Learning to Love Geolocation – Smart Geolocation Tactics for Marketing Success

If you want to increase your website conversions and boost your online sales, you need to target your customers where they live. Geolocation services allow you to do just that, and in this age of smartphones and mobile devices finding your customers where they are is easier than ever before. Often referred to as geo-fencing or geo-targeting, the ability to target your audience close to home is a game changer.

Consumers have reached a certain comfort level with geo-tracking and geolocation services, and most leave these services turned on when they shop, run errands and take care of the necessities of daily life. That means you can use geolocation to find the customers most likely to need what you have to sell.

Taking advantage of geolocation is a great way to boost the bottom line, but success is far but guaranteed. Your competitors are working hard as well, and staying ahead of those competitors has never been more important. Here are some tips you can use to improve your results and boost your website conversions.

Use the Exclusionary Principle

Geolocation lets you know where your customers are, but it also allows you to know where they are not. Geolocation is very much a double-edged tool, and smart companies have learned to make the most of the exclusionary principle.

If you run a bar or club in a university town, your normal target audience is probably the students who go there. Throughout the semester, you can use geolocation services to find those students and entice them with drink specials, low-cost food and other goodies.

When school is out for the summer, however, those loyal university students will be gone. That means targeting another class of customers until class is back in session.

Prioritize Prime Locations

Marketing is all about striking the proper balance. Casting too wide a net can mean wasted money and effort, while making your target too narrow could mean losing out on customers and sales.

When it comes to optimizing geo-targeting, it pays to prioritize the  best locations. Over time you will get to know which locations perform the best, and spending your limited marketing dollars targeting those areas is one of the best ways to improve click-through rates and ultimately sales as well. That may mean raising your bid for those prime locations, but the results will be well worth the extra cost.

Improve Your Results with Paid Search Ads and Location-Specific Keywords

Paid search is not always the best marketing choice, but this technique can really improve local results. Using a combination of location-specific keywords and paid search can make it far easier for your target customers to find you – and that is good news for them and for you.

Examples of location-specific keywords are nearly endless, ranging from things like “Cleveland area gyms” and “Italian restaurants in Chicago” to “coffee shops near Union Square” to “hotels near the White House.” By using these location-specific keywords and testing your results, you can fine-tune your marketing and boost your conversions over time.

Local SEO -Remember To Own Your Home Market First!

Reaching your customers where they live, play and work has never been more important. The popularity of smartphones means that today’s consumer is always connected – and always ready to buy. The companies who are best able to reach those consumers and provide them with what they need are the ones most likely to succeed. By using smart geolocation practices, you can be that successful company and see your profits soar.

Professor SEO

A seasoned digital marketing professional with over 20 years of expertise in digital marketing, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, brand development, conversion optimization, lead generation, web development and data analytics. He is a strategic digital marketing thought leader in a multitude of business verticals including automotive, education, financial services, legal marketing and professional services.