affordable web design for small businesses in Christchurch, Bournemouth and the New Forest

Affordable Local Seo Services in Christchurch

Helping businesses with online visibility in Christchurch, Bournemouth, the New Forest and Southampton

Search engine optimisation or SEO is often misunderstood. Many people will believe that if you are at the top of Google for a particular keyword, you will be ranking for that keyword everywhere in the world, or at least in the country! Unfortunately, that is very rarely the case, and in most instances, it would be a waste of time and effort trying to rank for a specific keyword nationally.


Most companies have a specific geographic area where they conduct their business. That might be the county, such as Dorset, or a smaller area, such as their town, such as Bournemouth or Christchurch. 


This is where Local SEO comes into play. Local SEO is the practice of targeting a keyword in a specific area. Sometimes that area may be a county, such as Dorset or Hampshire or a city such as Bournemouth or Southampton. Or it may be an area such as the New Forest or even a village such as Christchurch.

At Overt Digital Media we help many businesses to climb up the search results in their local area.

Affordable Local SEO Services For Small & Medium Sized Businesses

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What is Local SEO

Getting you more local customer from your website

Local SEO is the process of ranking highly for a particular keyword or search term for a specific area.


Local SEO keywords (the terms your customers type into Google when looking for your services) should always include a geographic reference for the area you are targeting. 


This can either be the name of the area you are targeting such as Bournemouth or Christchurch or it could be a term such as ‘web designer near me’ or ‘web design Southampton’.


Whether you are trying to target customers in Dorset, Bournemouth, or Southampton, Hampshire, the process is very similar. What can differ is the time and effort required and the language used in the copy of your website. As always, the time needed to rank at the top of Google for a particular key will depend on how competitive that keyword is.

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How to implement an effective Local SEO Strategy?

Get to the top of Google in your local area

Local SEO requires specific techniques and tools to increase the visibility of your website in a specific location. An optimised Google Business Profile is essential to help your rankings in a particular area. 

Google Business Profile

Optimising your Google Business Profile is relatively simple. First, ensure that it has correct information such as your address and opening hours, post updates regularly and get as many good reviews as possible.  



Website Content

The next key part of an effective local SEO strategy is ensuring that your website’s content has the correct information about the areas you service on it. You may want to build specific pages for certain areas in certain instances.


Blogging

Blogging can also be used to enhance your local SEO rankings. For example, if you have recently helped a customer in a particular area you can write a Blog or ‘case study’ detailing the service you provided and reference the area that your customer is located in.


Local Directories

Adding your website to local directories will also help to push you up the search results. There are hundreds of online directories, most of which are national, but ensuring your name, address and phone number are listed will help. It is also helpful to look for other more local directories, such as Chambers of Commerce and list your business there as well.


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How much does Local SEO cost?

The cost of an SEO is a ‘piece of string’ question. Primarily it will depend on the experience and expertise of the SEO consultant or agency you are engaging with. Prices for search engine optimisation can start from £200per month up to several thousand pounds per month. Some industries or regions can be highly competitive, particularly in cities that are saturated with a particular sector.  


It is always good to shop around and speak to several SEO agencies. However, with local SEO it is usually best to engage with an SEO agency or consultant who is located in the area and has good local knowledge.


How long with it take to get to the top of Google in my area

This depends on several factors, firstly how competitive the keyword is. Secondly, the expertise and competence of the SEO agency or consultant you are using and, finally how much time and effort is being put in to rank for the keyword.


Search Engine Optimisation is primarily about time and effort. The more time and effort you put in to ranking for a particular search term, the better and quicker results you will get.


Generally speaking, you should expect to start seeing results within 3 to 6 months. Trying to rank for a term such as ‘Web designer in Christchurch’ is easier and quicker than ‘Web Designer in Southampton’


However, there is no guarantee. Search engine optimisation is like a race with no finish, it is the person in front who is winning, and if someone puts in more work than you, generally, they’ll be winning the race. However, that can and does change all the time.


Other SEO Ranking Factors

Website Design

Good web designers will factor good search engine optimisation practices into any new website build. This is because the structure of your website is an important SEO factor. So ensuring that best web design and SEO practices are built into your website can be the difference between being able to rank highly on Google or not.


Technical Settings

Certain factors like having a mobile friendly website and fast load times may seem obvious. Still, there are also many other factors such as internal linking of web pages, image sizes and word count that can also impact your SEO performance.


At Overt Digital Media we help many businesses to climb up the search results in their local area

Get in touch with us today and find out how we help companies get more leads from their website


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FAQs

Below are some of the questions about SEO we hear on a regular basis.


  • What can I do myself to help improve my websites ranking and get more visitors to my website?

    • Understand what keywords and search terms you want to rank highly for and factor these into your website content.
    • Don’t cram your content with the same keywords over and over again.  Google, wants to see context around your keywords.  For example, you may be the best family lawyer in Christchurch, but Google (and your potential customers) want to know why you think that is, what makes you a better option than other lawyers in Christchurch?
    • Build your website with SEO at the forefront of your mind.  Search engine optimisation shouldn’t be an afterthought.
    • Write your website content for your customers, not for search engines.  Make your website engaging for your customers, otherwise they won’t return or get in touch with you!
    • Have plenty of content on each page of your website, a minimum of 500 words is a good rule of thumb
    • Don’t duplicate content on your website.
    • Make sure your website is linked to your Google Business Profile and update it regularly with images, blog posts, offers, new etc.
    • Proactively target good reviews.  These can be on review sites like Checkatrade, Trustpilot or Tripadvisor but preferably, they will be on your Google Business Profile.  Don’t be tempted to get fake reviews as this will negatively affect your search rankings.
    • List your business in online directories both the big national ones such as Yell, but also in industry specific and geographically specific directories such as Chambers of Commerce, the local Rotary Club etc
    • Have and use social media, the more the better.
    • Write a regular blog. 
    • These can be case studies, company or industry news, or thought leadership articles.  Share these posts on your social media channels

  • How much does SEO cost

    The cost of a search engine optimisation service can be from a couple of hundred pounds to several thousand pounds per month.


  • How long does SEO take

    SEO is an on-going process that does not have a definitive answer in terms of time. It can take weeks, months, or even years to see results from SEO efforts, and the time frame will vary depending on the competitiveness of your industry, the quality of your SEO strategy, and other factors.


    However we  generally expect to see  progress from about 3 to 6 months

  • Why should I bother with SEO

    There are many reasons to bother with SEO. First, it can help you get more traffic to your website. Second, it can help you get better search engine rankings, which can lead to more traffic and more customers. Finally, SEO can help you improve the quality of your website, which can lead to more customers and more sales.

  • How do I choose a good SEO agency

    There is no one definitive answer to this question. However, here are some factors to consider when choosing an SEO agency:


    • Do your research and ask for referrals. Check out an agency's website and see if they have any positive reviews.
    • Make sure the agency has a good understanding of your business and your goals. You should feel confident that they can help you achieve your desired results.
    • Get a proposal from the agency outlining their recommended approach and timeline. This will help you gauge whether their methods are feasible and realistic.
    • Be sure to ask questions and get clarification on anything you don't understand. You want to make sure you are comfortable with the agency before moving forward.
  • What's the difference betwee SEO and Local SEO

    SEO is short form for “Search engine optimization”. It is a long-term marketing strategy employed in order to improve a websites visibility and organic search results in google and other global search engines.


    Local SEO on the other hand is a sub-set of SEO that is focused on optimizing a website to be more visible for searches with geo-modifiers (like “SEO agency in Bournemouth”).

  • Do I need a local SEO Agency

    Whether or not you need a local SEO agency depends on your specific business needs. Local SEO is an important aspect of digital marketing that businesses can use to increase their visibility in local searches. SEO agencies can help businesses optimise their website for local search engine rankings, manage local directory listings, and ensure their website is properly optimized for local search results. 


    However, some businesses may be able to successfully optimise their website for local search results with the help of available tutorials and resources. Ultimately, you should make the decision to utilise a local SEO agency based on your knowledge and understanding of the services they offer and the resources needed for successful local search optimization.


    Please visit our Local SEO page For more information 

  • Is it better to use an SEO agency with local knowledge

    Yes, it is better to use an SEO agency with local knowledge. Local knowledge can be beneficial in many ways. A local SEO agency can help you understand the local market, the demographics, and the competition. They can use this information to create a more targeted strategy based on the local area, which can help you reach a more relevant audience and create more effective campaigns. 


    Furthermore, they can provide insights into local trends and can help you adjust your strategy accordingly. Local SEO agencies are also likely to be more familiar with the local search engines, and can ensure that your campaigns are optimised for the local market and reach the desired results.

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