Eric Reinach
Writing Narrative Content Effectively for Your Business
What is Narrative Content Writing? Before I delve into techniques for writing a storyline into every piece of content you possibly can,...
As a continuing effort to dedicate attention to my dual passions for boosting local SEO and crafting compelling content, I wanted to write more on these key facets of affordable promotion for small to medium size businesses (the big guys are already doing it, trust me).
A lot of effort gets spent on refining content for blogs and feature Pages, but equally important for local SEO as well as engaging with your audience is knowledgeable writing for your Google Business Profile. To achieve this goal, the local content you write about should be just that: about the businesses (like yours), people, and attractions that make your area come alive. Try to think about this task from the perspective of a local person looking for your business or product, as well as from the viewpoint of someone visiting the area and searching for local businesses or services. Then craft a piece of writing accordingly.
Either said than done, you might say. And while it is true that retaining the services of someone well versed in content writing and local SEO methods might be the best option, in today's post we'll look at some of the basics involved in writing an article for posting on Google Business Profile. Of course, the content should somehow be themed around a feature of the community, but here's a list of six other specific aspects to consider in crafting a posting for your Profile:
Brief: Check the 1,000 character limit for most posts and use words wisely. Use Word or Grammerly or similar to check and refine the message to a sharp point.
Notable: Something exceptional or outstanding will catch attention and eyes.
Specific: Using your local knowledge to create content suited to your audience.
Connected: Even if it's not about your business, its about your community ties.
Focused: Uses the keywords you think audiences look for near you.
6. (Geo)Tagged: Make sure the pics attached to your post (and use as many as fit the event or update or promotion) are tagged using a (free) site like this one.
Beyond these six tips for local SEO performance, keep in mind the purposes of your post, and try to evenly balance the informational 'articles' with those that directly promote (they have their own tabs in the Profile for a reason) and use all the resources available for posting. Quite often customers that began by looking for information on your local topic of expertise, will end up regulars if they view you as a trusted source of information first, and someone expressly trying to sell them something, second (if at all).
Occasionally using the 'Learn More' tab to link to your social media (or YouTube) presence makes sense as well, as it reinforces for Google the realities of your services and can gain you purposeful clicks from search customers eager to engage with your business or brand. Other times directly linking to your pages for purchase will make more sense, or landing pages should your business have them, but for local SEO purposes, particularly with Google Business Profiles, your Profile should also vary things up with colorful posts and informative content.
Another local SEO pro tip, for South Florida and beyond: Whether the purpose of your post itself is informational or 'transactional' (you want someone to purchase a product directly) adding #hashtaghighlights and other #clickable content can help draw larger audiences to your site and boost your search result ranking accordingly with Google, Bing, and others that look for such #crucialmetrics as ways to sort and display content to online searchers.
Whenever possible, flesh out 'Tags' and 'Categories,' not just for your blog posts but when GeoTagging the images as well, pack these fields with as many services as are honest and relevant about your businesses services, such as digital marketing consultant, local SEO expertise, content writing specialization, and whatever might be looked for by your target audience. Next up we'll review 6 Useful Google Business Profile Practices to consider when crafting your posts, as well as fleshing out the 'Information,' 'Photos, 'Reviews,' and other important ways of detailing your digital storefront:
Reviews: As mentioned in previous blog postings, its key to respond quickly to reviews both positive and negative.
Prominence: Put your most valuable content up front, whether as a 'pinned post,' upcoming event, or cover photo.
Relevance: Make sure your images (and your writing) all stay closely matched with your local audience interests.
Distance From: Keep in mind the distance you'd like to cover when geotagging and mentioning (and linking to) local attractions.
Visual Details: Add to photos with 'Easter Eggs' for local viewers, features only they would recognize (and click on!)
Cannibalization: Far from zombie-related, this term refers to keeping your content unique (and not 'eating up') the keywords that make your pages stand out by repeating them across your Posts.
Next time we'll take a deep dive into the importance of citations for local SEO, as well as for providing a consistent presence for your brand or business for online search. Here's the basics: along with curating your social media, your online representation should include the core directories beyond Google Business Profile like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Apple Maps, and other directories relevant to your niche.
With a solid presence across these directories that lists your businesses name, address, and phone number (NAP) along with a link to your Page, Profile and as many social sites as you maintain, you'll connect with your audience much more readily (and frequently)!
For more insight into South Florida local SEO, tips on content writing from a professional and the importance of citations (as well as specific ways to hone them to your advantage) stay tuned to this blog space, and then watch out for an upcoming YouTube channel devoted entirely to Organic Search growth as an art and science worth!