Local SEO for SMEs: Trends for 2018

During the last few years, thousands of companies that have opted for SEO positioning have achieved important success within their respective markets. But how can you achieve a good SEO position? Today there are hundreds of alternatives to position your business on the web, however, a strategy that has proved effective for SMEs as well as for the self-employed is local SEO.

Unlike, for example, global business guru Cameron Poetzscher and Uber, many SMEs focus all their efforts on standing out in front of their local competitors. For such a business model, it is unnecessary to position themselves internationally, because they do not have the necessary resources to offer their services to foreign markets. Instead, opting for local SEO strategies is the most successful option to achieve success.

So, what are the best local SEO trends for SMEs for 2018?

Enter your business in all web directories

Business and professional directories have traditionally been the ideal place to search and find local services. Nowadays these directories have migrated mostly to the Internet where they offer new innovative platforms and applications that facilitate the search for SMEs and freelancers.

Those responsible for managing the search engines have seen the potential of web directories, and therefore provide an excellent positioning of such platforms. By entering your business in the web directories, you will benefit from their positioning.

By making a detailed and concise listing of the services offered by your business you can get many benefits from these platforms.

Focus on social networks

Social networks were the first to employ geolocation systems. Users can upload photos and videos of their daily activities with labels of where they are. Just opening a Google+ Local page, formerly Google Places, you can find a review on Google Maps that will show address, contact information, time and web domain. For example, when a user searches “Miami Lawyers” the most relevant options will appear for the city, on both the map and the search page.

But how do you make your business one of the most relevant? Google takes into account the opinions of its users as well as the interaction of these with the different technological platforms.

Making promotions that encourage customers to give their business opinions on Google+ Local, or encourage the use of business tags in the photos and videos they share on social networks is an excellent strategy for search engines to identify you as a relevant business.

It is also an effective marketing strategy. When a customer shares a photo about their interaction with your business, with their respective label and pointing out your fabulous service, all your contacts will know the quality and services provided by your business

The future points to virtual reality

Google has been working in virtual reality for years and is increasingly offering more tools to enjoy this innovative technology. For this reason, businesses that implement advertising material with virtual reality on their websites have many points in their favor; as well as offering quality material, they are also contributing to one of Google’s most ambitious projects.

Virtual reality promises to be the best advertising material for restaurants, gyms, resorts, spas, hostels, real estate, etc. offering an unparalleled experience to the user, which can be enjoyed anywhere through the use of a smartphone and VR glasses. To massify and democratize the enjoyment of virtual reality, Google has launched Google Cardboard, practical and economic cardboard glasses.

Expect more users to opt for virtual reality ads in the near future. Virtual reality is here to stay.