How to Beat Your Local Competitors in Google

Standing out on search engines such as Google can feel like an impossible task. With the seemingly endless options it provides, you risk getting lost in the shuffle. But, with a few simple tips, your local business will stand tall above the competition in no time!

Using Google To Boost Your Local Business

So you've put your heart and soul into setting up your business; you developed your business idea, got it off the ground with a lot of time and money, and designed a beautiful website. But you don't seem to be standing out amid your local competitors in search results!

A common contributing factor here is that you are not making the best use of Google! After all, what use is a well-designed website if you people aren't seeing it?

Fortunately for you, a few fundamental principles can ensure your business will lead the pack in no time!

5 Top Tips To Beat Your Local Competitors

Now, let's examine how you can stand out on Google and maximise your advantage over your competitors.

Ensure Your Online Presence Is Complete

This may sound simple and obvious, but it is so crucial that it bares repeating. When a potential customer is carrying out a local search, they will almost always gravitate towards the fully fleshed-out local businesses.

This means a complete (and claimed!) Google business profile, showing online reviews, presence on Google maps, with opening times, and a business listing and contact details present and consistent on any-and-all local directories and review websites containing local business information.

Ensure your social media accounts remain active and up to date with all the essential information customers may need.

You want to give yourself the strongest base to work from and ensure that the information most vital to someone interested in your business is visible and consistent across every platform.

Something as simple as just a Google map local business listing and having your business contact details present and consistent can help you beat your competitors and avoid being stuck on the google local carousel.

Tailor Your Ads & Online Presence To A Local Search

A common mistake local businesses make is trying to appeal to too many people. Remember, you're a local business; the keyword is local! Around 97 per cent of Google users conduct their searches with local intent, and it is those people in your area who represent the overwhelming majority of your potential customers. This means maximising your SEO strategy by gearing it towards local searches is essential. 

SEO is a set of practices, including keyword targeting, centred around improving a website's placement in search engine results pages (SERP). Streamline your online presence by using target keywords centred around your local area. If you are a beach-side fish and chip shop, then you might use keywords centred around the beach, views, the seaside, and other related keywords. Whereas a city-centre coffee shop may focus on mentioning its central, accessible location, with takeaway food and drink, or free WiFi, to appeal to people in that local area.

Use Google Ads!

Google Ads are an excellent way to guarantee your place at the top of the search engine results pages.

Working in conjunction with your Google business profile, Google Ads takes an agreed-upon flat daily budget for its ad campaign and, in turn, ensures you dominate search results for your particular niche in any local search.

Google typically displays these as the very first results on the page, so anyone carrying out a local search should see you immediately!

Use Online Reviews To Your Advantage!

Legitimate customer reviews are an invaluable tool for a local business. Potential consumers read online reviews before deciding whether to shop at your business, so making sure they are visible can be vital in helping you beat your competition.

Luckily, your google business profile makes this easy, as Google Maps displays your average star rating and links to your reviews beneath your business name and address.

Monitor customer reviews, and be sure to share any particularly positive ones on your website or social media accounts.

In Conclusion

There you have it! Everything you need to know to help your business beat your competition in every local search. Combine these elements and have them working seamlessly together, and you will dominate search results pages in no time.