Melbourne is the 2nd most liveable city in the world. And thanks to the small business grants the government offers, the city is a top hub for start-ups and small firms.
During mid-2020, when the pandemic outbreak was at its peak, Melbourne was under stage 4 restrictions. And since then, its COVID road map, like that of Victoria, continues to show a complete wipeout of 50% of small businesses.
In such desperate situations, investing in effective local SEO strategies can help you get your small venture back on track. A reputable SEO company Melbourne offers dynamic local SEO packages that work perfectly for small businesses, be it trades, services, hospitality, storefronts or retail. Here are a few effective local SEO strategies to boost your small business in the capital city.
Perform Local Keyword Research
As per Melbourne’s latest statistics, search engines are ten times more effective than social media in driving traffic to small venture sites.
Melbourne experts use keyword research tools and your website data to determine the local keywords that can rank your small business higher in the search engine results. They focus on local SEO keywords that effectively improve your venture’s ROI.
Prioritise Creating a Google My Business Account
As per Melbourne experts, over 70% of consumers who perform a Google search visit an outlet within an 8km radius.
By making the most of ‘Google My Business’, a professional SEO company in Melbourne can ensure your small business is visible to the local community. They help you create your profile, ensuring Google verifies your business the first time you request approval. Google then provides you with a sidebar every time there is an online search for keywords in line with your small company.
Consider Creating Local Content
Melbourne is the cultural capital; it encourages small businesses. You will find numerous small enterprises in food, art, web design, clothing sectors that show style and uniqueness.
With 46% of interested users searching local, Google ranks websites with quality content higher in the search engine results, targeting the local community.
Top SEO specialists first understand your competition and the related target keywords. They then create geo-targeted content for your website, ensuring it reaches a more significant local audience base.
Focus on Voice Search
About 27% of Melburnians are already using voice search on Google; experts here believe that over 50% of search engine activity will include voice search by this year.
With nearly 3 million international visitors flocking to Melbourne in a year, your small venture in the tourism sector can excel if you focus on scoring high in voice search results. For instance, if a tourist is close to the Royal Botanic Gardens, they might search for “Restaurants near Royal Botanic Gardens”.
Leading SEO agencies can help your small venture rank higher in such searches to market your company offering to potential clientele by focussing on long-tail keywords.
Add Location Pages
When you shop in Melbourne for homeware and apparel, you will find thriving small stores on Chapel Street and Warrandyte Road. These outlets also have an expanding online footprint, thanks to productive local SEO tactics.
Experienced consultants suggest adding a local landing page to attract local consumers. They ensure your website has multiple location pages to expand your reach and improve your location density with a higher ranking.
Improve Local Link Building
As per Melbourne SEO trends, only 44% of businesses allocate more than one-quarter of their marketing budget to link building, including small enterprises. Moreover, 65% of digital marketers accept local link building is quite a challenge.
However, when you engage a leading SEO specialist, they will audit your existing link profile and eliminate toxic links. They work with other websites with a significant influence on your local area to link back to your firm, thus positively impacting your market presence through referral traffic.
Optimise Your Business Website for Better Mobile Usability
Every 9 out of 10 Melburnians own a smartphone, and they prefer visiting sites that take under 5 seconds to load. And as per top Melbourne experts, 30% of Google searches on such mobile devices specify a location.
Adept professionals ensure that your site visitors can efficiently and effortlessly navigate through your portal on their mobile devices. They optimise your website with the right layout that suits all screen sizes. It ensures your customers can purchase your services from their mobile devices, leading to more conversions.
While Melbourne hosts small business community meet-ups, recently, the city’s small companies received $10k grant packages as a lifeline to survive through the pandemic.
With such prolific initiatives to support your small venture, it is best to enrol an experienced SEO company in Melbourne to implement local SEO tactics. Rest assured, you can make the best use of Melbourne’s positive SEO trends and run a successful small business in the capital city.