Whether you’re coming up with apartment marketing ideas or you just need a new website, every business should have a solid strategy for helping customers find you locally. It’s getting harder to rank in the search engines on a local level, and that trend is only going to continue.
Google is constantly coming out with ways to filter out irrelevant sites that aren’t optimized. They now have a mobile-only search index which they use to show optimized sites that are ready for portable devices.
Here are some of the most effective actions you can take today to help visitors find you locally in 2018:
Keyword Strategy
Content is important for any website, as you need content to cater to local prospects. We recommend creating content that focuses on the local market. Be sure to include local terms, images, and other elements that are unique to your area. You should also be linking out to local authoritative businesses. This helps your credibility and will provide visitors with more value. Also, try not to use your top searched local keyword all over your titles, body content, and images. Instead, use a variety of localized keywords. This will help you get found for more terms and boost your local traffic.
Mobile-Friendly Site
Search engines are putting an emphasis on mobile-friendly content and websites. Not only are they giving these sites a boost in the search engines, but they’re also penalizing advertisers that don’t cater to mobile traffic. Mobile-friendly sites load content quickly, are secure, and give visitors a great mobile experience. Most people that search locally use their mobile device, so creating an optimized mobile site is one of the best marketing ideas for apartments to implement in 2018.
Google My Business
This platform is one of the keys to getting found locally, and a great place to start your local optimization journey. First, fill out your profile and make sure your content is optimized for a local audience. This content should include geo-modified terms like the name of your city and any important hotspots. Next, remember to link back to your Google My Business through Google+. This will help Google tie your website to your optimized My Business profile.
Website Speed
Your site could be filled with the most effective apartment marketing ideas ever, but both your users and Google will get frustrated if it doesn’t load quickly on mobile devices. Removing JavaScript, desktop applications, and oversized images should boost your website’s speed.
Citations, Citations, Citations
A citation is an online reference to your business’s name, address and phone number (NAP). Like links to your website, Google uses them when evaluating your business’ online authority. You want quality local citations — not just any website linking to yours.
Be sure to create citations that are consistent and accurate. Your name, address and phone number should be the same every time you create a citation. Creating consistent citations will build credibility with search engines and give you instant traffic to your website.
Backlinks
Backlinks have been the number one ranking signal for a long time and they’re not going away anytime soon. Quality backlinks to your website is still essential if you want to rank above your competitors. These backlinks should come from local authoritative sites and could bring relevant prospects from the traffic alone.
These factors will help you rank locally in 2018, but they are just the start. Google is ever-evolving, and you’ll need to stay on top of these trends to stay visible to your audience. It’s also important to keep in mind that even though you make changes to your website, it will take up to 6 months for Google to change your local ranking. That’s why we always tell clients to think of the future when optimizing for local.
Whether you need help getting found locally or you just need some new apartment complex marketing ideas, don’t hesitate to shoot us an email or give us a call.
