05 Aug 2019
According to Hubspot, 97% of internet users in the United States have searched for a local business on search engines. During these searches, a staggering 95% of search engine traffic takes place on the first page of results, meaning that the further your facility drops in the results, the less likely it is to be seen. This week, we talked to our search marketing team to help bring clarity to the issues our clients care most about in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is an acronym for search engine optimization, which is the process of optimizing your website so that you obtain traffic from search engine results pages. Now, at this stage, I’m sure you’re thinking how this complex term is able to assist in the growth of your business and revenue. Read on to find out.
You have likely seen the box highlighting your company on the side of the page of a Google Search Engine Result page - much of the facility information shown here is pulled from Google My Business. It is easily one of the best things you can do for your facility’s online presence. An account allows you to add photos, business information, and respond to reviews. In addition, businesses can chat with potential customers, receive calls, and receive website traffic.
If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, start developing one immediately. 70% of all website traffic in the U.S. is mobile, according to Blue Corona, so not having a mobile website makes it more difficult for customers to connect with your facility. Google ranks websites that are accessible on all devices higher than ones that are not, so by having an SEO optimized, mobile-friendly website, you can increase your overall Google rankings.
Once you begin to work on improving your rankings, you will naturally be excited to see the results and watch your facility climb on Google, Bing and other search engines. SEO, unlike PPC or other paid advertising campaigns, might not show instant results, but over time and with consistent effort, your facility should begin to rank high in search engine results pages. It’s important to note that SEO has many variables and rankings may fluctuate over time, so the goal is to stay up to date on the latest trends so your facility doesn’t fall behind.
Our clients talked, and we listened. We’ve gone over these SEO basics in the past, but having a solid understanding of them will help you comfortably improve your rankings.
Getting started can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. According to Wordstream, 72% of potential customers who perform a local search choose a store within 5 miles of them. When selecting an SEO team, choose one with proven results about how their services have helped other facilities. The self storage industry is lucky to have companies (such as The Storage Group) that specialize in improving facility rankings. Stop searching for tenants - let them search for you.
