As the holiday season approaches, businesses need to get ready for the sales spike. But the opportunity to capitalise on this extra demand does not come without effort.
Local SEO is perhaps the most significant element of the holiday marketing strategy for brands this year. This article gives an overview of the hacks that can help businesses prepare up for the season.
Maintain accurate NAP information (name, address, and phone number)
When people embark on shopping, they seek information about businesses by searching online. Maintaining accurate NAP (name, address, and phone number) information gives you the best chances of reaching buyers. Check all the outreach platforms to ensure that the information is up-to-date.
Whether Google My Business, social media, or other local directories, the same information should be available everywhere. Inaccurate business listing is a killer, as buyers tend to lose trust in brands when they find inconsistencies. Apart from NAP information, ensure you provide hours of operation during the holidays. Include COVID-19 notices as these are relevant for buyers in the new normal.
Refresh and optimise on-page content
Shoppers are in a festive mood during the holidays, and they expect happy vibes as they land on your website. Refreshing the on-page content on your website before the season starts is a good idea. You may also want a design refresh to give your site a festive look and feel, so make sure you implement the changes well in advance.
Once again, your pages should provide updated information on address, phone numbers, business hours, and COVID-safety norms. At the same time, sharing promotional offers and even greetings with your visitors impresses them. Apart from refreshing the content, optimising it with seasonal keywords is crucial to the success of local SEO.
Give attention to the UX
A great-looking website with optimised content gives you a good start, but it is only half the work. You need to go the extra mile with website user experience to ramp up your local SEO for the holiday season. A visitor is likely to stay and convert only if they have a seamless buying journey on your website. A local SEO expert can help you with a complete audit of your website. They know what to look for and how to set things right.
They can identify bottlenecks such as slow page speeds, lack of responsiveness, broken links, and poor design. It is vital to address these concerns well on time so that you are ready with an excellent UX when traffic surges. It also affects your SEO rankings, which matters for your visibility in the festive season.
Go the extra mile with local factor
While strengthening your online presence takes you a long way, you cannot overlook the local factors during the festive season. People love to step in-store during the holidays, and driving them for offline buying should be your top priority. The good thing is that it is easier right now when buyers are opening up to the idea of going back to offline shopping.
But everything boils down to assuring them about their safety. You can do it by prioritising COVID-specific content on your website. Highlight the measures you have in place to ensure their safety. Letting them order online and pick up in store is a good idea. When they reach your store for the pickup, they may consider dropping in as well.
Prioritise reputation management
Customer trust is fuel for local businesses, and it takes the front seat during the holidays. Make them feel heard and cared about, and they will definitely buy and come back again. They will even recommend your business through word-of-mouth and serve as brand ambassadors. Online reputation management is the key to winning this trust and credibility.
Use tools and resources to monitor reviews across social media channels and major review platforms. Respond to reviews and address negative feedback with proper measures. It boosts credibility and makes people trust your intentions in the long run. Also, encourage buyers to post positive reviews and leverage them for spreading the word. It is a tangible measure to boost holiday sales.
Leverage Google Posts
When it comes to ramping up local SEO for the holidays, Google Posts can give you a winning advantage. They get attention to new products, offers, and upcoming events. You can use them to highlight pertinent COVID-19 information as well. Since these posts appear prominently on your Google My Business listing, potential buyers cannot miss out on them. Leverage them as a promotional tool as they provide visibility without costing a fortune.
Google Posts set your business apart from the local competitors in more than one way. They help in promoting exclusive offers and availability at new locations. You can use them to address your customers’ safety concerns even before they drop in physically. Further, they help you share emergency information, such as a change in timings or store closure due to an unforeseen event.
Concluding thoughts…
Local SEO plays a significant role in holiday promotions. They go serve to consolidate your brand and win customer trust with a strong local presence. Winning the customers in the holidays becomes a lot easier when your brand is visible and credible. Follow these hacks to cover your business on both fronts, and you will not have to worry about missing out on the festive boom. Pick them on time so that you do not miss the opportunities as they come.
