By Jamie Banks
TL;DR:
Dominate your local market first. Master the art of visibility in your backyard before trying to conquer territories beyond it.
Facebook Ads: Use "local awareness" ads to drop pins at events and grab attention.
Google SEO: Be a niche expert. You’ll stand out in broader markets with specialized content.
Location-Specific Content: Build out content silos with location pages. Start small and scale if it works.
Prove It Works: Begin with 3-5 location pages as a test, then expand.
Getting visibility outside your immediate area sounds like a dream come true, right? But hold on a sec. Before you dive into expanding your digital footprint, it’s crucial to “own your backyard” first. You need to crush it locally before trying to win over customers in surrounding areas.
1. Facebook Ads: Targeting Where It Matters
A lot of people forget how powerful Facebook is for small businesses. The trick? Pin your ads to specific events or locations where people are already gathered, like a local fair or conference. Hit them when they’re not paying attention—but in a way that still grabs their eyeballs. Think: “Oh, I need that service!” moments.
When you pinpoint events, focus on creative that speaks directly to that moment. Maybe someone’s at a crowded event and they’ve been stuck in traffic for hours. Run a traffic-related ad. Tailor your ads to catch that specific moment.
2. Google SEO: Be the Niche Expert
The more specific you get, the easier it is to win on Google. Why? Because Google loves specialists.
"If you’re competing against every business in a wider area, the key to success is niching down," explains Greg Gifford, an expert in local search. If your competition offers a broad range of services, narrow down your offering. This approach can help you stand out in organic results outside your immediate region.
3. Build Content Silos: Start Small
Don’t fall into the trap of spamming the web with dozens of location-specific pages. Start with a handful of high-quality pages. Create a content silo—a focused cluster of blog posts, landing pages, and resource pages about a particular area. Focus on local events, customer stories, and news about that region.
Begin with 3-5 pages as a proof of concept, then scale if the strategy proves successful. Too many people get impatient and want to rank across 50 locations overnight. Don’t. Instead, think long-term.
Why Local SEO is Tougher Than Ever
Back in the day, people could rank for cities miles away from their actual location. But thanks to updates like Google’s Possum, proximity has become king. In other words, if you’re outside of that immediate area, it’s going to be harder to rank on Google Maps or in local results.
As Greg Gifford says, “Google’s bias toward local closeness makes it tough for businesses outside the city limits. If you’re in the suburbs, ranking in the city center might be a lot more difficult than it was five years ago.”
The Long Game: SEO Takes Time
Phil Rozek from Local Visibility System has a favorite phrase: “Dig the well before you’re thirsty.” Expanding your visibility beyond your immediate area isn’t an overnight success story. It takes months, if not years, to build that digital foundation.
For service-based businesses, especially those in niche markets, casting a wider net requires a lot of groundwork. You have to establish credibility and authority within your own city before Google even considers pushing you out to other areas.
In a digital world where visibility is everything, GMB Fox ensures your business isn’t just online—it’s the first choice customers make. Let us handle the complexities of digital marketing, so you can focus on what truly matters: growing your business.
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