How Local SEO Can Help Small Businesses Compete with Big Brands
Small businesses struggle to compete with large brands. With limited budgets, reduced brand recognition, and limited resources, small businesses are often overlooked as big brands enjoy brand recognition, large budgets, and extensive resources.
Local search engine optimisation (SEO) offers small businesses the opportunity to level the playing field, reaching your target audience at an affordable price that works with the tightest marketing budgets.
SEO is an effective strategy used to help websites improve ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). When done correctly, it drives organic (free) traffic to your small business website, boosting brand visibility and increasing conversions.
Local SEO is important for small businesses as the majority of consumers today start their purchasing journey using a search engine. Ninety percent of online experiences start with a search engine. The focus is to get your website to the first page of Google for relevant local keywords, helping you attract your local audience.

Local SEO differs from paid advertising. Paid advertising only generates traffic as long as you pay for it, where SEO offers long-term, sustainable results.
Big brands have large marketing budgets and teams, yet local SEO provides small businesses with the chance to compete with these big brands without blowing your marketing budget.
Local SEO enables small businesses to focus on specific, location-based keywords that potential customers are searching for. This helps small businesses become more competitive, rather than competing for high competition keywords.
Local SEO is a powerful option for small businesses. While big brands may dominate national and global search results, small businesses can dominate local search results, attracting their local audience.
With more people searching for products and services on their mobile devices, using the term “near me,” small businesses are able to capture their audiences on the go, boosting foot and website traffic effectively.
Consumers trust businesses that appear at the top of search results. Local SEO helps small businesses establish a strong online presence, improving credibility and trust with your local audience. This is done by optimising your website for mobile-friendliness and user experience, offering local, high quality, informative, and valuable content that resonates with your audience.
An important part of boosting credibility and trust is acquiring local high quality backlinks from reputable websites with high domain authority. When you acquire backlinks from news websites, local directories, and industry-related blogs, your website is recognised as a valuable source of information, improving your ranking in local results.
Knowing that local SEO can even the playing field, here are some local SEO tips you can start implementing today to gain a competitive edge over big brands online:
The majority of people searching for local businesses do so on their mobile device. This can be their smartphone or tablet. Having a mobile-friendly website is essential in today's digital world, along with Google prioritising mobile-optimised websites since introducing mobile-first indexing. Your website should be fast loading, easy to navigate, and provide a great user experience across all devices.
Keyword research and use is important to ensure you reach your target audience. Identify valuable keywords, focusing on long-tail keywords that include your location, that are low in competition but high in intent. These keywords should be used naturally in your content without overstuffing.
Small businesses need to create or claim their Google Business Profile to boost visibility in local searches. This includes adding your business information, high quality images, and encouraging reviews. Ensure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all platforms.
Create unique and high quality content that other sites want to refer to, earning you a backlink. You can also list in local directories, guest blog, or partner with local news websites to improve your website authority.
Sharing your high quality content on social media helps you drive traffic to your website, improving brand awareness.
Local SEO is an effective way to help small businesses compete with big brands in their industry. It is an affordable solution for small businesses with limited marketing budgets. Local SEO is a long-term strategy that provides sustainable results over time. With the right techniques and consistent effort, small business can compete with big brands online. If you are a small business owner looking to compete online, Genie Crawl is here to assist. Contact us now for a free, no obligation quote.
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