Marketing your franchise locally can be difficult. Leveraging the right digital marketing strategies can make a world of difference.
Search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) increase your visibility, strengthen your brand, and positively impact your revenue.
Local SEO for Franchises
There are numerous local SEO challenges for franchises. You must have consistent information, you need to manage multiple listings, and figure out a keyword strategy. However, when done well, a local SEO strategy gets you in front of the right customers.
Optimize your franchise website content and local listings for targeted keywords. Keywords matter. A keyword strategy to build local SEO for franchises is essential. Tailor your website content to include specific, localized keywords. Add city names, neighborhood references, and well-known local phrases to your franchise website. Make certain your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online platforms.
Build high-quality backlinks to local franchisee websites. Network with local businesses, bloggers, and other reputable local websites to acquire website backlinks. Sponsor local events or write guest posts for local blogs to earn backlinks. These will boost your local search rankings and enhance your site’s authority.
Manage Google My Business listings and other local directories. Double-check that your GMB listing contains accurate business information and regular updates. Encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. It’s also a good best practice to add listings on other local directories like Yelp to widen your reach.
PPC Advertising Strategies for Local Franchises
Want to drive traffic to the franchise website? PPC can do it!
Set up targeted PPC campaigns on Google Ads to reach local customers. Geo-target your ads to reach potential customers close to your franchise’s location. Only showing your ad to people within a certain radius ensures your budget isn’t blown on people outside your zone of service clicking on your ad.
Do keyword research for local PPC. Identify terms and phrases your local customers will likely use when they search for your products or services. Implement phrases like “near me,” city names, and neighborhood names into your keyword strategy. Google Keyword Planner can help you find high-performing local keywords. Continuously refine this strategy to keep improving your ads’ performance.
Craft compelling ad copy and landing pages for optimal conversion rates. Now you have to build a killer ad. Craft ad copy that highlights local relevance. Mention your city or neighborhood. Include a strong call to action. From there, optimize your landing pages for conversions with concise information, relevant local content, and an easy-to-navigate layout. Be sure you've built a seamless user experience from ad click to conversion.
Measuring Success with Local Marketing Analytics
You can’t just set-and-forget your local franchise marketing strategy and get the best results.
Employ key metrics and KPIs to track the effectiveness of PPC and local SEO for franchise campaigns. Monitor data like local search rankings, website traffic, click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per acquisition (CPA). For local SEO, focus on metrics like organic traffic from local searches, local keyword rankings, and the number of local backlinks. For PPC campaigns, track metrics like ad impressions, CTR, quality score, and conversion rates from local traffic.
Use analytics tools to understand customer behavior and optimize strategies. Take advantage of analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and PPC platform analytics to gather detailed data about customer interactions with your website and ads. These tools help you understand user behavior, identify trends, uncover issues, and optimize your strategy.
Report on local marketing campaign results. Create comprehensive reports summarizing your local SEO and PPC campaign's performance. Share these reports with stakeholders to demonstrate the impact of your marketing efforts and to guide future strategy adjustments.
Local Content Marketing Strategies
Content is key. Creating and widely sharing locally-focused content helps franchises build engagement and foster loyalty.
Develop engaging content that resonates with local communities. Build your content around your local audience’s interests and needs. For example, write blog posts about community events, and local news. Highlight local customers or employees. Don’t forget to use local keywords to improve search visibility and ensure your content feels personal to local readers.
Participate in local events or sign up to be a sponsor to build brand awareness. Exhibit at local fairs, charity events, and sports activities, or collaborate with local schools and organizations. Involving your franchise in the community boosts brand awareness and strengthens your franchise’s reputation as a positive business citizen.
Use social media marketing for targeted local customer outreach. Share updates about local events, special promotions, and community involvement across your social media channels. Encourage local engagement through interactive content like polls, contests, and user-generated content campaigns.
Integrating Local Marketing with National Branding
Franchises should always keep their national branding top-of-mind to maintain a cohesive brand image while effectively engaging with local audiences.
Mix the local marketing message with brand consistency. Your franchise's local marketing efforts must adhere to the national brand’s guidelines. Use logos, colors, and overall messaging to maintain a consistent brand image. At the same time, tailor messages to reflect the local culture. This approach creates a unified brand identity AND appeals to local customers.
Access cooperative marketing campaigns. Joint marketing efforts can leverage local insights and national brand strength, creating more effective campaigns. Franchisor-provided cooperative marketing resources can support local initiatives and help maximize performance.
Leverage national brand resources to support local marketing efforts. Use the national brand’s marketing collateral, digital tools, and advertising budgets to enhance local marketing efforts. Franchises can revise national campaigns to suit local markets and maximize their marketing effectiveness and reach.
While local SEO challenges for franchises exist, building a thoughtful strategy can help you get around the obstacles. Implement local SEO and PPC into your local franchise marketing to gain visibility, strengthen your brand, and increase your local customer base.
