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BroadVision Marketing Blog

Affordable Local SEO Requires Effective Landing Pages

Posted by Jaco Grobbelaar on Wed, Dec 27, 2023 @ 01:15 PM

affordable-local-seo-requires-effective-landing-pages

 

[This article was first published in July 2017 and has been revised and updated for 2024.]

Whether it's simply a home page, or a series of specialized destination pages, having effective landing pages is one of the key elements of an affordable local SEO strategy.

If you are a local business, or even an online business with a local, geographic focus, you don't need to be found by the entire world on the Internet. You simply need to be found locally.

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Bringing Locals to Your Business with Effective Landing Pages

Getting hundreds or even thousands of website visits from folks in Derby, England  or Asmara, Eritrea might be interesting, but they are not likely to become customers for your localized business.

The ultimate and overriding goal for any local business website is to be found by local prospects - people near you that need or want your product or service. While this sounds painfully obvious and simple, it can be an amazingly complex process to get someone who is searching online for a business like yours to find your website.

We've all heard the statistics: if your site doesn't show up on the first page of the search engine results you will probably not be seen. Ever. If you do happen to make it to page one, but are not in the top three positions, your odds of even being considered are still slim. 

If you are fortunate enough to be one of only a select handful of similar businesses in your area, it can be easier. For example, how many hot air balloon ride companies can there be in a town of only 50,000 people?

If, on the other hand, you are simply one of dozens or even hundreds of similar businesses in a heavily populated area, then it becomes exponentially more difficult to be found organically.

A pressing concern today is the continuing relevance of search engine optimization (SEO) in this new age of AI. However, SEO is still absolutely relevant for local businesses today, even with the advancements of AI and large language models like ChatGPT and Bard.

The landscape might be changing, but the core principles of SEO – providing valuable content and optimizing your website for user intent – remain essential for attracting local customers.

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Affordable Local SEO: Organic Search and Landing Pages 

Being found organically simply means being found online by someone searching for a business like yours on a search engine such as Google or Bing. This is not the same as someone clicking on a paid ad (such as Google AdWords) or by typing in your business name or URL.

The purpose of SEO is simply to increase the likelihood of your website being found by prospects using a search engine. But being found is just the beginning. People have to like what they see once they've clicked on your link in the search results. And this relies on a number of tools at your disposal.

One of the tools, if you will, for making this happen is a landing page.

What is a landing page? A great explanation was provided by Moz years ago that still applies:

A Landing Page is a page that focuses information targeted towards a particular user – and according to Seth Godin, optimized specifically to encourage 1 of 5 actions:

1. Get a visitor to click (to go to another page, on your site or someone else's)

2. Get a visitor to buy

3. Get a visitor to give permission for you to follow up (by email, phone, etc.). This includes registration of course.
4. Get a visitor to tell a friend
5. Get a visitor to learn something, which could even include posting a comment or giving you some sort of feedback

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So, Why are Landing Pages Great for Local SEO?

Website landing pages are extremely critical for local SEO for several key reasons:

  1. Targeting Specific Locations: Landing pages offer a platform to dedicate content and keywords to specific geographic areas. Landing pages can offer localized content, addressing the needs and interests of users in that particular area. They can also be tailored to specific local offers or events, increasing the likelihood of conversions among local audiences. Whether it's a single city, multiple neighborhoods, or a wider region, these pages can cater directly to users searching for services in those areas.
  2. Enhancing Relevance: Compared to generic website pages, landing pages allow you to delve deeper into locally relevant information. This could include details like local business hours, contact information, localized offers, and addressing local pain points or interests. Search engines favor content that closely matches user intent, and locally tailored landing pages deliver exactly that.
  3. Higher Conversion Rates: By focusing on a specific location and its needs, landing pages can offer a more personalized and targeted user experience. This leads to higher engagement, better understanding of user intent, and ultimately, increased conversion rates. Users searching for "plumbers near me" are more likely to convert on a landing page dedicated to your plumbing services in their zip code compared to a generic "about us" page. They also provide an opportunity to include location-specific keywords, helping search engines understand the geographical relevance of your business.
  4. Boosting Mobile Visibility: Google prioritizes mobile friendliness in search rankings, and landing pages are often easier to optimize for mobile than broader website sections. This is crucial for local SEO, as most location-based searches are conducted on mobile devices.
  5. Local Business Listings Integration: Landing pages can be optimized to seamlessly integrate with your local business listings on Google My Business, Bing Places, and other directories. Landing pages can complement your Google My Business profile, for example, by providing additional relevant information, which can positively impact your local SEO efforts. This creates a consistent brand experience and strengthens local search signals, further boosting your visibility.
  6. NAP Consistency (Name, Address, Phone Number) and Local Citations: Landing pages can reinforce NAP consistency, which is crucial for local SEO. Having this consistent information across these pages reinforces your business's credibility and authority. These pages serve as valuable sources for citations (mentions of your business name, address, and phone number), which are fundamental for local SEO. In addition, landing pages can attract local backlinks, especially from local directories or businesses, contributing to your overall SEO strategy.

And, last but not least, landing pages allow you to create specific CTAs (Call-To-Action) for local audiences, encouraging engagement and conversions.

In conclusion, landing pages are not just helpful for local SEO – they are essential for success. By offering targeted content, enhanced relevance, improved user experience, and better mobile visibility, landing pages act as powerful magnets for local traffic and conversions. They are crucial in targeting specific geographic areas and tailoring content to meet the needs of local audiences, ultimately contributing to improved search visibility and engagement within those regions.

So, if you haven't already, prioritize creating dedicated landing pages for your local SEO strategy and watch your online presence flourish!

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One Landing Page is Good; Many Landing Pages are Better

Many websites will have only one “landing page” and that is typically their home page. While this is important, the potential for utilizing true landing pages is far larger than that. For example, a cosmetic surgeon might simply have one page on the practice website that lists the procedures and services offered.

A better approach, from an SEO perspective, would be to create a separate page for each procedure. Each of those pages would have key words in their headers and a healthy amount of niche-specific content about both the procedure and the practice.

If a surgery practice had, say, five specific procedures that they could highlight with their own pages, then there are at least five more destinations that could be “found” with organic searches. In addition, if the clinic had several locations, a "location page" could be published for each office. These opportunities illustrate the beauty of landing pages for SEO!

Here are some common examples of local SEO landing pages:

  • Service Page for a Specific Location: A plumber in San Francisco could have a landing page for plumbing services in Mission District, highlighting local reviews and offers.
  • "Near Me" Page: A restaurant chain could have a landing page specifically targeting users searching for "restaurants near [landmark]".
  • Event-Specific Page: A yoga studio could create a landing page for a local yoga retreat, detailing location, schedule, and registration information.

According to a post at HubSpot,

More landing pages mean more conversion opportunities. There's also a huge SEO benefit to having more landing pages, which can have an impact even before visitors land on your website. Think about it: The more landing pages you have, the more landing pages will be indexed in search.

Along with the sheer number of distinct pages that search engines can crawl and index, each page represents an opportunity for regular updating and refreshing of the content on those pages. This is critical since search engines prioritize websites with fresh and relevant content.

However, keep in mind that every landing page you have on your website must be effective in terms of SEO as well as valuable and relevant to your target audience. So, let's consider what makes for effective landing pages.

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And What Makes for an Effective Landing Page?

There are three basic elements for a solid landing page:

Content

Clear and Compelling Headline

  • Immediate Value Proposition: A concise, attention-grabbing headline that clearly communicates what the page offers.

Engaging Visuals

  • High-Quality Imagery or Videos: Visual content that supports the message, showcases the product/service, and engages visitors.

Persuasive Copywriting

  • Compelling Copy: Clear, concise, and persuasive language that highlights benefits, solves problems, and guides visitors towards the desired action (CTA).
  • Benefits-Oriented Content: Focus on how the product/service benefits the user rather than just its features.

Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)

  • Clear and Visible CTA: A prominently placed CTA button with compelling text that prompts visitors to take action.
  • One Clear Action: Avoid confusion by focusing on a single primary CTA.

Structure

Trust Indicators

  • Testimonials and Reviews: Genuine testimonials or reviews that build trust and credibility.
  • Trust Badges or Certifications: Logos or symbols that reassure visitors about security, privacy, or industry affiliations.

Minimal Distractions

  • Simplified Design: Remove unnecessary elements that might distract visitors from the main goal.
  • Focused Messaging: Keep the content focused on the intended conversion goal without overwhelming the visitor.

Mobile Optimization

  • Responsive Design: Ensure the page looks and functions well on various devices, especially mobile phones.

Loading Speed

  • Fast Load Times: Quick loading to prevent visitors from bouncing off due to slow page speed.

Lead Generation/Conversion

SEO Best Practices

  • Keyword Optimization: Align content with relevant keywords for better search engine visibility.

Exit or Secondary CTAs

  • Backup Options: Offer secondary CTAs for visitors not ready for the primary action, like subscribing to a newsletter or exploring related content.

Clear Value Proposition

  • Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Clearly communicate what sets your product/service apart from competitors.

CTA - Local Target Audience

Find Landing Page Help With Affordable Local SEO Marketing

A well-built local SEO strategy can be an effective way to boost your business. But achieving your marketing objectives using a content-based strategy does take time and it won't happen with a few blog posts or other great content.

The reality of SEO is that people will typically see your content for a while before they engage with you.

The good news is that you don't have to figure all this out alone. In fact, one of the best investments you can make with your marketing budget is to partner with a solid firm like Petaluma-based BroadVision Marketing. We are your local partner for your local marketing needs. 

Click on the button below to learn more about how BroadVision Marketing can help you so you can make an informed decision, or call BroadVision Marketing at 707-799-1238.

 

 

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Topics: CTA, Landing page optimization, Landing pages, affordable SEO, local SEO, affordable local seo, AI, GMB, Google My Business

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