Despite Utah having one of the strongest economies in the nation, local companies are finding themselves in a constant struggle to compete with Internet prices, due to eCommerce websites having little overhead costs and the ability to avoid charging sales tax.
Billboards, flyers, radio ads and fun, dancing sign shakers are still the focus for many local business owners’ marketing strategy, but while the Internet may have caused this problem, it might be what fixes it as well.
The internet is here to stay, and the phrase “adapt or die” is all too real in this circumstance. The adaptation is specifically Internet marketing, and it’s currently the fastest growing marketing channel in America.
Adopting search engine optimization (SEO) practices, Google’s Adwords program and social media into a locally focused marketing strategy is growing popular, and may become the standard in the near future.
What is local Internet marketing?
Internet users all over Utah are searching online for products and services. So much in fact that many online marketing companies have based their whole business off helping local companies become popular for certain keywords.
Every month, 100 – 3000 searches are performed for a specific keyphrase relating to Utah and a local service or product.
Getting a company’s website to the first page of the search engines can be the healthy boost in business that these local companies are looking for.
Essentially, a whole new type of marketing is offered to these businesses and more importantly, it’s targeted directly to their demographic, unlike some traditional marketing methods.
How does local Internet marketing work?
To obtain high rankings for keywords in the search engines, you can pay Google for the placement through their Adwords program.
This “pay per click” method is quick and relatively cheap depending on your industry, but you will constantly have to pay Google for the clicks your ad is getting from potential customers.
On the flip side, there is search engine optimization (SEO) which can help you rank in the search engines by optimizing your business website for your keywords, as well as engaging in continual link building.
Link building is the process of having other websites link to yours. This can be comparable to votes, and the more votes you get from reputable websites, the higher you can rank.
The many different methods of link building include guest blog posting, submitting to local directories (e.g. Yellowpages) or hiring a company to do it for you.
This method of internet marketing is slower but because you can eventually rank for your keyphrases, it can become a free, steady form of leads, something locally focused business owners are in need of.
As does everything, Internet marketing has its risks, but can have a worthwhile ROI if done correctly. Next time you’re thinking about placing a billboard ad, consider exploring the unknown to boost your business online.
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