Monthly SEO Strategy for Small Businesses
From our offices in Portland & Sisters, Oregon, we’ll work closely with you or your team each month to continually move the needle in the direction of success. We’ll have “Marketing Strategy” calls – over the phone or on a video call where we discuss strategy, review stats & insights, and prioritize the best next steps for your business.
Yes, on these calls we can implement things. We can log in to your website, dig into keyword research, update content, or do competitive research online. We’ll discover & implement SEO strategies in real time. And of course many of our clients come from beyond Portland and Oregon.
Together, we’ll discover opportunities and move forward at your pace!
Along the way, you’ll receive expert Local SEO advice on all aspects of online marketing and advertising. Coaching & consulting is a big part of what we do. You’ll quickly have a greater understanding of “WHY” SEO works and what’s behind the rankings of your website and your business. You’ll understand “WHY” you rank well or not – and what we each need to do about it.
We’ll meet you where you are at!
We don’t offer any long-term contracts. It’s just month-to-month. If you are in a hurry and want to meet 2x per month? No problem. Are you out of time and need us to create additional specialty content pages for your website? If you get a negative review on Google or Yelp, we’ll know about it – and can help you craft a response! If you need a new website or if your old one crashes – we’ll be on top of the best strategy for your business moving forward.
LOCAL SEO
When you search for a local business on Google, a map appears on the top of the page with 3 business listings - That's called the "Local Pack" and that's where you want to be. Getting your business to rank well on that map (Google Maps) is called Local Search Optimization.
MULTI-UNIT SEO
Does your businesses or franchise operate more than one location? If so you'll have unique Local SEO needs and opportunities for optimizing those locations. This can be tricky to manage and when done correctly the results can be amazing. We're experts at Multi-unit SEO.
WEBSITE SEO
Does Google know precisely where to rank your website? Google ranks "individual web pages" so we turn your "brochure website" into a powerful set of pages that attract new customers to your business. We work mostly with Wordpress & Wix websites and work closely with website designers & developers you can trust.
Best Practice Local SEO Strategy
Here are a few things we tell our clients every day:
- Google is evolving so rapidly and they are always trying to stay one step ahead of the spammers. So what they can learn & understand about your business is now mind-boggling. Your Local SEO expert must be staying current with this evolution and know what is paramount for your businesses top rankings.
- "Location Signals" and "Recency Signals" are important now more than ever. Google knows how many people are literally inside your store - right now. The pandemic had mixed affects on various businesses worldwide. Many business owners did not keep their Google business listings updated. Has someone reviewed your business recently? That's a good signal that you are still in business!
- Google is constantly looking for positive signals about your business and will only rank the businesses at the top that they trust 100%! Recent business listing updates, new reviews, fresh website content are all positive ranking factors. Conflicting business info is one sure way to lose trust. An out-dated website does not help either.
- One of the primary jobs of your website is to SPOON FEED Google with exactly what you do - and precisely where you do it. It's not just a brochure or a pretty design. Your website also must have effective calls-to-action to encourage folks to take the action you want - is that a phone call or a form filled out? One should never assume that your customers know what to do. Your website needs to lead people to take that action.
- Local SEO Best Practices include things like responding to all new reviews, responding to messages on Google and Yelp and of course your website. Getting help with combating spammy business listings (WE DO THIS), having current professional photos of your business online, keeping current with Google Posts, Products & Services. The days of set-it-and-forget-it are over.
- It's important for your Local SEO professional to be familiar with the city and surrounding areas of your business. Not all cities are alike. Portland, Oregon is unique and has unique cultural & weather nuances and many people in Portland search for businesses in unique ways. The same is true for Sisters, Oregon. It's not just any small rural town! Sisters has tens of thousands of potential customers driving through on the way to other places - sitting in their cars on their phones. The good news is that we understand how important location uniqueness is!
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly will my website rank on page 1?
This is a valid question full of pitfalls. And we hear it a lot! It's complex so let's break it down into two parts:
How long does Local SEO take to work? Time is a component with any search engine optimization effort. We make an edit to a page, then Google has to find it, crawl it, trust it, and index it. The same is true for new links from other websites pointing to your pages. While Google updates happen quicker than it used to be, time and trust are still factors. Generally we see improvements within 30-90 days. Google also wants you to buy their advertising products so new new websites have to overcome an unofficial new-website negative ranking factor - And that's a real thing. It's complex.
Ranking on Page 1 - Of course this is where everyone wants to be and this is not up to us. It's up to Google where your pages are ranked. If you ever get pitched a page 1 SEO guarantee from another Local SEO agency you should simply RUN in the other direction. The truth is, rankings are in a dynamic state of continual flux. Page 1 rankings are wonderful, but we're focused on increasing your customers and revenue regardless of where your site ranks. We track your rankings and can shift focus to keywords/pages/topics that matter most to boost your ability to capture new leads.
How long does this Local SEO subscription last?
All Local SEO subscription packages are month-to-month, paid in advance. As long as we're still providing value, you may wish to continue for a long time. We'll complete our tasks in the calendar month paid for - some months will see more effort than others depending on your needs. (We don't have long-term contracts). You can switch your subscription level any month, pause or cancel at any time. Add-on services will have clear task-items for us to complete within 30 days. If you are dissatisfied at any step along the way, we expect that you'll let us know - and we'll resolve it. We're actual caring professionals who sincerely care about your business.
Website design projects are not included in the subscription packages and will have a separate services agreement.
How much does Website SEO Cost?
There's always more SEO that could be done. So if your goals, timing, & budget allow for a deeper SEO effort, we'll create a plan that will focus on the best next steps to optimize your website. We offer Add-On SEO projects usually in the $1,000 - $2,000 range which are added on to the next month's subscription. Whether it's foundational or Advanced SEO, we're confident we can complete SEO projects of this size within 30-40 days.
Do you build websites?
Actually, Yes! If you don’t have a website or need to upgrade the one you’ve got, our content development team has got you covered. If you contacted us for Local SEO but you honestly need a new website, we'll let you know. Old out-dated websites can be challenging to update and manage - and likely will struggle to rank as well as a new website. Search behavior is changing online! Your online appearance matters and also your site usability - on desktop & mobile matters for SEO. Our designers build websites on Wordpress & Wix primarily.
About Bighorn Local SEO
We offer proven & affordable ongoing Local SEO packages for small businesses in Portland, Oregon and beyond. We co-create a powerful online presence for your business so you can attract new customers and leads for years to come. We work closely with you each month to seize the next opportunity and take the next step towards better rankings and visibility. Our unique Local SEO process has helped numerous local businesses all over North America grow their business. From our offices in Portland and Sisters, Oregon we provide SEO services for local businesses and national brands, retailers and chains with multiple locations. We also build great websites, offer great website maintenance and can steer you in the right direction for online advertising, social media strategy. You can follow our blog for local business tips and if you are interested, reach out to our clients and ask them what it's like working with us. You can also visit our comprehensive nationwide list of Local SEO clients.
Are You Looking to Grow Your Business?
From Sisters & Portland, Oregon, Bighorn Local SEO works with small business clients nationwide by offering affordable monthly Local SEO packages.
Expert Local SEO strategy for brand development & locations - Methodical SEO task implementation - Expert guidance for local business owners.
Bighorn is a great way to build your online business! Jeffrey is a wonderful guy who is great to work with and an expert in google local.
We have been extremely happy with Bighorn Local SEO. Jeffrey has helped us redesign our website and pin point where our focus should be. We know we are working in the right direction with Jeffrey. We look forward to our future with Bighorn local SEO!
Jeffrey at Bighorn Local SEO is great to work with. He's been very professional and patient as he explains the ins and outs of search engine optimization (SEO) and has given us great advice thus far. He understands what needs to be done to build our online presence and help us attract new clients. We look forward to working with him in the future!
"I recently spent some time working with Jeffrey on everything “SEO” on my Google and Yelp listings as well as my business website. He was very clear and easy to follow/understand with his guidance and directions on the suggested revisions. His ability to explain why he was suggesting each change really helped me in understanding on a much clearer level how SEO works to leverage my company and its rankings."
"Jeffrey has helped my business get found online! My views on google searches have really skyrocketed since he and I have started working together. I just needed someone to walk me through the parts I couldn't do on my own. That was Jeffrey at Bighorn. He has been a great help in finally optimizing my website from being lost in the world wide web to discoverable."
"Jeffrey with Bighorn Local was incredibly helpful! Before our meeting yesterday, I basically knew nothing about SEO. He graciously started out with a bird's-eye view of how to even start thinking with a SEO mindset and then went into some key suggestions that are certain to make a world of a difference for our website ranking."