You may not be aware of this, but search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing play a very big role in directing new customers to local businesses. When a person searches online for a particular service or product in their area, search engines identify and locate all relevant companies and provide the user a list of said companies. The positioning of the companies on this list is determined by the amount of web traffic they receive each week, and the company with the highest traffic will be placed first. As more and more people are using search engines to find relevant businesses it’s becoming increasingly important for local companies to find new ways to direct traffic to their website or webpage. There are a quite a few ways an increase in traffic can be achieved, but all methods can be split into two groups. These are known as inorganic and organic processes.
Inorganic and Organic Processes
You may be wondering which of the two aforementioned methods for increasing web traffic would be best suited for you and your company. If you have a local or small business then I would strongly urge you to use organic processes only. Inorganic processes tend to involve the use of advertising plans like pay-per-click, and such methods are only focused on improving your online search engine ranking for the time being. The organic methods identify your ranking and potential ways to increasing said ranking through careful back-linking and citations, and such methods are aimed at developing an increase in ranking over a long time. Obviously this is much more beneficial for your company as it will result in a constant flow of web traffic rather than fluctuations of site visitors. The best organic processes you can currently use are pieces of software known as local SEO tools. SEO stands for search engine optimisation, and I would recommend you to utilize as many of these tools as your budget will allow.
Local SEO Tools
As these tools are local, they will only focus on your immediate competitors and will ensure that your site or webpage remains relevant. It’s important to spend ample time reading up on the various tools that can be bought, and I would advise you to research into the benefits they offer and what can be achieved.
It’s also a good idea to review the companies providing the SEO tools, and look for independent reviews rather than on site testimonials.
You can view weekly rankings and also generate white-label ranking reports for investors or clientele. Another beneficial tool you can buy is a local SEO check-up, and this tool will search and locate every other website and directory that your company has been mentioned on.
You can also check to see if the author has provided your company’s relevant contact details. Always buy from reputable developers, and if you’re primarily interested in a rank checker then try out the Bright Local ranking tool.
James Murphy is a technology blogger with a strong interest in search engines and the affect they can have on local businesses. James enjoys spending his free time working on his fictional writing and visiting science museums.
