When we talk about SEO techniques and social media marketing, it is a common mistake to think that this only really applies to larger organisations which provide national or even worldwide coverage. This is not the case and if you are a smaller, local company it is just as important, if not more important, that you have a strong online presence and a good search engine ranking.

Despite news speculation and reports showing that local businesses are struggling, there are many local enterprises still around. With larger companies making more and more redundancies, people are relying on local jobs more and more, and self employment in particular is becoming a popular choice of career move.

If you are a local business then you are likely to have a certain catchment area which may not be particularly large. Competition may be rife and everyone is out for themselves, meaning that as a company, you need to stand out above the rest – which is where search engine optimization comes in.

No matter how big or small your company is, you need to have a good looking website which is easy to navigate around and simple to use. The majority of searches for particular services or products are done online, meaning that if you have a website, you lose out. Having a presence on an online directory can obviously help, but having a professional looking website that is easy to find and even easier to use is what is going to give you the edge over your competitors. When using SEO tools for a local company you need to consider what you have to offer and what your potential customers will be looking for in your website.

Search engine results will not show up as many links when the search is confined to a local area, meaning that keeping visitors on your web page is your primary objective. Web content is probably more crucial than anything for a local company as people searching for information want to find what they need as easy as possible and spend as little time as is needed browsing through sites.

If you have a tangible product or store location within the specific area then one of the most important details that should be portrayed on your website are contact details. If people are coming to visit you then they need to know exactly where you are in relation to them. Including noticeable links to directions along with location maps is always a plus point and try to include some positive text such as how easy you are to find off a specific road. Also include alternative ways of getting there or even the closest rail and bus stations. Using local places in some of your search engine optimisation keywords can help you find the most relevant audience.

If you do not have an actual product offering or premise in the area, but can offer services within a specific location then make this clear as soon as a visitor clicks through to your site. Always display a contact number prominently on your web pages and use tag lines which state that you provide specific services within any relevant locations.