At New North, as an inbound digital marketing agency based in Frederick, Maryland, we’ve seen our fair share of SEO campaigns. We’ve worked on national SEO campaigns, we’ve focused on local Frederick companies for Maryland SEO, and we’ve targeted Google Places SEO results.
We’ve seen clients get lost in the shuffle of irrelevant keywords and drift in the depths of search results, but we’ve also seen companies rise to the top first page spots for the terms that matter most to them.
Here’s what you need to know: you can win at SEO. In fact, you should be practicing SEO, because it will bring customers to your business.
So, be encouraged. With that in mind, here are our three insights as a Maryland SEO company.
Local, Maryland SEO is the key to winning in search
For most Maryland businesses, here’s the truth: national SEO is not worth focusing on.
The only times to focus on national SEO are when you’re serving a very specific niche, or when you’re one of the top two or three players in your industry. For these businesses, focusing on national SEO makes sense, because they’re serving customers nationally, and they have the capability of winning for relevant, national search terms.
For most businesses, though, that’s not the case. And for everyone else, local Maryland SEO makes a lot more sense. With Maryland search engine optimization, your pool of competition goes from the whole world to your backyard.
Essentially, by focusing on Maryland SEO, you become a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
Not only do you have a better chance at ranking on the first page of Google and other search engines if you finish on local keywords, but you also are more likely to reach relevant customers. Most Maryland businesses serve Maryland customers. So, ranking high for Maryland keywords means that the people who are finding you are right in your backyard, ready to do business.
Long tail keywords are better
Speaking of keyword relevancy, keep this in mind, too: long tail keywords are better. The rationale is pretty similar to the rationale for focusing on Maryland search engine optimization – you’re shrinking your pool or competition and reaching more relevant customers
Think about it. Would a barbershop in Rockville, Maryland, have a better chance of ranking for “haircut,” or for “affordable haircut in Rockville, Maryland?” And which term do you think is more likely to be searched by someone who would end up becoming a customer?
Long tail keywords are the way to go.
Have a blog
Finally, one more thing to keep in mind as you begin your Maryland SEO journey: if you haven’t already, now’s the time to start a blog.
There are a ton of reasons to do this. For one, a blog is a great platform to tell your business’s story. It’s a way to connect with customers using a genuine voice to offer your unique insight into the industry.
Secondly, for SEO purposes, blogs are pure gold. Not only do they provide a ton of new pages for Google to index, which helps your search rankings in and of itself, but they also give you the ability to target a breadth of SEO keywords. We recommend listing out all of your long tail keyword ideas, and creating a blog post to target each one.
Not sure if you’ll be able to find the time to write? Look into hiring a company for content creation. After working with a professional blog writer on several posts, they’ll be able to nail the style and content that you’re looking for, and they’ll also be able to write in a way that optimizes your SEO value.
It’s true pretty much across the board: the Maryland businesses that have blogs have better Maryland SEO results. Don’t miss out.
Next Steps for Great Maryland SEO
Are you ready to rank for the terms that matter to your business? Start focusing on Maryland SEO today by getting in touch with us at New North. We help clients get the first page rankings that matter to them, and we guarantee results.
