So, you’re a service business based in Geelong but want your website to rank in Google searches by internet users in Melbourne and other locations. Guess what? You’re wasting your time and money and – if you do pull it off – also annoying those people making searches from locations outside Geelong.

At GOOP Digital we’ve been telling prospective clients, and a few existing clients, that it’s not worthwhile or good practice trying to make their websites rank in Google searches from outside their geographic location.

And it was reassuring to hear Sean Bucher, director of SEO at US digital marketing agency Rocket Media, confirm what we’ve been saying when he addressed the audience at SMX East digital marketing expo in New York.

Speaking about the top ranking factors for service-based businesses, Bucher pulled out statistics showing what people searching on Google are really looking for.

 

Guess what? Consumers seeking to engage a service-based business want a service provider in their neighbourhood. They search with proximity in mind.

The statistics tell the story: Four out of five consumers want local information when they ask a search engine to find them a service provider. That’s “local information”, not information about a business an hour or so down the highway.

If somebody is searching from, say, Fitzroy, then they want a Fitzroy or nearby business to come up in their search results, not a business in Geelong, Werribee or Ballarat.

It’s the same with online advertisements. Searchers want to see Google ads from businesses in their location, not from businesses elsewhere in the state.

Again, the statistics back up what consumers are looking for from advertisements, with four out of five searchers looking for ads customised to their part of the world, not somewhere else.

Sean Bucher had plenty of great advice which GOOP Digital’s Geelong SEO team will put into practice for its website clients when we return from New York – but the one quick takeaway we’ll share right now is don’t get greedy. Don’t try to sell yourself where clients don’t really want your services. Focus on your part of the world, do a great job and encourage clients to provide online reviews to further boost your online profile.

Remember, if you’re a service-based business in Geelong and want your website to capture clients in Melbourne, then you’re probably wasting your time and money. And if you do succeed and get your website to come up in Google searches from distant locations, you’ll most likely be annoying people seeking businesses in their part of the world, not yours!

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