Mobile Or Bust Local SEO Hacks For Small Businesses
If you’re a small business owner, then making your website mobile-friendly might seem like a waste of time. But the truth is, your site needs to be mobile optimized. Not sometime soon, but last week.
How does mobile-optimization affect my business?
Local Search Engine Optimization is a set of best practices that helps small businesses boost their performance on search engines. And local SEO companies have been sounding the alarm bell for websites with outdated designs that won’t load properly on mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. That’s because Google recently updated their SEO policies, and websites that aren’t mobile-friendly are less likely to show up first in search results, particularly when people access the web from their phones.
If your website was designed before mobile became the standard, then your business page might be invisible to searchers.
Why is mobile suddenly a priority for search engines?
More and more people find local businesses using their phones. In fact, almost half of all local searches are performed with a mobile device. That’s why local mobile ad spending will reach $18 billion by next year. So if you’re site isn’t mobile-friendly by then, your competitors’ will be.
Will Pay-Per-Click Advertising Help?
That depends. PPC ads can help your business show up on search screens, but 70 to 80% of search engine users will ignore paid ads in favor of organic results. So in the long run, local SEO strategies can help you outrank the competition online. That’s why some small businesses hire local SEO companies rather than simply purchasing ads.
Why should I make local SEO services a priority if I do business face to face?
Even if your business doesn’t make any money online, chances are your new customers find you through your website or presence in online directories. According to a study by Pew Internet, almost 60% of Americans research a new service online. In fact, there are about 645 million visits to local pages in the United States each week.
And since three-quarters of all internet users will never look past the first page of search results, you have to outrank your competitors on search engines.