Let’s say you’ve had your business for over 10 years now. You are a well-established brand in your community, a meeting place that everybody knows and others look up to.
Suddenly you notice the competition creeping in. Somebody in your industry is opening a shop nearby, and you are feeling threatened.
It’s human nature to feel this way.
What is your competitive edge?
This is what sets you apart from the competition. Your brand is unique because ___________________. Your store offers this, that and the other thing.
It is general curiosity for people to want to branch out and explore the competition, size them up, see if their offerings and prices are much different from your own.
Think about what your competitive edge and build upon it.
SEO Cleanup
So in a nutshell, SEO is HOW you are FOUND on Google (and other search engines). Recent data shows that almost 90% of all web traffic comes from Google. “Hey Google,” “Okay, Google,” “Google it.” The Oxford English Dictionary now categorizes “Google” as a verb; it’s what you do.
Learn more about SEO.
What comes up when people Google your business?
Are your Title Tags set up correctly? How does your Meta Description appear? How can you tell if Google is “red flagging” your business? Is your business name similar in nature to another business that may be receiving all of the web traffic in Google searches?
Use this time (before the competition opens) to review this information and be sure that you are fully updated online and on the top SEO/review websites that generate traffic to your brand.
Be sure to update things such as your phone number, web address, hours (many store hours have changed due to COVID-19 restrictions). Is your logo displayed prominently? Have you replied to the positive and the negative reviews left behind? Did you adjust your keywords on Google My Business? Perhaps you need to add “gourmet” before your keyword “chocolate.”
When my wife and I travel, we Google things such as “events near me,” or “grocery store near me.” Your keywords and business categories is where this draws from!
This is your time to come out on top!
Competition is healthy.
And do not worry – if you build it, they will come.