An increasing number of physical businesses and stores are discovering the benefits that the internet and search engines can provide them. While some businesses may enjoy loyal customer bases who know them on a first-name basis, the increasing amount of competition in today’s world of commerce is requiring even small and local brands to branch out in new ways. Many businesses with physical store-fronts have been affected by the explosion of e-commerce in recent years, but this trend can also provide benefit for local businesses. If you own a physical store and want to increase the number of customers coming through the doors, then continue reading to find out how local search can assist.

Earn Links From Other Sites

Local SEO is fundamentally the same in many ways as pinging for SEO in traditional ways. You need to optimize content on your pages, said content needs to be great, and you need to earn links from other sites. Fortunately, local businesses can find many great opportunities for building links through local business directories, mentions on city, county and business organization websites (such as the Chamber of Commerce), and other niche websites dedicated to covering small businesses in your niche at the local level. While the focus will be different in terms of where you build links for a local business, building links in general remains just as important if you want more people coming through your doors.

Convince Customers to Leave Reviews

Whether you already balance customers via both the web and physical visits or are in the process of building a new online presence, online reviews are crucial for local businesses that want more exposure. Earning these reviews on online hubs such as Yelp and Sitejabber isn’t any different than soliciting reviews through more traditional. Physical means: satisfied customers are less likely to speak out than dissatisfied ones. Nevertheless, you can provide incentive to your existing in-store customers by offering discounts toward their next visit or special promotions in exchange for reviews left on these online sites. The act of building online mentions in the form of reviews is absolutely essential to exposure; a collection of positive reviews won’t only help you gain more exposure, but it’ll reassure more people that walking through your doors is a good idea when researching you.

Publish Multimedia

If you’ve followed the advice above and are now generating links from other sites and reviews, then all that is left in the game of attracting more physical customers is to show them what they’re missing. Photos and videos are not only great when it comes to pinging for SEO in many situations, but they also capture shoppers’ attention spans and give them a visual of what your business has to offer. Whether you are promoting a new product, opening a new store, participating in a community event or something completely different, using multimedia to sell yourself in search engines, social media and other outlets is imperative for success.

Have you noticed parallels between in-person and online business? Tell us about them below!