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We are also featured on The Manifest, Clutch’s sister site ! Their platform provides practical business advice through news resources and how-to guides. At another sister platform, Visual Objects, they display our portfolio along with those of other businesses to help buyers in their decision to choose a service provider. We look forward to growing our presence on Clutch even further! We definitely see more 5-star reviews and Clutch Leader Awards in our future. Feel free to drop us a line to start a conversation on your business goals!
What is Local SEO? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and involves the methods and tactics used to rank a website as high as possible on search engine results, specifically on the “organic” or “natural” results when searching for specific targeted keywords or keywords of interest. These “organic” ranking results are also referred to as SERPs (search engine ranking positions) and determine the “natural” position of a website on a search result for a specific keyword. Local SEO involves the process used to target a business to a specific local community and gain high ranking positions for keywords related to the business. Local searches may include localization next to the main keyword, for example: ‘roofers in Shelby Twp, MI’ or ‘painters near me’ etc. which triggers a local search intent or may contain just a main keyword or service searched, which again can trigger a local search intent due to device location sharing and search engine algorithms, for example, searching for a ‘plumbing company’ or ‘urgent care’ and so forth. These type of search queries are automatically detected to have a local intent and results are shown for businesses based on proximity, relevance and prominence. Google My Business (GMB) While a general informational search query on Google shows relevant results of websites, a local search includes detailed business results which differ from a standard organic result. These type of local results and the information it displays are pulled from the Google My Business profile and they contain all of the business citations such as Name, Address, Phone Number, Website URL aka NAPW, and additional user generated information such as business reviews, Q&As, all of which play a significant role on a local search decision making process. How Can I Rank High on Local Search? There are different factors that can affect how your business appears on local search results. Some factors include the proximity of your business from a local search performed which also relates to how relevant is your local business to that specific local search and how prominent it is. What other consumers say about your business and so forth. To achieve desired results, many businesses use a local SEO company which can develop a strategic plan and dedicate the time needed to improve the relevance and prominence of those businesses and eventually increase their local conversions. Your business information, NAPW as referred above, must be the same on each local directory or profile where your business is shown and you must keep the information up-to-date, respond to reviews, keep hours accurate etc. If your business caters to the local community, investing in a local seo is a smart move, which will greatly help your business acquire more conversions and increase its popularity among local consumers.
Many business owners ask themselves what the best way of building a website would be. Should I build it myself using the tools I have available or should I hire a professional to do it for me? Building a website on your own is usually a quick and easy way to showcase your company. You can easily throw in your logo, add some pages, images or a form. There are many do-it-yourself website builders online that you can utilize such as Squarespace, Wix etc.,. that provide the necessary tools for you to launch your website and make changes to it as needed. You can start your website from scratch or use a predefined template which most users do. You launch your website and wait for visitors to find you. But can they? Will they? If someone does find you, is your website interesting enough for a visitor to make that call or place that purchase? What goal did you define before launching your site? These are some of the questions that many business owners struggle with when deciding to build a website on their own. While the process may seem easy and cost-effective for the moment, the future outcome or expected results may take a long time or provide no results at all. Hiring a professional web design company (like us for example), it is a good investment for your business; an investment that brings better returns for a shorter period of time. While that may be the overall goal of hiring someone to build your website, a web designer can understand your company's mission, goals and other factors that drive your business. This level of understanding can help the web designer derive a plan to help your business thrive. Web design companies have certified professionals who know the ins and outs of websites and the techniques that convert visitors to potential repeat clients. They are trained individuals in graphic design, user experience and web development, both front-end and back-end. A web designer develops a website by following search engine optimization (SEO) standards and building up safe SEO techniques that will help visitors find you faster and easier. As a result, your business will gain a competitive edge in your industry. Hiring a web designer will ensure that your website is being overseen by a person with skills such as graphic design, user experience (UX) , as well as the overall extensive knowledge and experience of web design. While building your site may be a quick and a cheap way to show the world or the people around you that you have a website, hiring a professional in web design is the most effective way to develop your online presence and get a better return on investment. Oh, and the websites look much better! So, in the near future, will you build your own website or will you be hiring someone to do it for you? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share or comment below.
