Creating localized content for your business website is one of the best ways to improve your organic (blue-link) rankings, driving more traffic to your site and helping more people find or get in touch with your business. Not only that, but it can increase your business's chance of getting cited in AI-powered search, including in Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT responses.
Imagine you're running a plumbing business and someone in your area searches for "how to fix a dripping faucet," and they come across a blog post on your website. After visiting your site and reading the article (or seeing it referenced in an AI answer), they're much more likely to contact your company to get their dripping faucet fixed!
Despite the potential benefits of this type of local content marketing, many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) tend to overlook it in favor of other digital marketing strategies like paid advertising.
While other local marketing strategies like running paid ads (especially Google LSAs) can definitely have a positive impact on your overall local SEO strategy, SMBs shouldn't underestimate the power of localized content marketing!
Do Local Businesses Really Need to Blog?
Because blog posts are usually more informational and less sales-oriented in nature than, say, local landing pages, many business owners question their value. However, blogging can benefit any business that wants to grow and establish themselves as an authority in their industry and area.
For brick-and-mortar and service-area businesses, regularly publishing local content on a blog offers a range of benefits that contribute to long-term success in both local search and on the ground. A local content marketing strategy can even help SMBs compete with larger brands online.
Benefits of Creating Localized Blog Content:
- Drives website traffic
- Generates leads
- Builds backlinks
- Increases brand recognition
- Improves local search visibility
- Establishes you as an expert
- Fosters trust
- Helps you reach additional markets
- Provides more local keyword targeting opportunities
- Feeds into AI visibility
If you still aren't convinced that local businesses should blog, take a look at what your competitors are doing. If even one of your top competitors is publishing localized content on a blog, you definitely should be too!
Even if your competitors aren't actively blogging, starting your own blog now can help you stay ahead of them in organic search when they inevitably ramp up their own local content marketing strategies.
Creating Localized Content for a Business Blog: What Should You Write About?
So, you're ready to start blogging for a local business, but you have no idea what to write about.
A great way to get started is to think about the keywords that people are already using to find your business. These can be related to your Google Business Profile categories, products or services, and location or service area. You can also think about common problems your customers have and how they might search for ways to solve them.
If you don't already have a list of keywords you want to target, do some local keyword research to build one. Once you have some terms in mind, it's time to turn them into localized content!
Here are some tried-and-true local content ideas to help you get started with blogging for any local business:
1. How-To Guides
Many potential customers search Google using a phrase that starts with "how to." For example, they might look up "how to landscape your yard" or "how to keep your house warm in winter." They also often expand on these terms by including a geo-modifier, such as the name of a city or region.
These types of long-tail search terms offer all kinds of opportunities for local businesses to drive traffic to their sites by creating locally relevant how-to guides for a blog.
For instance, a landscaping company located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida could write a blog post titled "How To Landscape Your Yard in South Florida." An HVAC contractor in Toronto, Ontario might publish a post about "How To Keep Your House Warm in Winter in Toronto."
A great way to come up with these types of topics and titles is to start typing a query into Google and look at the suggested searches that pop up.
When writing these types of how-to articles for a local business blog, remember that you still want to guide potential customers towards choosing your business to help them. For service providers, the key is to strike a balance between providing useful, authoritative tips, and making it clear that there are certain things best left to the experts like you!
2. Informational Articles
In addition to how-to guides, there are other types of informational articles that can benefit a local business's content marketing strategy.
For example, an organic health food store's potential customers might search using a phrase like "what should I eat to stay healthy?" In this case, the business might create a blog post titled something like "8 Superfoods You Should Eat To Stay Healthy." Of course, all or most of the foods mentioned in the article should be things the store sells, guiding customers to pay it a visit!
3. Local News, Events, and Activities
Blogging about locally relevant topics that aren't necessarily directly related to a business's products or services can provide additional opportunities to capture local traffic.
For instance, a restaurant located near a major landmark or tourist attraction could publish an article about the "Top 10 Things To Do Near the Space Needle," with one of those things being visiting that restaurant for a meal!
Or, a boutique clothing store that's going to be running a booth at a local market all summer long might publish an article about the "5 Fun Weekend Activities for Couples in Vancouver This Summer," with one of the activities being visiting and shopping at the market.
4. Company News and Milestones
It's okay to talk about yourself sometimes when creating localized content, too! Newsworthy company happenings, such as the launch of a new product or service or an expansion, are great reasons to shamelessly self-promote.
Let's say a formerly single-location sandwich shop opens up a second location in another part of town. This is the perfect opportunity to write a blog post announcing the opening and target localized keywords for the area the new shop is located in (e.g., "We've Just Opened a New Sandwich Shop in Queen Anne!")
Major business milestones are also another good reason to publish company-related blog posts. If your plumbing company reaches a 15-year anniversary of being in business, you might write a blog post titled something like "We're Celebrating 15 Years of Providing the Best Plumbing Services in San Diego!"
5. Behind-the-Scenes Blog Posts
Offering potential customers insights into how your business operates behind the scenes or how it got to where it is, including its team or history, is another way to drive traffic to your site through local content.Â
For example, you might profile your company's founders or other key team members, or discuss how your business got its start. This type of content can add a personal touch to your blog that not only creates more opportunities to target localized keywords, but also helps you connect to potential customers on a more human level, encouraging them to choose your business over the competition.
6. Round-Up Articles
Round-ups are another style of blog post that local businesses can publish to drive traffic and guide customers towards choosing the products or services they offer.
For instance, a fitness supply store might publish a post about "The 7 Best Pieces of Home Gym Equipment To Come Out This Year," with a round-up of new weights, workout machines, and other fitness accessories that customers can find in their store.
7. Guest Posts
Once you feel comfortable with creating localized content on your own blog, you may want to explore guest posting. This involves reaching out to other local businesses, community organizations, or regional publications and offering to contribute high-quality, relevant blog content for their websites (ideally with a backlink to your own site).
Guest posting is a great way to build local backlinks, establish relationships within your community, and increase your visibility to new local audiences. For example, a residential roofing contractor might write a guest article for a local home improvement magazine's blog on "How To Prepare Your Roof for the Rainy Season in Portland," with a short byline and link back to their business.
You can also invite guest writers to post on your blog. Think: local influencers, industry experts, or complementary business owners (like a landscaper writing for a pool contractor's blog). This helps diversify your blog content, builds goodwill, and further solidifies your business as an active, authoritative voice in your community.
Wrapping Up
While a blog isn't the only important component of a strong local content marketing strategy, it's one of the most versatile tools for naturally including more locally relevant keywords on your site.
Local blog content gives you the opportunity to cover a wide range of search intents, provide value to potential customers, and improve your visibility in local search results, both organic and AI-generated.
When combined with other tactics, like optimizing your Google Business Profile, building local citations, and earning backlinks, blogging can play a key role in driving traffic to your site, increasing your AI visibility, and bringing more business through your doors.
