The days in which instant and total recognition of brands online to the entire World Wide Web are largely over. With so much competition existing these days, it is nearly impossible for businesses to quickly ascend the rankings of search and reach visibility in dozens of different markets. Enter the age of localization, in which brands and businesses try their best to focus on attracting attention in various locally-themed search results. For brands and businesses that wish to generate more traffic from a locality – whether that be through search or something else – we’ve put together a list of solutions that can be utilized to do just that.

Google & SEO

By far the most straight forward solution for recurring local traffic, search engines such as Google provide an outlet for brands to reach out to the entire world. In this particular case, though, a local area will do! Brands can attract attention in search from locals by combining their existing keywords with local results; for instance, the keyword “new hiking boots in Denver” from a brand based in Orlando will be more likely to attract Denver searchers than the keyword “new hiking boots” from a brand merely based in Denver. Other elements, such as maintaining an up-to-date website, producing consistent amounts of content and avoiding the use of “over-optimization” help to produce an even more powerful effect for brands’ rankings in search results.

Link Building

Pinging to Google local-based keywords and content can work wonders, but it is not by far the only tactic you need to utilize! This will be easier for some brands (volunteer organizations, charities, information hubs) than others (actual businesses), but a great way to build links is to contact other relevant websites in the area and/or industry and ask for links. There must be a common interest or beneficial element to the site you’re asking for a link on, so do keep this in mind. As more and more local websites begin to link back to you, Google will recognize your link authority and begin improving your overall stance in search engines. It is worth noting that old-fashioned link building strategies (the use of basic directories & article submissions) should be avoided, as search engines can identify these basic strategies and may penalize you for them.

The Two PRs

There are two examples of PR: press releases and public relations. Both, when utilized properly, can produce benefits for your brand. Press releases submitted to relevant PR submission sites can help build links and improve overall authority in a variety of local search results. Likewise, a public relations stunt can help to get everyone talking about your brand in a big way. Local newspapers and news outlets may pick up on it, social media will begin buzzing and all of these signals will be pinging to Google, boosting your overall local authority in select search results. It is important to remember that the nature of the publicity stunt be a positive one, as negative or controversial topics can do more harm than good in many other facets of brand management.