Reading Time: ~3 Mins | Written By: Jason Serafica
Are you a local small business offering products or services? Are you curious about how to ensure your products are discovered online? Today, we’ll explore how you can identify your competitors and provide strategies to help you shine on Google search results.
Understand Your Competition
It’s important to understand who your local competitors are. Identify at least three competitors and begin taking notes on their current website activities. The goal of this step is to pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to fill any gaps as necessary. This will allow you to implement a strategy for your website to rank first in your local area.
How To Identify Competition
If you’re uncertain about how to identify your competitors, you can use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer and navigate to the Organic Competitors report. This tool provides valuable insights into your competition.
This will assist you in identifying your top five competitors, allowing you to compare crucial factors such as keywords, website rating, traffic, and common ranking keywords.
Analyze and Compare Proximity
Once you have identified your top competitors, your next step is to assess and compare their proximity to your business. Closer proximity often means higher competition, especially in local areas. Therefore, your aim should be to outrank the nearest top competitor in your industry – and the best way to do it? Google Business Profile.
Analyze How Google Business Profile Shows on the Search Results Page
Search Engine Results Page (SERP): The results you see the moment you enter a query on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Ranking factors differ depending on the search engine, however since Google holds the majority of visits, we’ll be focusing on its primary local listing, Google Business Profile.
When comparing locations, also assess how their Google Business Profile (GBP) compares to yours on the search engine results page. GBP is considered as one of the most important listings for local businesses, offering users an overview of your business directly in search results before they even visit your website.
If you haven’t already done so, we recommend registering for a free account to maximize local search visibility. Local listings also serve as a significant signal to Google, indicating your service location and increasing the likelihood of appearing in “near me” searches.
Your Google Business Profile should be optimized to provide valuable information and attract website visitors. The first step is to ensure that all business information, service options, address, hours, and phone number are filled out.
Moreover, an effective way to optimize your Google Business Profile listing is by providing regular updates. Use high-quality images with eye-catching visuals to entice users to visit and learn more about your business.
Remember to include a brief description that captures the reader’s attention within the first sentence. Additionally, consider adding a call to action and a direct link to your website after the description.
Analyze Content Strategy
In addition to examining your Google Business Profile, it’s essential to assess and compare your content with that of your competitors. Are they sharing similar content? Do they offer additional videos, blogs, or resources? To compete effectively in your local market, you must adjust your strategy to align with the content your competitors are providing.
Furthermore, you should pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, identify what makes their blog posts effective in reaching their target audience. What tactics are hindering their ability to connect with their audience? This analysis will enable you to identify key success factors and incorporate them into your own business strategy.
With that being said, implementing proper local SEO is crucial for small businesses to succeed online and outrank competitors on Google. By understanding your competition, identifying key strategies, and optimizing your Google Business Profile and content, you can boost visibility and attract more customers.
Our SEO team at Jelly Marketing is all about helping you show up first on Google! We evolve and adapt your company’s online marketing to seize best opportunities on Google and beyond.
We know SEO can be a bit hard to grasp, so if you have any questions, get in touch today and we’d be happy to answer your questions. Contact us today!
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SEO
