Draw In Local Customers With Your Online Reputation

Clients Online Are Waiting For You To Act!

If you have a local business and want more customers walking through your door, don’t overlook the power of an online presence to draw them in. More people than ever before are now checking for online reviews and websites  before darkening the door of a local establishment they’re interested in. Are you missing out on this wealth of opportunity? Check out this helpful advice from a business owner whose been there and knows exactly how to draw people in using their online reputation!

Robbie Richards RobbieRichards.com // @RobbieRichMktg

Local Search

As a local business, it’s important to rank in both organic and local search packs. Top 3 is critical. Outside of that and you’re going to miss out on most of the traffic. I’ll perform a full site audit (lots of Screaming Frog, WhiteSpark and Google Webmaster Tools) to make sure all the technical pieces are in check and there is no penalty potential. I’ll do the following:

a. Add Schema markup

b. Optimize the Google My Business account

c. Audit local citations and ensure consistent NAP

d. Ensure on-page factors are in check (keyword and location within titles, headings, alt, body copy, internal linking and URL…where possible)

e. Optimize off-site properties…namely social media channels and relevant directory listings

f. Build eveergreen content around specific products and services

g. I usually use blog content to build backlinks by way of list posts and roundups. This way I can boost domain authority and use internal links to pass page rank to some of those deeper money pages

h. Make sure its mobile-friendly Finally, I’ll pull the backlink profiles of my top 5 local competitors and see where (and how) they are getting their backlinks. Then, I’ll try and replicate as many of those links as possible.

This is also a good way to build an informed content strategy. See what is working for them, and do it better.
– via buildfire.com

Your Online Reputation Is a Living, Breathing Thing

Your online reputation is in constant flux on the internet, which is why it matters to stay on top of it. People will likely google your business before they check you out in person, so it’s vital that you know what they’ll find when they search your name. Here are some useful tips for staying on top of your online reputation!

Be Proactive

Monitor with Google Alerts Google Alerts is a great tool for monitoring brand mentions. If there is a discussion or review of your brand, you will know about it and you will be able react in a timely fashion. Setting up Google Alerts is easy; all you need is a free Gmail account.


Have a Plan in the Event of a Crisis

A crisis is any situation that threatens the reputation of your brand, often fueled by negative publicity. In the event of a crisis, you need a communication plan. Keep in mind that if you find yourself in a crisis situation, it’s important to quickly admit your role in the situation, tell the truth and tell it all.

Get Mentioned by the Mainstream Media

Having a PR strategy goes a long way in building and protecting your brand. Because news outlets carry so much trust and authority, these websites tend to rank high in search results. Social media and websites like HARO make it easier than ever to connect with journalists. The key is to have a compelling and timely story to tell when you do reach out.- via Search Engine Watch

How much effort do you put into your online reputation? If someone googles your business name, what will they find?