Guest Blog: How Can Unique Website Content Help Your Local Business Succeed Online?

Creating unique website content is a crucial aspect of any local internet marketing campaign. Google and the other major search engines are geared toward custom web content that is well-written, compelling, informative, and addresses issues that your audience cares about. There are many ways to do this, and when you are writing in different online settings (such as blog vs. social media), you need to have the ability to modify your approach based on the medium you are writing for.

Let’s look at how to develop unique website content in each of the most common settings:

Blog: For years, writers have created blog content primarily for search engines rather than people. While proper keyword selection and careful placement within a post is essential, you really need to focus on providing a valuable resource for current or potential clients. A successful blog should not only educate the audience, but also entertain them. Think about what you would want to read! Providing the most up to date, relevant information with links to reliable sources in a concise way is the way to write online content today.

Press Release: Press Releases are a great way to get your content out there via online media publications. This writing must be headline-grabbing and newsworthy above all, and you must provide citations to established news sources.

Website: Your website is your online persona. It not only pushes your brand image, but it also gives potential and current clients the information they need to make a decision on your product and/or service. While you want to keep your website clean and streamlined it is important that you are creating content that addresses the following areas:
1. Education on a problem: What is the need?
2. Education on the solution: How can your product/service meet this need?
3. Education on your product and/or services: Let visitors in on your process and what they can expect once they buy from you.
4. Information about your company: What is your business all about? You want clients to feel a connection with your business, as it helps them make a decision about whether to go with your services.
5. Contact information: Make sure the potential or current client has easy access to your contact information (Company name, physical address, phone number, email contact).

Social Media: This is a concise but effective form of content writing. You want content that is not only drawing readers, but resonating with them to the point where they want to turn around and share your content within their networks. Use your language skills to engage readers with short bursts of content that will grab their attention. Asking a question is one of the best ways to get readers involved.

Create Custom Web Content Using Your Unique Perspective
The best tool at your disposal is your voice as a writer. Don’t try to write like someone else. You’ll end up fighting against your personal writing style, which makes your job that much more difficult. Above all, you need to dig deep and articulate what you feel is most compelling about the subject you are presenting. You don’t need to be interested in everything you write about, but you do need to be able to understand and convey the most important aspects of a given topic.

Developing these skills will help your writing and your ability to create unique web content for any local marketing campaign.

Ryan Paul Adams is the CEO of PME 360, a BBB Accredited Business since 2012. 

Guest Blog: Local Online Search Success for Small Businesses

Here are 5 tips for local businesses who want to succeed and grow are always looking for an edge over their competition. 

Unearthing advantages can be a challenge, but the emergence of local online search marketing over the last few years presents new opportunities to create a competitive advantage for those companies who are willing to educate themselves and take the correct steps. This article will examine 5 ways that businesses can use local online search marketing strategies to distinguish themselves as local competition elevates.

1. Get Your Business Listed: Presenting detailed and correct listings via online directories is essential. You need to display accurate and consistent business information to make it easy for customers (and Google) to find and recognize your local business. Furthermore, since Google has said in the past that a growing percentage of mobile search is related to location and local information, it is important to claim, update, and enhance online information about your business immediately.
2. Google Photos For Business: Google has designed their Google Business Photos program to offer a 360-degree virtual tour solution to businesses. It uses the same platform as the highly useful and successful Google Street View, so you can walk into a participating business right off the street virtually. Photo tours can be embedded your website and through social media from any number of starting points. They can also be viewed on all mobile devices. Since people search online because they want to know what to expect before going somewhere, utilizing this feature appears to be a great way for you to really showcase your business in a striking way. 
3. Manage Your Business’ Reviews: Developing a quality online reputation can really help customers validate your business, and reviews are a large part of this. People will seek to gather all the information they can about your reputation before choosing your business. They want to know what you do and how good you are at it. They don’t just want to trust the information on your website; they want to see what others are saying about your business, location, products, customer service, and more. Many businesses have no reputation online at all! To be successful, this needs to change. Actively seeking reviews and interacting productively with reviewers is an essential part of developing your business's online reputation. 
4. Nurture Your Current Customers: Many businesses tend to overlook their past or current clientele. You need to make sure this doesn’t happen. Once you have a few customers, you should invest in things like remarketing, nurturing and email campaigns. Keeping up with former customers is a crucial aspect to any local marketing campaign. These are people who’ve liked your product or service enough to come to you at least once. Make sure they keep coming back by showing you care!
5. Be Visible With Mobile Marketing: Americans are using mobile devices at a rapidly increasing rate. The tendency for people to perform local online searches for business and directions while they are on the road means that if your business’ website is not mobile–ready, you are probably missing out on a significant number of potential customers. To get an idea of what changes need to be made, sit down and look at your own site from a mobile device. Navigate as though you were a customer who doesn’t have time to wait around and determine what changes need to be made.

These are just a few of the strategies you can pursue to get your business found at a higher rate online. While online marketing may not come naturally to you, looking further into these tips is a great way to take your local business to the next level.

Ryan Paul Adams is the CEO of PME 360, a BBB Accredited Business since 2012.