Countless potential customers are turning to search engines like Google to find products and services. As a result, businesses must be easily discoverable online to stay competitive. This especially applies to you If you are a small business owner in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe is known for its rich history and for being a melting pot of cultural influences. Having a vibrant online presence can go a long way for companies looking to take advantage of Santa Fe’s unique landscape.
As a local SEO Company, WSI Web Enhancers, we can help you create a solid local marketing plan with our team of digital experts. Here’s an explanation of the importance of SEO for small businesses and how our company can help entrepreneurs in Santa Fe thrive.
Search Engine Marketing Helps Increase Organic Traffic
When potential customers search for words related to your company, you will appear somewhere on the search engine results page (SERP). However, if you are not optimizing your website effectively, chances are that you won’t be ranked highly for that search result.
According to the Search Engine Journal, in 2020, the first organic Google search result averages a 28.5% click-through rate (CTR). That percentage decreases with each consecutive link.
Customers naturally assume that the first few results are the most relevant to them and rarely will click anywhere else. This fact means that ranking higher than your competitors will significantly increase your visibility.
With well-executed marketing strategies, you can attract more organic traffic. However, you want traffic specific to the Santa Fe area, where your customers can go directly from the search page to your website. This problem means that general SEO methods–which target customers nationally– won’t be as effective for your company.
Having a prominent online presence is essential for Santa Fe’s small business landscape, and there are ways to only reach out to customers in your region. Content marketing services can help you reach your intended audience effectively.
SEO Helps Companies Get Ahead of Their Local Competition
As a small business in a dynamic city, it’s easy to be seen as just another company. Your ideal customer won’t make a purchase if they can’t find you first. Luckily, there are some advantages that only a small company in Santa Fe has.
Santa Fe has a close-knit community, and many residents and tourists prefer to support local businesses. People who live in Santa Fe also want to get their service or product fast, so they’d prefer to make a quick stop in their area rather than travel far.
This is where you have the advantage of being able to optimize your website for regional SEO.
Defining Local SEO
General SEO targets broad keywords that relate to your product or service. You’d be casting a wide net, but not all of the customers you catch are the ones that you want, such as those not in your area.
Local SEO targets similar keywords but with the intention of increasing regional traffic and visibility in a specific area. By doing this, your product will appear when someone searches for it in Santa Fe, but not in other cities where it won’t be relevant.
There are several ways to focus on local marketing. One way is to list your business in online directories.
Listing Companies in Google’s Business Listings
If you list your company in Google’s business listings, your company may appear in what is known as the local pack. The Google Map pack showcases the top-ranking listings for your location with all of their information.
Here, customers can easily find a store’s location, contact information, hours, and reviews all in one place.
If your business listing does not rank high enough to appear in the local pack, listing your company in online directories is still an essential part of regional marketing. It’s a helpful way customers can find out more about your business quickly.
And if your customer is closest to your location when they do their search, your company information will pop up as an option regardless.
An updated and accurate listing helps build trust with your customers, and it increases the chances of an in-store visit or phone call looking to learn more about you.
Using Location-Specific Long-Tail Keywords
Another way to market your business regionally is to use long-tail keywords with your location in them. Long-tail keywords are phrases that don’t get as many searches but tend to be less competitive.
For example, let’s say you are a shoe store in Santa Fe. You might want to target the phrase “best running shoes in Santa Fe” rather than just “running shoes.” This way, you are only competing with other shoe stores in Santa Fe and not nationwide.
A benefit of using long-tail keywords is that customers searching for these terms tend to know exactly what they are looking for. They are closer to making a decision to purchase something. Rather than just researching the product, they are searching for stores near them with that product in stock.
And if you are a company with a niche product or service, long-tail keywords may be the solution to helping the right audience find you.
By connecting with your area, your small business in Santa Fe can thrive and become a staple to your native community.
How SEO Companies Benefit Your Santa Fe Business
Navigating the complexities of marketing can be overwhelming, especially for small business owners focused on running their day-to-day operations. Your knowledge and expertise are likely to be focused on your trade rather than online advertising.
However, being a local business owner means you still have to put in a great deal of effort to mingle with the online community. Having a website is necessary for this digital age, even if it’s not something you have much experience with.
This means you might make mistakes, such as a poorly structured website or an unprofessional online presence. Partnering with an experienced digital marketing agency can help you avoid these mistakes.
Below are some ways an SEO company can help you target valuable regional customers:
- Improving your website design
- Installing interactive maps
- Including targeted keywords
- Creating compelling content
By outsourcing your marketing needs to a dedicated company, you free up valuable time and resources to focus on your core company operations.
Make an Impact by Partnering With Our SEO Company
At WSI Web Enhancers, we are a team of professionals specialized in optimization guidance and content marketing services. We can give your business the boost it needs to compete with the local competition.
Contact us today to see how our SEO company can help your company unlock success.
Jukka founded WSI Web Enhancers in 2012. His progressive and pioneering SEO approaches help businesses increase traffic while improving conversion rates. As an accomplished digital marketing authority, he spins effective web design, SEO, and social media engagement into winning strategies for local and national companies.