Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 5, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 29 ADVICE & OPINION BY JULIA BECKER COLLINS Special to WBJ S mall and mid-sized business- es no longer just compete with the company down the street. Today, they compete with national franchises entering local markets and online companies delivering products and services na- tionwide. at makes visibility more important than ever — and a strong advantage local businesses retain is local SEO. I had a client who wanted to go all-in on ads; however, a quick search showed no one knew their business online. So, while we ran ads, we also shored up their online presence with a new website, blogs, and keeping them active on social media and reputation sites like Yelp. While the ads were a quick fix, that other work brought in the best leads. Why did this work? When custom- ers search online, they increasingly use terms like "near me," city names, counties or regional phrases. If your marketing does not include those lo- cal signals, you are leaving money on the table and competing on a national level instead of leveraging your local presence. One of the biggest mistakes busi- nesses make is treating their website like a static brochure. Your website should clearly communicate where you operate and why you are con- nected to the community. at means more than adding an address to the footer. Businesses should expand their "About" pages, identify leadership, highlight sponsorships or charita- ble work, and naturally incorporate location-based keywords throughout website copy and metadata. Content creation also plays a major role. Publishing blogs or articles tied to local industries, events, or customer concerns creates more opportunities to appear in searches. As generative AI and search engines increasingly draw on online content to answer questions directly, business- es with strong, localized content are more likely to surface in both tradi- tional search results and AI-generated responses. Your online presence extends beyond your website. A prop- erly optimized Google Business Profile is critical for local visibility, especially on mobile searches. Busi- nesses should ensure profiles include accurate hours, categories, services, photos, and contact information. An outdated profile hurts both rankings and credibility. Social media matters as well. Active, professional social platforms reinforce legitimacy and help search engines verify your business is current and engaged. Businesses should focus on useful, locally relevant content rather than simply posting to stay active. Reputation management is another opportunity for local businesses to outperform larger competitors. Na- tional brands oen struggle with in- consistent customer experiences and poor online reviews. Local companies can stand out by actively monitoring and responding to reviews on plat- forms like Google and Yelp. Strong re- views improve trust while also helping boost local search rankings. Businesses should also claim list- ings on relevant directories, industry platforms, and local organizations, such as chambers of commerce. Public relations can also support local SEO. Hosting events, sponsoring local causes, contributing thought leadership articles, or tying charita- ble initiatives to media outreach can all generate local press coverage and backlinks. ose mentions help search engines recognize your business as a trusted community member. e businesses succeeding online are not always the largest. Oen, they do the best job of telling search engines and customers who they are, where they are, and why they matter locally. If your business is not actively opti- mizing for local search, you are giving up your home field advantage. Julia Becker Collins is the chief operating officer at Vision, a digital marketing agency in Northborough. Small businesses need to leverage home field advantage with SEO Julia Becker Collins KNOW HOW W Congratulations to the Class of 2026! wbjournal.com/ event/40-under-forty/ Special thanks to all of our event sponsors and everyone who joined us for a night of celebration and networking! Additional event photos: CORPORATE SPONSOR A 100% EMPLOYEE OWNED COMPANY PRESENTING SPONSOR PHOTO: PHIL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

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