As the world gets more and more mobile as each day passes, hyperlocal marketing is growing at a rapid pace. Searches that are carried out now and have hyperlocal intent are far more frequent than they previously have been.
I fully expect this trend to continue to grow as more of us continue to use our mobile devices on a daily basis. You could even say that the world is starting to become robotic as we are relying more on technology and our mobile devices act as an extension of ourselves.
The fact that mobile use is growing and local search is important is not new, as it is something we have been talking about in the marketing community for a number of years now. However, hyperlocal search is a trend that has grown significantly over the last year or so.
Let's get into what this all means…
All This Talk About Hyperlocal Is Confusing. What Does It Mean?
Although hyperlocal marketing has been around for a long time, the buzz words “hyperlocal search” and “hyperlocal marketing” are still relatively new and there are still many people out there that are unsure on what they mean.
Hyperlocal search is basically a search that is carried out with highly targeted geographical intent. For example, a hyperlocal search could be “restaurants near Pride Park, Derby” or the search could even involve a specific postcode or address. That's what we mean by hyperlocal. Instead of just a standard local search targeted around a broader geographical area, this is targeted around a much smaller and more focused area.
Hyperlocal marketing is a form of digital marketing that we can use to target the specific individuals that are carrying out these searches.
1) Mobile's A Must!
With hyperlocal search and hyperlocal marketing the focus always needs to be on mobile first. The reason for this is that the majority of these searches are carried out on mobile devices when the searcher is in a specific location. Due to this, you need to put a huge focus on mobile. Make sure your website pages are all mobile friendly and make sure everything looks correct from a user experience perspective on mobile devices. Don't just test your website on one device, test it across multiple platforms to ensure no stone is left unturned. If your website isn't currently mobile optimised, ask yourself why. The world has gone mobile, if you don’t adapt you will be left behind. Think about the planet, animals have evolved to suit different climates and circumstances. This is no different. The digital landscape changes all the time and you need to adapt!
Here are a few top tips for creating an effective mobile experience. Or, you could try and implement some on your existing site if it is mobile optimised.
Ensure your content is clear and focused. Keep menus and navigation simple. Drop the extra images and keep it clean and speedy. Leverage mobile specific features like click to call.
For more information on mobile friendly websites and the importance of them, read the below articles:
- Does Being Mobile Friendly Really Increase Leads & Sales For Your Online Business?
- Essential Mobile Marketing Trends To Be Aware Of
- 5 Lessons To Learn From The Best Mobile Friendly Websites On The Web
2) Optimise Your Google My Business Page To Its Full Potential
Your Google My Business page is likely to appear before your website in local search results. The higher you can get it ranking the better. To do this, the first step is to make sure it is optimised. This includes:
Filling out every field that is relevant to your business Adding high quality and engaging images and content to the page Make sure it is listed in the correct categories Encourage customers to leave reviews
Everything you do right to your Google My Business page can send important signals to Google to help it rank in local results! For more tips on getting the most from your Google My Business page, read the below articles:
3) Create Engaging , Relevant And Clever Content
Really take the time to produce relevant content that engages your audience and prospects. The content could be produced in the form of a blog article, infographic or even a video. You'll want to share this content on your Google My Business page to make it more appealing. So, make sure it is relevant to your local area where possible and if you can, try and talk about things that are happening around the area as well. Hyperlocal search is laser targeted so if the marketing and the content you produce matches this and the people in your area, you're onto a winner!
For tips on producing quality content, read the below articles:
- 10 Content Creation Ideas to Keep Your Readers Hooked
- How To Create Top Quality Content That Generates Lead After Lead After Lead
- 4 Content Creation Tips For Your Business To Achieve Its Marketing Goals In 2016
4) Leverage Landing Pages
If you offer multiple services or service multiple locations it is a great idea to create a specific landing page targeted to each one. Firstly, do some keyword research, see what people are searching for and optimise your content around these keywords. Be sure to include your specific locations (even postcodes) in your meta tags and on the page itself. This will help you rank for more specific keywords which will in turn drive more local traffic to ensure you stay ahead of the curve!
Summary
Although hyperlocal marketing has been around for a long time, the term itself is still unknown by many. As the world has got more mobile over the past few years, the amount of hyperlocal searches being conducted has skyrocketed! In order to take full advantage of this and stay ahead of the curve you really need to work on improving your hyperlocal presence.
Implementing the tips in this article will ensure you are not one of those businesses that gets left behind.
Think about it this way, if you miss the bus, miss a plane, you’d be left behind. So don't wait around, get on the train, get on that plane and propel your business right into the mobile era!
