Master Local Digital Marketing Strategies for Business Growth

Mastering the Art of Local Digital Marketing for Business Growth

With digitization on an overdrive, today is indeed an online-first world that thrives on digital marketing, particularly for businesses. Yet, if your business needs and relies on local customers—such as retail shops, service providers, or restaurants—you’ll need a different approach. Local digital marketing strategies ensure your business gets the prominence and visibility it deserves for those consumers right near its doorsteps.

Here’s a deep dive into strategies to dominate your local market online.

1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP)

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a cornerstone of local digital marketing. If someone in your area searches for services or products you provide, this is often what pops up first.

Claim and Verify Your Profile: The very first step is to claim your GBP and verify your business.
Provide Correct Information: Ensure your address, hours of operation, phone number, and website link are consistent across all platforms.
Add Photos: High-quality images of your location, products, or services build trust and engagement.
Encourage Reviews: Positive reviews boost your visibility. Politely ask satisfied customers to leave feedback.

Keyword Tip: Use location-based terms like “best pizza in [City]” or “affordable plumbers near me” in your business description.

2. Focus on Local SEO

Local SEO helps your website appear in search results for people nearby. Your site needs to be relevant to both search engines and your community.

Use Local Keywords: Target phrases like “[City] [Service]” or “near me” in your headlines, meta descriptions, and content. Example: “Top Florist in Pittsburgh.”
Add Location Pages: If you serve multiple areas, create dedicated pages for each with unique content. Example: “Plumbing Services in [Neighborhood Name].”
Optimize for Mobile: Most local searches are made on smartphones. Ensure your website loads fast and is mobile-friendly.
Get Backlinks: Partner with other local businesses or join directories to get quality backlinks to your website.

Pro Tip: Use tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal to track your local search performance.

3. Utilize Social Media to Engage Your Community

Social media is perfect for engaging your local audience. Whether you post updates, host events, or showcase community involvement, consistency is key.

Post Locally: Share updates about events, local news, or partnerships with nearby businesses.
Utilize Local Hashtags: On Instagram or Twitter, hashtags like #[YourCityEats] or #[YourCityEvents] help locals find you.
Run Geo-Targeted Ads: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to reach users within specific locations.
Partner with Local Influencers: Collaborate with micro-influencers relevant to your community.

4. Dominate in Local Listings and Directories

Aside from Google, make sure your business is listed on other key directories.

Claim Listings: Platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Bing Places, and Apple Maps are essential.
Use Consistent NAP: Your Name, Address, and Phone number should match across all platforms.
Add Keywords: Optimize your business descriptions with local keywords. Example: “Family-owned bakery serving the best pastries in [City].”

Focus Keyword: “Best in [City].”

5. Implement Localized Content Marketing

Content is still king, but for local businesses, it needs a neighborhood twist.

Write Local Blogs: Cover topics like “Top 5 Things to Do in [City]” or “How to Choose the Right [Service] in [City].”
Highlight Customer Stories: Share testimonials or case studies featuring local clients.
Host Local Events: Promote community events on your blog and social platforms to increase visibility.

6. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads

Paid search can put you at the top of local results instantly. Platforms like Google Ads have geo-targeting features that make your ads reach the right audience.

Use Local Extensions: Add location extensions to your ads to display your address or phone number.
Target Nearby Customers: Set a campaign radius to target customers near your business.
Include Local Keywords: Use terms like “24-hour locksmith in [City]” or “cheap movers near [City].”

Pro Tip: Combine PPC ads with organic SEO for maximum visibility.

7. Utilize Email Marketing to Nurture Local Customers

Email marketing helps you stay top-of-mind with locals who’ve visited your store or website.

Build a Local Email List: Collect emails through your website, in-store promotions, or local events.
Send Hyper-Local Updates: Announce sales, new products, or special community events.
Incorporate Personalization: Use recipients’ names and reference their location if possible.

Example Subject Line: “Pittsburgh Locals: Don’t Miss Our Weekend Sale!”

8. Add Local Touches to Video Marketing

Video is one of the most engaging formats for marketing. Add local flair to make it resonate.

Feature Local Landmarks: Shoot videos at well-known spots in your area.
Interview Local Customers: Highlight happy customers sharing their experiences with your brand.
Use Location Tags: Add geo-tags to videos on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.

9. Encourage Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Reviews are essential for building trust in local digital marketing.

Ask for Reviews: Request reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
Respond Promptly: Thank customers for positive feedback and address concerns in negative reviews.
Showcase Reviews: Highlight glowing testimonials on your website and social media.

Keyword Tip: Include terms like “most trusted [business type] in [City].”

10. Partner with Local Organizations

Collaborating with community organizations or businesses can expand your visibility and build local trust.

Sponsor Events: Support local sports teams or festivals for brand exposure.
Host Workshops: Offer free sessions or demos to engage the community.
Cross-Promote: Collaborate with neighboring businesses to share audiences.

Final Thoughts

Building a local digital marketing strategy takes effort but is the key to standing out in your community. Leverage SEO, social media, and hyper-local tactics to create meaningful connections, driving both foot traffic and online sales.

December 5, 2024

Discover Why ORM Offers the Cheapest Websites in Pittsburgh Without Sacrificing Quality

Most people think that to develop a website, you need a huge team of coders working day and night to create a beautiful and highly efficient product. At Optimal Reach Media (ORM), however, we turn that belief upside down—and it’s all thanks to the power of advanced AI tools. Here’s how we combine affordability with unmatched quality to become the go-to choice for websites in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas like Greensburg, Beaver County, Butler County, and Washington County.

The Secret Sauce: AI-Driven Efficiency

Traditionally, building a website from scratch required a team of developers—front-end designers, back-end coders, and quality assurance testers—each tackling a piece of the puzzle. This approach was time-consuming, expensive, and prone to inefficiencies.

How AI Revolutionizes the Process

At ORM, we’ve embraced advanced automation and artificial intelligence to streamline every step of web development. Here’s what makes our AI tools a game-changer:

Faster Creation of Code: Instead of manually writing thousands of lines of code, our AI tools can generate complex, functional, and clean code in minutes. Whether you’re in Pittsburgh’s bustling downtown or a small business in Westmoreland County, this efficiency translates to faster results for you.
Automated Testing: In a typical workflow, the testing phase requires several rounds with a dedicated quality assurance team. Our AI tools do automated tests in seconds, detecting bugs and ensuring functionality from the outset. This saves time and ensures your website will work perfectly, whether it’s opened in Cranberry Township or McKeesport.
Lightning-Fast Design Optimization: Using AI-driven design systems, we develop visually gorgeous, user-friendly layouts specific to your brand. From boutique shops in Beaver Falls to corporate firms in Allegheny County, we make sure your website not only looks amazing but works seamlessly.

Affordability Without Cutting Corners

Many clients believe that “affordable” translates to “basic” or “low-quality.” At ORM, we believe this is a myth worth dispelling. By leveraging AI, we cut costs without sacrificing quality. Here’s how:

1. Fewer Hands, Lower Costs

In traditional web development, a large team of specialists tackles different parts of the process. This workforce costs money—and lots of it. At ORM, we’ve replaced a team of ten with one expert programmer overseeing an AI-powered system. From New Kensington to Monroeville, this approach enables us to keep costs low while maintaining precision.

2. Faster Turnaround Times

Time is money, especially in business. Our AI tools enable us to deliver projects in weeks—or even days—rather than months. Be it a startup in Butler County or an established business in Washington County, faster delivery means your website starts working for you sooner.

3. Scaling Personalization

Some companies save by using cookie-cutter templates. Not us. Because of AI, we deliver fully customized designs without starting from scratch every time. Whether you’re a local artist in Lawrenceville or a manufacturing company in South Fayette, your website will reflect your unique identity and vision.

Why Quality Still Reigns Supreme

Affordable doesn’t mean cheap at ORM—it means smart. Our commitment to delivering top-notch websites extends to businesses all across Pennsylvania, from the heart of Pittsburgh to smaller communities like Canonsburg, Bethel Park, and Latrobe.

Uncompromising Quality Features

Here’s what you get when you choose ORM:

Stunning Visual Design: Every site we build looks sleek, modern, and professional. We tailor the design to suit your industry—whether you’re a café in Mt. Lebanon or a tech startup in Robinson Township.
Blazing-Fast Performance: Slow websites drive visitors away. We ensure your site loads quickly, whether your audience is browsing in Greensburg or Bridgeville.
SEO Optimization: Being found online is half the battle. Our sites are optimized for search engines, ensuring you rank highly in Pittsburgh and beyond.
User-Centered Experience: Fast, accessible, and intuitive—our sites keep your visitors engaged, whether they’re using a smartphone in Moon Township or a desktop in Beaver County.

Serving Pittsburgh and Beyond

We’re proud to call Pittsburgh home, but our reach extends throughout Pennsylvania. Here are just a few of the areas where businesses trust ORM for their website needs:

Allegheny County: From Pittsburgh’s vibrant neighborhoods to its suburbs, we’ve got you covered.
Beaver County: Affordable web design for businesses in Beaver, Aliquippa, and beyond.
Butler County: Serving Cranberry Township, Slippery Rock, and more.
Washington County: Helping businesses in Canonsburg, Peters Township, and nearby areas thrive online.
Westmoreland County: Elevating brands in Greensburg, Latrobe, and surrounding towns.

Wherever your business is located, ORM combines local expertise with cutting-edge technology for results that consistently exceed expectations.

A Faster, Smarter, More Affordable Future

By incorporating AI into every stage of website development, ORM has done something no competitor can match: making high-quality websites more affordable than ever in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. At ORM, we believe every business deserves a world-class website—whether you’re a corner bakery in Bellevue or a growing enterprise in Sewickley—without the sticker shock.

With ORM, You Get:

Faster project delivery.
Lower costs without sacrificing quality.
A website tailored to your business and optimized for success.

Ready to Elevate Your Business?

Contact us today to learn how ORM can deliver a high-quality website that fits your budget and timeline. Whether you’re based in Pittsburgh, Westmoreland County, or anywhere in between, we’re here to make your online presence shine.

November 26, 2024

How To Improve Your Search Rankings With Content Marketing

Let us not debate about the fact that content is king. The internet was created to facilitate the exchange of content. Sure, it has many other uses today — social media and e-commerce, to name a few — but the need for information remains at the heart of every online decision we make. We click on links, bookmark web pages, use search engines — all to find information that is relevant to our interests.

It should come as no surprise, then, that content is king, and that it also reigns supreme over search rankings. After all, the primary purpose of a search engine is to determine which website is the most relevant to the user’s query. The higher the number of quality content you have on your site, the more likely it is to appear at the top of search engines’ results pages when users make those searches.

Given the value of those user clicks, most websites today rely on Search Engine Optimization (SEO and even hire an SEO firm) to keep their sites search-friendly. One of the most important aspects of any online marketing approach is SEO. It determines whether your website will appear high in search results and hence, be noticed by more people. And what is the key to this? Well, we believe it’s high-quality content.

How to Use Content Marketing to Improve Your Search Rankings?

Below are some tips for beginners on how to use content marketing to improve your search rankings.

1. Create contents that are beneficial to your target audience

The main goal of content marketing is to pique your audience’s interest through articles that answer questions they may have and provide them with the information they require. This means that when you write a blog post or send out a newsletter, it shouldn’t come across as a sales pitch for your product. Rather, it should be a carefully considered and formed piece that will benefit your customers.
What do you believe your target audience would be interested in reading about? What are some of the most common questions you get from customers?

Create a list of the topics and questions you believe your target audience is interested in, and then start writing about them. This will allow your site to be of help when other users begin to ask the same questions or look for information on those topics.

2. Select the right keywords

When searching online, most users don’t take the time to write long phrases describing what they’re looking for. For example, instead of searching, “how can I get rid of this pimple? Which products should I use?”, they simply search for “pimple removal tips.”

It often comes down to keywords. It’s a good thing that online tools (like Google’s Keyword Planner, Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, Soovle, KeywordTool.io, and Jaaxy) are now available to assist you in figuring out which keywords your target audience is searching for.

Incorporating high-ranking keywords into your content improves its chances of ranking higher in search results. Brian Dean of Backlinko says that using the aforementioned keyword tools resulted in a 62.2 percent increase in his site’s organic traffic within six months.

Keep in mind that keywords should be utilized sparingly and within context, rather than strewn throughout each sentence you write. If you fail to do this, search engines may not tag your content as relevant but as spam.

Search engine algorithms can easily determine the frequency of a keyword and the existence of other useful terms within the article. So, in addition to choosing the proper keywords, make sure you employ them naturally.

3. Remember the basics of SEO

The fundamentals of on-page SEO (that is, SEO efforts that are limited to your website) are in place to lay the groundwork for a search-friendly site. These basics will give your content the extra push it needs, making it easier for online users to find them.

Here’s a quick rundown of the basics you shouldn’t overlook:

Title tag. A search engine displays the page’s title tag when it lists your web page as a result. This will determine whether or not visitors will click through your site. So, ensure that your title tag is definitive of what these visitors can expect from the link. A keyword can even be placed on the title tag as long as it doesn’t come across as forced.
Meta description. A brief overview or summary of your content can enhance the likelihood of a user clicking on your website. So, always remember to write a clear meta description to increase the likelihood of users visiting your site and reading through the content you are posted.
Image Alt tag. The idea that a picture is worth a thousand words is very popular today. However, search engines are still unable to fully understand what your image is saying. You can make your pictures more search-friendly by adding image alt tags to perform as captions.
Tagging. If you are managing a blog for your site, ensure that the entries are grouped or categorized through content tagging. This will make it easy for new readers to navigate through your blog, as clicking on a particular tag allows them to browse through the contents that are related to that topic.

4. Build inbound links to your posts

You’re probably aware that obtaining inbound links, also known as backlinks, is critical to a successful content marketing plan. The more links you obtain from other websites, especially high-quality links, the more Google views your website as a source of useful content.

You can build links to your site through several ways; email outreach is one. According to a study conducted by Brian Dean, 91.5 percent of outreach emails are discarded or ignored. However, Brian’s team also discovered that link-building outreach emails have a 21.9 percent response rate.

Reaching out to brands or people that already know you are one of the top methods for generating inbound links through email outreach. These brands or people may be following your LinkedIn account or may have mentioned you in their previous posts.

When reaching out to prospects, you may also consider their interests. Joining groups and communities on social media can help you gain access to others who may be interested in or who engage with the blog topics you typically write about.

Other Ways to Improve Your Search Rankings Through Content Marketing
Other than the tips already mentioned, some other ways with which you can improve your search rankings with content marketing are:

Creating pillar pages and topic clusters
Harnessing the power of internal linking
Being a thought leader

Conclusion

Great content is the key to improving your search engine results. Content marketing will not only improve the chances of you gaining more customers and visitors to your website but also add value to the services and products your business offers.

July 16, 2021

7 Content Marketing Trends To Follow In 2021

Content marketing is a field that always keeps evolving with time. You cannot keep using the same content marketing tactics or strategies for a long period. If you want your content marketing strategies to work for you and enhance the growth of your business, it is essential that you are following up with the trends every year.

This is 2021, and we are already in the summer months. At this point in time, it is quite essential to understand the tremendous shift in the content marketing approach given the world scenario. And how to implement the changes in business marketing for the exponential growth of your business. As we have already stepped into the year 2021, let’s not delay any further and get to know all important trends that are topping the list for content marketing this year.

#1 Focus On Increasing The Business Live Videos

This year, you could have observed that video content, online events such as webinars are on the rise. And this trend is not going away any time soon. Live videos are on the rise not just because of the pandemic, which has affected the world but also due to the fact that they are an effective and quick way to convey a message to the audience, interact with them, and sometimes even educate them.

In the present scenario, your target audience may not have the time and the inclination to read huge blogs or any sort of long-form textual content. Hence, it is better to offer them videos that offer the same knowledge and information within a short period.

#2 Establish High-Level Content Communities

Content always acts as the ice breaker between the customers/consumers and the business. It basically aims to eliminate the barrier that is generally observed between the brands and target audience.

For instance, you can observe the business run by Netflix. Netflix always focuses on building communities through the content they share on YouTube, Twitter, or even Facebook. It helps a large number of people to come together and express their views.

You can start your own community of like-minded people and share essential information with the people in the form of videos, textual data, infographics, or even podcasts. It is an effective way to build customer loyalty and take your business to the next level.

#3 Content Will Be Required By Businesses To Enhance Customer Experience

If you want your business website to generate great ROI, then it is quite essential that you need to offer content that will enhance the customer experience. With great content, the users or readers would like to stay on the website, find out what they are actually seeking and have a great time. This will lead the customers to the sales funnel and improve business ROI.

#4 Integrating AI To Test The Potential Of The Content

AI or Artificial Intelligence holds a significant position in the content marketing field. The content marketers are making use of the tools such as Contentyze that has in-built AI technology and supports in creating and testing unique content in the form of summaries, titles, captions, and sometimes blog posts. There are many businesses that have started embracing the AI-powered content tester and generators to ensure that the content they are publishing is of high quality.

#5 You Can Repurpose The Content And Share It On Multiple Channels

You might be thinking that you are always required to put up with fresh content on the website and social media sharing sites. Well, this is true, but to some extent only. You always have the opportunity to repurpose the content you are getting, enhance it, and then share it on different platforms.

#6 Focus On Making Use Of The Diversified Content

You already know that blog posts are one of the most important content pieces that work for your website. But this is just a single type of content that you think is suitable for your website. Besides this, you should keep exploring other content options that will improvise the content that is being shared with the target audience.

You can diversify the content options such as sometimes you can make use of podcasts, e-books, videos, infographics, and many more. This diversification of content will help you to enhance the audience reach.

#7 Focus On Stories Creation

One of the most popular content marketing trends this year has been stories. Stories are one of the most effective content formats that have a huge impact on the audience. So you can make use of short stories to convey the message to your clients.

Summary:

These are some of the best and most trending content marketing features that you can easily adopt for your business in the year 2021.

June 11, 2021

How To Write High Ranking Content For Content Marketing

In the digital era, where everything is available on digital platforms, you cannot avoid building an online presence. Whether you have a small business or large, the major concern of every business today is to get the attention of your target audience and sustain that.

If you want your audience to find you and start ordering from your business, you need to rank better in the search engine. You need to have high-ranking content that will give a boost to your content marketing strategies and take your business to a better ranking position.

There are innumerable techniques and tips available on the internet, and this might confuse you a lot. So for avoiding such confusion and getting hold of the right techniques, we have rounded up some of the best tips for you.

With these tips and techniques, you would be able to write high-ranking content and improve content marketing.

#1 You Should Write Content That Benefits The Target Audience

Although you might have read that the content should be attractive and engaging. But the most important aspect is to make sure that the content is benefiting the target audience. When the target audience finds that your content is helping them solve their problems or answer their concerns, then it would be easier to capture their interest and also keep them engaged for a long period.

You can make use of some informational posts, how-to posts, question-answers, etc, that will encourage the target audience to read and actively participate.

In order to do that, you will have to list out a wide range of topics through which you can engage with your customers and get their long-lasting interest.

#2 Your Content Should Focus On Right Keyword Usage

Keywords have been the major concern whenever we talk about content and content marketing strategies. They play a vital role in ensuring how better your content will rank in the search engine. But that does not mean you will up the first to last paragraph with all the keywords.

You need to list out all the relevant keywords that would be required for the content to rank higher. (List out at least 15 keywords). Out of these, you need to shortlist 6 to 7 most important keywords and then strategically spread them throughout the content. This will ensure the keywords’ density as well as keyword proximity.

#3 Make The Right Use Of SEO Basics

If you are a digital marketer or content marketer, you might have a good idea about the parameters that are considered SEO basics. In the SEO basics, you will be covering all the different types of meta tags such as title, description, alt tags. All the tags must contain at least two major keywords, and these keywords should have a higher keyword volume. With this step, you will easily be able to boost the content that is written for content marketing.

#4 Leverage The Potential Of Internal Linking

Internal linking is one of the best and most important aspects of content marketing. Through internal linking, you can provide direction to the readers to other important posts. This, in turn, is quite effective in keeping your audience on the website for a long period, encourage them to engage with different types of content, and increasing their interest in your brand or business.

#5 You Must Create Content Clusters

Content cluster pages refer to the pages that cover all the associated major topics and minor topics (especially those that are linked to each other through internal linking). This topic cluster model of content marketing is better than writing individual posts and then making them rank for specific 2 to 3 keywords. The content cluster model will help you rank for major keywords and that too more than 10 or 15. So just imagine for every major topic-specific keyword you are finding that your blog or website is coming up.

Summary

Having high-ranking content is quite essential for your content marketing strategies. This is because they are the key factors that will help you to rank better in the search engine result pages and take your business to the next level.

May 18, 2021

The Future Of Content Strategy

Content marketing is a field that keeps evolving with changing times, trends, and technology. In the past few years, there have been several changes that have transformed the content strategy altogether. The changes in content strategy and content marketing have been attributed to the continuous growth of search technology. It has brought a huge shift in the way any content is viewed.

Now there have been remarkable changes in the search algorithm, such as the use of keywords by users, changes in the mechanism of the search bots, and the development of the content. According to the experts, it is believed that in the upcoming years, there would be no place for brand blogging to catch the target audience’s attention or to increase the traffic coming to the website. The “Core web vital” and “KPIs (Key Performance Index)” would be the major factors that will decide the worthiness of the content. All the content writers, content analysts, and digital marketers would have to bring in a change in their mindsets and make amendments to their content strategies. Considering the future of the content strategy, it is quite essential to know these upcoming changes will be defining the content strategy and its application.

Formulation Of The Content Strategy & Testing:

The content analyst and experienced content marketers have long been discussing the significance of the content strategy in brand marketing. In the future, content that is purely written for brand promotion would not be of much use. It was true that the majority of the content that was being written was entirely tied to conveying the core vision and mission of the business without any valuable information being shared with the audience. However, now it is considered vital that the content should have a blend of information and brand proposing. Only such content would be given due consideration by the search bots of the search engine brand.

Businesses and content writers used to get confused with the purpose of the brand and the cause of the marketing. The content writer must integrate information along with the right amount of branding to draft the best content. You need to understand that the purpose of the content is to convey the exact perspective of the brand and cover the important points, such as the reason behind the existence of the company, translating the product’s significance, and inclusion of proof points. This will improve the overall quality of the content. Experts have suggested that the content writers should adopt the top-down approach while writing content because it will be helpful in ensuring that the brand’s purpose is appropriately woven into the content. Besides, it would be interactive and useful for the people. So, understand that in the upcoming times, you do not just have to focus on branding but getting the right blend of information and purpose in your content.

Once you have understood how to craft or curate the content, you need to test it. Publish and share the content to multiple platforms by making use of the right message statement and sharing it with the target audience. With effective testing, you can analyze whether the content would bring in more clients for the business or not.

Tracking The Success Of The Content Strategy:

Merely drafting the content is not enough, you need to make sure that your content strategy is working successfully. For this, you need to employ certain metrics, which will help you understand how useful the customers are finding the content. Besides, this content should also support the business brand while catering to the demands of the customers. KPI – Key Performance Index would let the content analyst know how the content strategy is improving. Moreover, the KPI would tell how the reader/visitors are interacting with the digital content. The customer’s approach toward the content would show what type of connection they are building with the content. Based on these factors, the quality of the content strategy could be decided. The content should encourage the readers to take some action (clicks and conversions) on the content.

Content Should Convey A Story:

People do not like straightforward, informative content. Nowadays, the concept of storytelling is on the rise. You need to use different stories, which will keep the readers hooked on the content till the end. For instance, stories can be used by the content writer to show how the product got its name, how the company has established itself in the market, and many other creative insights. While telling a story, you must convey the message that you think your target audience must be aware of. So the content strategy needs to revolve around storytelling.

Summary:

This is what the future of the content would be in the upcoming years. All the content marketers must leave behind the old-school methods and focus on the latest strategies to ensure that they are reaping success.

March 9, 2021