ensure that all of these links to local resources were well established.
And of course this becomes even more significant when one considers online maps. People often type the name or category of something they want into a map while they’re out and about. Strong local SEO will ensure that a store comes up in map results when people are nearby. In the previous example the man hoping to buy a gift for his girlfriend would receive a notice that the store is nearby when he looks at an online map. His search for jewelry would indicate that a store popular with locals is located near his current position.
Local SEO also helps companies leverage social media. One will often find local events which won’t get much nationwide attention. As such they’re usually ignored by the larger corporations. But a local store can gain significant cultural presence by participating in those events. Likewise, a social media presence which can associate with those events will also prove beneficial. The SEO services also ensure that any cross promotion between these various platforms will go smoothly. For example, a site needs to display properly for someone coming to it from a laptop and someone coming to it on a mobile browser from within a map app.
