Local business marketing checklist: 9 steps to get found in your city
Want more customers from your own city? Follow this simple local business marketing checklist to show up on Google Maps, local search and word of mouth.
Most local businesses lose customers not to better competitors, but to competitors who are simply easier to find online. This local business marketing checklist covers the nine steps that consistently get businesses found on Google Maps, local search and word of mouth.
The 9-step local business marketing checklist
- Claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile
- Make sure your business name, address and phone number match everywhere online
- Add fresh, real photos to your profile every month
- Collect and respond to reviews consistently, good or bad
- Get listed in relevant local directories and associations
- Create location-specific content that mentions your area by name
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly
- Encourage happy customers to tag your business on social media
- Track which marketing channel actually brings in walk-ins or calls
Why most local business marketing efforts fail
Local businesses usually do not fail at marketing because they did nothing — they fail because they did a little of everything once, and nothing consistently. A complete Google Business Profile combined with steady reviews beats a flashy one-off campaign almost every time.
You do not need to be everywhere online. You need to be unmistakably findable where your local customers already look.
Go through this checklist today and complete just the first three steps if nothing else. Most local businesses see their first improvement in calls and walk-ins within weeks of fixing their Google Business Profile alone.
