You run a small business that relies almost exclusively on a local customer base to keep you going. You have decided to take the plunge and invest in SEO services. How do you find a good provider? Start by going online and searching for ‘SEO services near me’. Then vet the results one by one.
Do not run a generic search on SEO services. Specify ‘near me’ so that your favorite search engine targets service providers in your local area. The goal is to work with a local provider who knows the area as well as you do. By contrast, it makes no sense to work with an SEO provider located on the other side of the country.
You Know Your Audience
As a small business owner, you know your audience. At least that is the assumption. Your SEO provider may not know your audience as well as you do, but a local provider has a huge advantage over a non-local competitor: knowledge of the area. You cannot put a price tag on that.
Take Webtek Digital Marketing as an example. Webtek’s main office is in Salt Lake City, UT. They have a second office in Austin, TX. The Salt Lake City staff live and work there. Likewise for the Austin staff. They know their communities inside and out.
Without getting into the details, one of Webtek’s Salt Lake City clients is involved in the skiing industry. Utah’s skiing culture is unique in a lot of ways. In addition, the industry needs to cater to both local and out-of-town skiers. This client trusts the Webtek team because they know that Webtek employees live and work in Salt Lake City. A few of them are avid skiers themselves.
Reaching Them Where They Are
Another reason you want to search for ‘SEO service is near me’ is the fact that you really need to reach your audience members wherever they are. In the previous client’s case, some of them live right in Salt Lake City. But others live in other parts of the country – and even in other countries, to! They all need to be invited to come to Utah to ski.
A local SEO agency is staffed by people who know what makes the local skiing scene so special. They can talk about the various ski resorts and amenities. They can discuss everything from transportation to lodging to the local ski culture. Can an SEO team based in Philadelphia do the same thing? No.
The local team knows the culture. Team members know what makes the local ski industry work. Hiring locally is really a no-brainer when you stop and think about it.
More Opportunities for Closer Collaboration
If you are still not convinced that hiring a locally based SEO provider is the best course of action, I have one more thing for you to think about: collaboration. Successful SEO is a collaborative effort between provider and customer. The two need to maintain constant communication. They need to be on the same page and pursuing the same goals.
Productive collaboration is much easier when the two partners are in the same general area. Yes, organizations can do a lot with Zoom, email, and text messages. But none of the other options compared to sitting down and talking with one another over a cup of coffee or a good lunch.
If I were running a business whose survival depends on a local audience, I would absolutely hire a locally based SEO provider. I know the value of local knowledge in the SEO game. But that is just my professional opinion.