Local businesses looking to improve their online visibility must regularly demonstrate their “locality” and relevance to search engines.
In my last article on using local partnerships and collaborations to raise profile and visibility, we discussed the importance of community participation and engagement as a means of building this place.
The two main ways to interact with local customers are through networking at relevant events or events.
Both offer opportunities to create informative, educational or promotional content where local businesses can demonstrate their experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness (EEAT), which Google considers in its reviewer search quality guidelines and subsequently in its search rankings. . .
Participation in local events and seasonal communication also factor in distance and awareness factors, which are considered ranking signals for local businesses.
Related to the above, Google rankings are also refined by both location and personalization, as the main goal is to deliver the right content on the right device to the right people for every single search.
Improving your understanding of how to get content to rank in search engines can, in turn, generate more targeted traffic and more leads.
Because seasons matter
Naturally, the seasons have a strong influence on consumer behavior.
They influence how people shop, what products they need and what services they want.
For example, a small ice cream store will likely see an increase in sales during the summer months; A landscaping company will find that the number of inquiries increases with the first signs of spring or late summer. An accounting and tax preparation service will see an influx of clients as tax season approaches.
Limited time offers for a specific period create a sense of urgency and exclusivity.
when to start
The logical starting point for developing a local event or seasonal strategy is to identify the types of events and experiences that are most relevant to your business and customer base.
Consider what events or initiatives might resonate with your local audience; Find ways to truly connect with them.
These may be events supported or sponsored by you through your company, local business partners or local organizations.
Types of events to consider may include:
- Introduction of new products or special promotions.
- Live training seminars or online webinars depending on where and how you offer your services.
- Company milestones such as anniversaries or new locations.
- Customer review event.
- Holidays and seasonal events or promotions such as Black Friday, Christmas.
- Local charity events.
- Local sporting or other club events.
Of course, there are other types of events that are especially beneficial for your business or local community. So let your imagination run wild and create something new.
Once you have determined the types of events you want to host or attend, create an event plan that details each event, including:
- Event goals such as B. Number of participants, number of new contacts.
- organizer
- Date, time and program of the event.
- position/location.
- If applicable, list of speakers.
- balance
- Event promotion: where, when and how.
- Requirements for the content of the event.
Create content based on events
As mentioned, hosting or participating in events opens up many opportunities for content creation.
Once you've identified the local events and experiences that matter most to your business and your customers, it's time to tailor your content to showcase your local EEAT, improve your signature event's visibility and maximize engagement.
Contents of the event website
If you have regularly scheduled events or want to highlight your community involvement on your website and provide quick access to event details, it makes sense to create a dedicated events page or add an events section to your About Us page.
This page should contain all relevant information about the event and a link to any relevant service pages or additional content (see below).
If you are working with another company or organization, this content provides an opportunity to include relevant links to more detailed information about the event or your business partner.
If you are linking to the site of a partner company or organization, you should pay attention to the link back. These links are an important signal to search engines to contextualize your connection to the local community, proof of your “localness.”
This website should also have a Frequently Asked Questions section to answer any relevant and common questions your customers may have about your event or organization.
Informative posts and blog articles.
Depending on the theme of your event, you can create, publish and distribute a detailed blog post or article with relevant images, audio or video content to provide potential participants with useful or educational information.
This content naturally links to product or service pages associated with the relevant event page to increase your authority.
For example, the landscaping company mentioned above hosting a "Welcome Spring" event might publish a post or series of blogs on how to prepare your garden and lawn for spring.
An accountant might publish and share an article on “How to Reduce Tax Risk” with a local private equity advisor and host a joint in-person seminar or online webinar shortly before tax season begins.
Google clearly states that relevant, useful, and quality content is an important ranking factor. Events and seasons provide natural means to create content that will benefit your audience.
Video content
It's no secret that videos have become popular and, depending on the target audience, social channels such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are the preferred method of web communication.
Anyone with a mobile device can now quickly create and share authentic, impactful videos.
Posting educational or promotional video content on these platforms in the form of guides or product/service promotions tied to an upcoming event or seasonal change can help a local business stand out from the competition.
YouTube videos in particular, and Google owns the platform, can and should be optimized to appear in YouTube and Google search results.
Such videos must be embedded on the websites of such events and/or in blog posts and articles created in support of them.
Social media content
For example, let's say a local business has already begun to grow its social media following on channels that are most relevant to its audience. Any web content, blog/article or video must be distributed through these channels.
For most local businesses, social media is simply an extension of their offline community.
Additionally, social publishing must ensure that the engaging content created is viewed, read, liked, shared and/or clicked on. All social media posts should contain clear calls to action (CTAs) and links to event details.
If you're thinking about creating social media posts around this event or season, be sure to include unique and relevant hashtags like #welcomebackspring #springgardenprep #location. Hashtags are not only social search tools, but also important branding tools that link posted content to businesses, events and places.
During the event, encourage attendees and attendees to share their comments and/or experiences via social media using appropriate hashtags.
It may also be due to the possibility that those in the best or most senior positions will receive recognition or rewards, thereby increasing engagement.
These posts can be shared on social media, providing an opportunity to highlight your expertise and authority locally.
Return to association
Collaborating with local influencers, businesses or like-minded organizations to host events or joint promotions will lighten your workload by sharing event/content responsibilities, expand your reach and introduce your brand to new audiences.
Identify and communicate with organizations or individuals with similar audiences, and propose mutually beneficial collaborations with common goals and expected results.
Measure and analyze everything
The success of any digital marketing strategy depends on analytics.
By tracking key metrics such as organic search visibility, paid ad results, social media engagement, and website visits, you can evaluate which aspects of events worked and which didn't so you can make necessary adjustments to current or future campaigns.
Another way to measure the success of an event is to simply ask attendees for feedback.
Consider sending surveys to participants after the event to find out what they liked and didn't like. This way, you can show them that their opinion matters and help create valuable events and content that will ultimately benefit them.
Know the facts
By taking a holistic approach to integrating local events and seasonal campaigns into their marketing mix, local businesses can build stronger connections with their communities, thereby increasing their relevance and delivering the EATT that Google strives for through personalized content for sustainable growth.
Google's willingness to provide personalized, relevant and localized results in a specific area will reward the most dedicated and proactive companies.
Remember that consistency and data-driven adaptability are critical to long-term success.
Additional resources:
Cover image: kenary820/Shutterstock
