Are your online marketing strategies meeting the expectations of your customers? You might be behind when it comes to local marketing, the trend that every local business needs to invest in. As a business operating within the city, your online marketing in Greenville, SC should be directed to your immediate service area. Let the leading search engine and research experts tell you why.

Google studied the behaviors of local searchers in cooperation with Ipsos MediaCT and Purchased®. The report featured in the Think with Google resource shows that “four in five consumers use search engines to find products, services or experiences nearby. They conduct local searches wherever they happen to be; 84% use search engines on their computer or tablet and even more (88%) do so on their smartphone.”

Consumers have come to expect a certain amount of contextual relevance with regard to search. In fact, four in five want search ads to be customized to their city, zip code or immediate surroundings (if they’re near an airport, for example).

 

By accounting for a consumer’s constantly changing location, all businesses can benefit, whether they are an online-only company looking to attract consumers in certain cities, a brick-and-mortar store trying to reach local consumers or a multichannel organization hoping to drive consumers from online to store.

Businesses can make their brand more relevant to the local scene by using targeted ads and other relevant content. Pay-per-click or PPC advertising should be done with attractive images and clear messages. Generated information should be optimized to the service area of the business. Any calls to action should have direct links on how the customer can call or reach you.

The Google study also found that “a greater percentage of local searches lead to a purchase within a day versus non-local searches (18% vs. 7%).” The fact that conversions and sales are more imminent should urge businesses to bolster their local marketing campaign and enjoy more profitable ROI.

However, internet marketing in Greenville, SC should not be limited to PPC ads and SEO. Full-service online marketing firms like Spark Local Marketing can also help in managing the social media presence of businesses. Customers can “check-in” using the social media page or address of a business and instantly create free brand exposure. Businesses can also engage with customers and respond to queries using social media connections.

(Source: Going Local: How Advertisers Can Extend Their Relevance With Search, Think with Google, May 2014)