Starting a small business at this stage in life (I was in my early-forties) was about doing something I loved doing and didn’t take me away from family for hours or interstate for days. These 2 factors actually helped narrow down what type of business I would start and how it would look.

Being flexible, mobile, near home and also being close to potential customers were all important. Building a business of to fit around my life was the cornerstone of both starting an agency that offered an outlet for creativity as well as building a network and profile around my local neighbourhood.

After a few months of being in business I began networking locally and not only enjoyed getting out, (much more than I thought I would!) talking to other business owners but also seeing how supportive local communities are. I began with an idea of my marketing strategy and then realised after a year that business came to me via a few channels but location was often a key element. This I realised key to my marketing.

HOW TO MAXIMISE GROWTH WITH A LOCAL STRATEGY in SEO?

If you decide that location is an important part of your marketing as I did, then you can use this to your advantage.

I am talking specifically about the on-page SEO of your website. People think SEO is hard but it can start out simply if you put a little thought into your customer and what they key into google when finding  a solution for their problems that you solve. Using location makes the process even simpler.

This is one marketing strategy I have used to try to standout in the very very noisy industry of web design. (In reality most industries are noisy). For Confetti Design I am competing with web design or web design Melbourne or website designer Melbourne and as a new business this would have been near on impossible to be above page 10 on Google. My strategy was to try web design bayside, web design Bayside Melbourne.  Here are 2 other strategies that make a world of difference with our ranking.

TIPS ON USING YOUR LOCATION TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

1. A tip to get found for your location on Google, is to set up a Google plus business page and set your business address in it so you can verify the business this address. By verifying your address ensures you come up with the google map. See I may only be 2nd as a listing but I am also right up the top because of the map.
2. Get your customers to complete a review on your google plus page.  This has a huge impact on how Google sees you in terms of an important business, thus improving your ranking.

See the image below from Google.

CASE STUDY:

A recent project with Katrina Aarsman from Edithvale, is a great example of this principle in action. Katrina and I worked together on a venture last year setting up Accounting Software Specialists where she helps set up all your accounting software so it works efficiently. With over 15 years building a previous business she decided to share all her inside knowledge of systemising and process improvements to help bookkeepers build a better business. And so Bookkeepers HQ was born!

Katrina found me via a local community Facebook group and she chose me because in addition to be a female web designer, I was also local was also important.  Offering Katrina web design bayside worked in my favour. Being near the beach is very important to Katrina and as a local I could appreciate her love of the ocean, if you look at her site you will see many images of the ocean used. Including some gorgeous ones taken by local photographer Sarah Churcher of Sarah Churcher Photography.

You can see her original site design here before we went to build stage:

And the real live site here.. Ended up pretty close to the original design. I wish her lots of luck with her new business.

Here are some tips on networking too HERE