Running a small business can be difficult, especially when you need to try building your customer base and reaching a specific local audience. However, it’s a critical part of your job, especially if you want to grow your business profitably. Most people immediately think of Google when they think about gaining an online presence, but there are other ways to reach your intended customers that competitors may not use.
While it’s important to prioritize your online presence across Google Search & Maps, this isn’t the only way new customers will discover your business. Go a step further and optimize your business’s online presence in other areas your competitors may be neglecting to gain an advantage. When maximizing your online visibility beyond Google, you can reach a whole new audience.
Platforms Beyond Google
There’s no denying that Google is the most popular search engine in the world. This mega-giant platform takes up most of the space when it comes to online visibility. However, that doesn’t mean that other platforms should be forgotten completely. Making sure your digital strategy includes Google and other platforms helps you be more effective in building your online presence.
Other Search Engines & Maps
While Google is the biggest search engine, it’s not the only one. Other platforms like Apple, Yahoo, or Bing provide similar search capabilities. Along with your Google Business Profile, you should also claim your business on these other search platforms. This helps you get discovered by people who don’t use Google as their primary search engine.
Another aspect of these search engine platforms is the maps they provide. Google Maps is well-known as a place to look up directions and contact info for a local services business, but other platforms are used similarly, especially Apple Maps. And people may prefer those platforms for any number of reasons. In that case, it’s even more important to make sure your business is listed on those maps so you can be discovered.
Voice Search Devices
Another type of search platform is a voice search device. Tools like Siri or Alexa work as personal assistants to help people find the answers to their questions without having to type anything. Instead, people just ask a question and have the voice assistant read out the answer to them.
These platforms use different types of keywords than standard platforms. People ask questions aloud differently than they do when they are typing them. Optimizing for these search questions rather than just a Google search can help you get discovered by more audiences who are on the go and more reliant on their personal assistant tools.
Visual Search
For other types of searches, people prefer to look for visual images rather than paragraphs of information. Small businesses that have more visual impacts, like home services, health & wellness professionals, or people who work with pets, can really benefit from showcasing the visual aspects of their business in their online presence.
Platforms like Pinterest are designed to capture the visual elements of a business, not the written text. And while many people know about the value of Google Search and Google Maps, they may not invest as much time in Google Image optimization. By focusing on those platforms, you can gain more traffic that other businesses can’t capitalize on.
Social Media Platforms
While many businesses know that having a social media presence is important for growth, it’s not always taken seriously. In fact, many businesses might put social media on the back burner when other things come up. However, social media platforms work as search engines. People go to their favorite sites to search for local businesses and see what is happening behind the scenes.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and even Snapchat can be helpful in growing your online presence. Posting consistently and engaging with your audience can help you increase your online presence on social media. Just be sure to invest your time on the platforms that are most relevant to your customers.
Directories
Online directories are great places to list information about your business and explain your services. People tend to trust directories and believe in what is posted there, which helps your business gain visibility. Directories like Yelp are great places to interact with customers, respond to reviews, and post details about your business.
Neighborhood Apps
Word of mouth marketing is a great way to gain more customers and grow your business. People want to know others have had good experiences with your company, and believe the recommendations of others. Neighborhood apps are used, so neighbors can communicate with each other and recommend home services. Platforms like Nextdoor and Ring are a good boost to your online visibility beyond Google.
Tips for Maximizing Your Online Visibility
Now that you know some of the other opportunities for online visibility beyond Google, let’s take a look at some tips that you can implement in your small business to maximize online visibility on those platforms.
1. Consistent Brand Identity & Messaging
As you showcase your business in different locations and on different platforms, it becomes even more important to make sure that you keep your brand identity consistent. You don’t want to have different variations of your name, brand colors, or messaging on different platforms. Instead, keep consistency in mind and know that your strategy will appeal to more customers.
The core messaging you have around your brand is the through-line that will help build consistency across platforms. Your message is related to your mission and the values you have as a company. While the type of content and the tone may change across platforms, the main message should be the same.
2. Provide Helpful Content
The content you post on different platforms also plays a role in your online visibility. The more helpful and personalized your content is, the more people will relate to it. Answer questions about your industry, go into detail about your services, or showcase your knowledge in your field. All of these ideas add value to your branding and build trust with customers.
It’s also important to avoid being too sales-focused in your online content. You can mention the services you provide and use calls-to-action (CTAs) to direct readers to contact forms. But don’t spend too much time talking up what you do, as this can actually turn your audience away in favor of a competitor who focuses more on educational content.
3. Keep Your Information Accurate
Another important tip is to keep your information accurate across all platforms. We talked a little bit about consistency in branding, but that should spread to all the details of your business that you post online. You don’t want one platform to say you are open on the weekend and another to say that you are closed. Keep an eye on the accuracy of information like your:
- Business phone number
- Website URL
- Official business name
- Email address contact
- Hours of operation
- Business address
- Promotions and deals
- Areas of service
4. Update Platforms Frequently
Claiming your business and building a profile on different platforms is one thing. It’s another thing entirely to use those platforms to your advantage. You can’t just add your business information and leave the platform alone and expect it to work for you. Instead, you need to make sure that you are active in the platform so that you can get boosted in algorithms and build trust within the platform tools.
Adding new content, social posts, customer reviews, before and after job photos, promotion codes or sales, news, or updates about your business all help improve your online presence. Increasing visibility also requires you to interact with customers with things like post comments, direct messages, and tags.
5. Highlight Local Involvement
As your small business grows, it becomes increasingly important to become an active member of the community. Helping support your area or areas of service should be a part of your company values. And, helping your community comes with the added benefit of gaining more visibility of your brand.
Highlight all the instances where you participate in local involvement opportunities, like community events or sponsorships. Don’t be too proud of your accomplishments, but help stress the importance of the event you participated in and what it meant to the community. Posting these details online helps increase your local visibility and promotes the organizations and activities that matter most.
Build a Better Online Presence with Surefire Local
Building an online presence is crucial for growth and the longevity of your small business. But many owners don’t always know how to do that beyond optimizing for Google. By focusing on other platforms and maximizing your online visibility in those areas, you can capture new leads and find audiences that your competitors are missing.
At Surefire Local, we know the challenges that small business owners face. That’s why we’ve developed an all-in-one marketing platform to help you manage every aspect of your online marketing strategy. To learn more about Surefire Local and how we can help support your growth goals, attend a Surefire Local demo today.