5 Great Local SEO Tips for the Holiday Season of 2020

“No place like home for the holidays.” This phrase, even though has been true for years, now seems to have a different significance altogether. The world is still adjusting to the reality of the pandemic and its effects. And at the same time, every business is bracing itself for the danger looming over them for an unprecedented global economic crisis. In a situation like this, holiday seasons are almost here. Starting from the spirit of Halloween, we have just a couple of months for Christmas. Hence, for local businesses and retailers, this is a very important time of the year when they need to think of different ways to reach their consumers.

While celebration has always been the most important part of the holidays every year, for a challenging 2020, the most important thing is safety. At the same time, it is also crucial to support local businesses that are providing their products and services while surviving this global crisis. And if you are a local business owner, then you are surely preparing yourself so that you can turn things into your favor during this holiday season. How can you do that? Take a look at the following points to know more.

Take a Survey and Cater to the Demand

This year you cannot go by the tried and tested methods of selling like every year. The pandemic has completely changed the priorities for your customers and that is why you need to take a survey first this year to understand what they are looking for. There are many reasonably priced software you can choose from. You can prepare a questionnaire and find out what your customers are looking for. From this, you can find the following information,

• Which products are in demand locally but not available a lot
• Which product or service is the most necessary during holidays
• What method of shopping and delivery do your customers find convenient
• What should be the most convenient operational hour for your customers
• What safety measures you must take for your business establishment
• What payment method will be the most convenient one

This survey will help you figure out the most crucial things first. You can choose to send emails with these questions or do social media polls for that. An affordable SEO company can help you with this.

Be Accessible

Open the line of your communication. This is the time when you can keep your customers glued to your website. And for that, you need to make sure that you are always accessible to your customers. For that, ensure that you are taking care of the following aspects,

• A mobile-friendly website
• Updated local business listing
• Ready to use email database
• Social media channels that offer a prompt reply
• Forms with the right CTA
• SMS or/and WhatsApp marketing
• Phone-on-hold marketing
• Signage for storefront and in-store
• Announcement through local news

Google My Business Listing is a must for your business, no matter how old your store is. People have become more reliant on the internet right now and this listing can offer all the information that they will need about your store. Also, check if your website is ADA compliant or no. Partner with the best SEO company in India and take care of this checklist.

Local Ecommerce and Product Listing

Studies show that since the pandemic started, online sales have gone over 30% in the USA. Also, there is a 19% rise in traffic in the websites of the biggest resellers of the USA. This is the reason it is also advised that you think of implementing ecommerce sales in your holiday dealings. This can make a major difference in your business. You can also offer some convenient delivery options too for your customers according to the first point, the survey you have completed. That can include,

• The option of BOPIS or Buy Online Pick Up in Store
• Curbside pickup after purchasing online
• Buy online and get postal delivery
• Direct home delivery by the in-house staff or third-party drivers

Since April, Google has been offering free product listing which can be a great opportunity for you. Also, in September, Google added a “nearby” filter to Google Shopping. This is how the search engine giant has become pretty helpful for local inventory. Hire an SEO reseller to get professional help with these aspects.

Manage Reviews Meticulously

During the holiday season, you should try to demonstrate good responsiveness as a brand while also focusing on retaining customers. And that is why you need to think of the reviews and how you can manage them. Reviews of your products or service are in short the data that can be used for quality control. And that is why taking them seriously is a must. Apart from Google reviews, there are some other tools that can help you tally your reviews that are available on other review websites too. Take note of what your customers are saying. If the issues are easily fixable, do that. If not, offer a response with some offers or incentives. The internet marketing agency you are hiring will be able to help you with this part.

Partner with Influencers

For a local business, it is necessary that you get into a partnership with an influencer for user-generated content. The influencers are responsible for creating huge support for your business online. And that can help you gain more attention from potential new customers. Find out the influencers and bloggers who can feature your products and services which will offer you a solid chance to gain more traffic and leads during the festive season.

This is a challenging year. But at the same time, this holiday season is crucial for any local business to gain trust again during these trying times. And with the right strategy and the best agency offering SEO, can help your business achieve that. Plan your strategy keeping these tips in mind.