93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine

97% of all consumers search for local business online

It’s no wonder that in a recent Constant Contact survey, the majority of small businesses (SMBs) said it was “important for them to be found on major search sites, local search apps and directory sites.”

Local independent retailers who want to draw local consumers need to appear in the Google Snack Pack, which is a listing of the top 3 local business based on seo. Consumers typically do not look beyond these top 3 listings and perceive them as the best matches. For that reason, it’s crucial for local independent retailers to work on getting into the top 3.

As a SMB retailer who may not have a team, or a budget, to engage in local seo here are some things that you can do to connect your retail business to the cloud and improve your position.

Google My Business Page

Claim your Google My Business page. Make sure that your business name is descriptive and includes your business category. Make sure your phone number, address and website is correctly listed (if you don't have a website; more on that later).

Update your Social Profiles

Make sure that your social profiles are all up to date and actively managed, verify that the business information on your social media pages, matches the google my business information.

Reviews

Manage your reviews on yelp and similar sites, thank those that give you good reviews it encourages others and respond to those who give you negative ones.

Product descriptions & Information

Get your website up, show product in stock with good descriptions. Most POS companies (including the free ones listed here) have integrations to allow you to quickly and easily launch an e-commerce site and display your product. Good descriptions are a seo goldmine.

These are just some quick tips to start you on the road to building your local seo. Imagine being at the coffee shop and doing a search for “shoe stores near me”. Would it make a difference to you to be in the top 3 results?