There are so many options available to businesses when it comes to digital marketing and with a limited budget it is difficult to know where to invest your time and dollars to get the most exposure and return on investment. In this article we will break down the mediums and methods to turning clicks into calls and maximizing local lead generation.
In general, there are three types of search query:
- Informational – searches intended to answer a specific question or provide information
- Navigational – searches intended to find a specific website
- Transactional – searches performed with the intent of buying something
Local search optimization has the advantage of targeting potential transactional customers at the moment they are searching for a product or service in their geographic area. These high commercial intent consumers are already actively engaged in the purchase process and have indicated a strong intent to buy, inquire, or engage in an activity that will lead to a sale at a later time. Because they are so much further into the purchase process than other types of searchers, it makes investment sense to spend more of your marketing budget on these leads.
Paid Search Results
Google AdWords, when targeted correctly, can result in high returns and allow a greater degree of control over who, when and where to spend your marketing budget. It is also much easier to track and measure returns using their reporting platform. There is however a steep learning curve in setting up a campaign that does exactly what you want it to and depending on how much competition there is for these targeted leads you can quickly run through your entire advertising budget. The quality of AdWord leads is steadily increasing from year to year as consumers become more educated on spotting a quality resource over a spammy ad. Consumer thinking has moved from feeling duped by the appearance of sponsored ads on a search result page to a feeling of confidence in a business that is willing and can afford to pay for a click.
Social Media
Social media is the least likely avenue to generate a return on investment but it is a valuable resource when it comes to building relationships and trust. Establishing your brand on the various social media channels is important to developing engagement, communication and generating trust. See this article on how consumer reviews affect the buying decision. As for delivering high-quality leads, social media channels are not the place to invest your efforts.
Twitter generates less traffic than any other digital marketing channel.
Direct Traffic
Direct Traffic generally consists of existing customers who are already aware of and trust the business brand or consumer response to an offline marketing campaign ie) truck wraps or print advertising. This type of traffic is usually considered a high quality lead and often results in a sale but is backed by an extensive offline presence which can be costly.
*BrightLocal conducted an annual survey of 477 respondents who had optimized over 8200 local businesses. They overwhelmingly responded that Organic Search Results and Local Search Results were the areas for a local business to invest finances, time and effort to receive the maximum return on investment. Because it is difficult to track data for conversion rates, the survey takes the insights right from the front lines, the ones spending the time and effort and managing the budget: web designers, search agencies/consultants and small business owners.
Organic SEO
Gaining a prominent position in Google Organic results takes time and money but is ultimately a mainstay in the local search result success game. 17% of traffic to a local business site comes from Organic search results. When talking about the return on investment it isn’t just financial returns being considered but also the actual time and effort put into gaining significant page rank on Google and other search engines. The results make the effort worthwile on all accounts.
Local Search
Local Search is the number one technique that is used for marketing local businesses to generate the most traffic and lead conversion. When asked if they could only use one medium for marketing for the rest of their lives
34% of respondents chose Local Search as the one marketing avenue they couldn’t live without
Local search gives small businesses real estate space and a market that competes against bigger business and websites. Google now displays just three local results per page for most businesses so the stakes are higher than ever.
Conclusion
Local and Organic search not only deliver the highest quality leads but they also deliver the best bang for the buck for local businesses. Now that Google has taken the Local Search result pack from 7 results to 3 it is more important than ever to start optimizing for Local Search results. Call us today to get started 519.872.3578.