How Your Business Can Show Up For Near Me Searches

Going digital is one of the best ways to drive customers to your business. Nowadays, people look more toward searching for what they need online instead of physically looking for it themselves. People either type to search or use voice-enabled devices such as smartphones to ask where the nearest restaurant or shop is. This begs the question: How can your business show up for “near me” searches? 

Whether we like it or not, being online is the best advertisement we can ever get for our business. Without an online presence, you’re practically invisible and you have little or no chance at all of being visited by new types of consumers. 

The Importance of Key Phrases 

No matter what search engine is used, phrases such as “restaurants near me” or “salons in Salt Lake City” will always be used. People are starting to converse with these digital assistants, too. You can ask questions like, “where can I find the best bedroom furniture in Brooklyn?” or “what is the nearest burger store in town?” and still get accurate results.  

The trick here is specificity. The more specific you are in asking questions, the better results you get. Using long-tail keywords will prove to be beneficial for your business. 

Why Reviews Matter 

91% of people who search for businesses online also go for online businesses that have great reviews.  

In the past, your only source of information about a restaurant was by referral from friends, or through the lifestyle section of a newspaper. Nowadays, you get all the feedback, both negative and positive, from customers who have been to that specific place.  

Searching for restaurants and other businesses online has saved a lot of money and time on the consumer’s part.  

How to Get Your Business to Show Up for “Near Me” Searches 

• Create a website for your business. Make sure that there are different pages for different branch locations to ensure that your business is listed on the map accurately. 
• Use keyword phrases that indicate your location within the text content of your website. Also, keep in mind to take advantage of image “alt texts” and include your business’ name and location. An image showing your storefront would have an alt text such as “Keith’s Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn.” 
• Make friends with bloggers and influencers. Ask them to include a link in their social media post or blog post that goes to your website. 
• Create social media profiles if you haven’t done so yet. People always look towards Facebook and Instagram as well as other social media platforms to see if they can find any reviews about your business. 
• Make sure that all your contact information, including your business name, is accurate on all your websites, social media pages, and business listings. The more accurate and consistent it is, the more likely it will end up being suggested by search engines and their corresponding assistants. 

It might not be easy to start making yourself “seen” online, but there are services that help you get up and running in the virtual world. iMapping is a great service that can help get you found online for “near me” searches. They help you get your business listed on heavily used maps and voice search technologies so you can reach out to more customers than ever before.  

The maps and voice search platforms iMapping gets your business listed onto include: Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, Here, Bing, CarPlay, Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana, and Bixby. You’ll definitely be found!