How to Keep It Local While Competing Internationally. Let me ask you this, does your small, local business feel like a minnow swimming around an ocean filled with international piranhas? I’ve worked with dozens of small business owners under similar stress. You have the determination, the talent, the products or services, yet you question how anyone outside of your zip code will ever find you. Lucky for you, you don’t need a million-dollar marketing budget to go online and be found a proper SEO will allow you to service your little area and much more beyond!

What is Local SEO (and Who Cares)? Local SEO is how (think process) your business can show up when people searching for your products or services are closest to you. For instance, when someone types “best pizza near me” or “cheapest plumber,” they’re not looking for Hoagie Haven or Roto-Rooter—they’re looking for you. And if you’re not on the results page, that’s sales lost.

Now consider this, what if you’re aware your product or service can also translate to a national/global audience? That’s where SEO for locals can turn international. And it’s super easy.

Step 1: Establish Your Local Roots First Before Expanding Internationally

First things first: let’s ensure your local business gets found before anything else:

• Claim and optimize Google Business Profile
• Ensure you add accurate business hours, photos, services, and consistently get reviews. Google only wants to help those who help themselves.
• Utilize location-based keywords
• For example, let’s say you’re a family photographer, don’t just say that. You’re a family photographer in Cherry Hill, NJ.
• Get listed in directories
• Yelp, Yellow Pages, municipal Chamber of Commerce websites still matter.
• Ensure your name, address, phone number (NAP) is consistent.
• Solicit customer reviews
• Consistent 4- and 5-star reviews bolster your authority and search ranking.

Step 2: Think BIGGER, But still Keep it LOCAL

• After optimizing the local SEO, you want to cast a bigger net to ensure people outside your zip code can find you and feel comfortable working with your brand.
• Create city- or state-specific landing pages
• If you work in multiple areas, create a page for each. For example, “Digital Marketing Services in Philadelphia,” “Social Media Help in South Jersey,” etc. Do not duplicate content make them feel LOCAL.
• Blog about local and national topics
• Write about the town hall meetings as well as your industry’s best practices. This makes you rank in both places.
• Use schema markup
• By implementing structured data, you help search engines understand your business better and present you in rich results. Using a local business schema works best.
• Invest in multilingual SEO (if necessary)
• If you have international customers, create translated pages with regionally relevant keywords.

Step 3: Go Global with Local Credibility

• Trust is key online. You can go global as long as they see you’re a credible LOCAL business first. • Showcase customer testimonials from far and wide
• Post quotes or videos from happy customers from all different states (or countries). Let others do the talking for you.
• Get backlinks from LOCAL and NATIONAL sites
• Backlinks are links from other businesses’ sites going to yours. Work with LOCAL blog owners, sponsor community events, and try to get exposure on NATIONAL sites, too.
• Optimize for voice search and mobile devices
• More and more people are searching by phone and voice.
• Use “how” and “where” style questions. “Where can I find organic skincare in Philly?”

Step 4: Use Tools to Keep You Informed. I’m always telling my clients you don’t have to guess, you have to assess.

So here are a few basic tools that help:

• Google Search Console: Tells you how your website is performing on searches
• Google Analytics: Tells you who’s visiting and where they came from
• Ubersuggest/SEMrush: Simple tools to help you determine keywords and backlinks Assess once a week or month.
• Everything is a trend so just like the research you do and social media, assessing keeps everything up to date.

Final Note: You’re Not Too Small to Compete I can hear you thinking global is a big world. But every major brand started small. Nobody started at the top. If you focus on your local efforts in your backyard but still optimize for more global opportunities—you can own your digital real estate! I’ve made barbershops go viral. I’ve made med spas known five states away and local bakeries nationally because the second people see the local element, popular reviews and even reputable backlinks, they’ll come to you no matter how far. If your work has heart, consistency, and strategy, it’ll work for you, too. But if you’re ever overwhelmed don’t worry! You’re not alone! Start small, keep consistent, and remember, Google loves real and relevant, and you’ve already got the real part down. Let’s make you relevant one search at a time.

#LocalSEO #SmallBizGrowth #SEOForBusiness