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Expanding your reach and establishing a local presence is essential for freelancers who are constantly looking to attract new clients and grow their business. While word-of-mouth referrals have traditionally been the primary source of new business for freelancers, the rise of digital platforms has opened up new opportunities to connect with potential clients in your area.
As more and more people turn to online searches to find local service providers, having a good digital presence and visibility in local search results has become extremely valuable. By optimizing online resources for search and discovery, freelancers can now promote their services to new clients in a specific region or further afield. This allows you to move beyond just tapping into your immediate network and expand the avenues through which potential customers can find you.
Here, we will cover some of the best tips that freelancers should use to improve their online presence and introduce their services to the right audiences who are actively looking for them. Whether it’s modifying your website for local SEO, building online citations, or engaging on social media, consistently applying these strategies will gradually increase your visibility. When done right, a strong online presence can take your freelance business to the next level by attracting a steady stream of new customers to your market.
Optimize your website for local search
Having a website optimized for local search should be a top priority for freelancers looking to be discovered by potential clients in their area. When people search for specific services as well as location, you want your business to be among the top results. For example, clients looking for a real estate agent will likely look to local agencies who will better understand the surrounding area, so having a solid local SEO strategy in place will ensure they appear for these searches.
Start by using keywords and phrases that include your service offering and your city or region in your site content, for example “social media marketing Brighton” or “graphic designer Manchester”. Research keyword demand and competition to find the terms people are searching for locally.
Make sure your full business name, correct address, and phone number are easy to find on your website. This helps search engines understand your location and serves local SEO. If possible, you should also have a separate contact page with your local contact details clearly highlighted. You also need to make sure your website is listed on Google Business Profile. This will display your business information prominently in search results for location-based queries.
Leveraging Keywords
One of the most effective SEO strategies is to optimize your content using targeted keywords. These include keywords that incorporate the name of a city, region or neighborhood to search in a specific geographic area. For example, “social media marketing Edinburgh”, “photographer Birmingham” or “plumber Liverpool” are all geo-targeted keywords. To find these types of keywords to target, you need to conduct location-based keyword research. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or Ahrefs to search for keyword ideas that include your region.
Look for keywords that have high search volume in your industry and are highly relevant to your services. Keywords should also match the topics, services, and products you’re creating content around. Identifying and naturally using these types of keywords in your website content and metadata helps attract more traffic from interested viewers. Targeted phrase optimization shows search engines that you are trying to rank queries in a specific field or industry. This will increase your visibility and clicks from searchers looking for your type of freelance services.
Create links and citations
Getting high-quality backlinks and earned media mentions from relevant websites and directories is invaluable for expanding your reach and overall online presence. This helps establish your brand’s authority in your industry. There are many reputable directories and online platforms where you should create and optimize profiles: completing your listings consistently on these sites demonstrates the importance of your brand in the field.
In addition to directories, look for opportunities to get links and mentions from popular sites and publications in your niche. See if you can write expert articles or be interviewed to share your perspective. This allows you to showcase your brand organically on authoritative domains, and getting these high-quality backlinks and mentions signals to search engines that your brand is an authority worth ranking for.
The key is to get authoritative, trustworthy links and mentions that expand your brand’s visibility and build trust in your industry. This expands your audience and generates web traffic from searches for your services nationally or even globally, not just in your local area. It also helps build online authority, which is important for improving rankings. Google favors authoritative sources and having links to your site and references to your name or brand can go a long way in improving your rankings.
Start your podcast (or be a guest!)
We’re currently living in the age of podcasts and that’s great news for freelancers and solopreneurs. As a freelancer, creating your own podcast or getting appearances on other shows can be an extremely effective way to expand your reach. Podcasts create an intimate, personal connection with listeners. Hearing your voice and perspectives each week allows you to showcase your expertise and personality. This builds familiarity and trust with an engaged audience.
Consider starting your own podcast focused on a topic related to your freelance services. For example, a freelance designer could start a podcast about graphic design trends. A writer could create a show featuring interviews with other notable authors in their genre. Even starting with a simple Q&A format or sharing your origin story, listeners get to know you as more than just a service provider. Deliver episodes consistently and promote your podcast across all your platforms.
You can also look for guest appearances on established podcasts in your niche. Check podcast rankings to find popular shows your audience listens to, then contact hosts to feature yourself as an expert guest. A podcast interview allows you to showcase your skills and perspective in front of the show’s existing fan base.
Whether you’re starting your own podcast or simply guesting on other people’s shows, adopting audio formats greatly expands your local reach. The audience feels like they’re having a conversation with you, not just reading a social media post. Just be sure to incorporate mentions of your brand and services into the podcast content as well.
Get involved on social media
Actively engaging on social media is a key way for freelancers to expand their reach and connect with potential clients, both locally and further afield. Be sure to establish your presence on relevant Facebook groups, Instagram, LinkedIn and other popular platforms in your industry or specialty.
But it is not enough to join these platforms. You need to be active and consistent with your posting schedule to build trust and a strong reputation. You want your followers to know what they can expect from you and to be confident that they will get an answer if they ask a question or post a comment.
Leverage targeted hashtags to engage an audience already interested in your field, area of expertise, or services. For example, using hashtags like #LondonPhotographer or #graphicdesign reaches users interested in what you have to offer, so you can be sure you’re interacting with the right users.
You can also partner with local influencers and brands on co-marketing campaigns. By sparking conversations on relevant topics and becoming a trusted member of your industry’s social media community, you will gradually increase your visibility and encourage customer referrals.
Advertise on the right platforms
Running ads on popular platforms in your area is an effective way to introduce your services to a local audience who is actively searching for them. For example, you can launch Google Ads campaigns targeted to your city or region. Use geo exclusions to show your ads only to users in your geographic market and target keywords and demographics relevant to potential customers.
Facebook ads also offer great geotargeting options. You can target your ads to specific cities or regions and exclude other locations. Create ads optimized for local audiences and drive traffic to landing pages tailored to their needs. Paying to promote your services on popular local platforms means you can proactively introduce your business to the right regional audience. This extends your visibility beyond just organic search.
Expanding your online reach as a freelancer is crucial to continually attracting new clients and growing your business. While word-of-mouth referrals remain important, you need a strong digital presence and visibility in your local market to thrive. The key is to consistently apply these local SEO best practices over time. Commit to improving your local SEO, by regularly producing geo-targeted content and running long-term local ads. Achieving greater local visibility and authority requires ongoing effort, but it’s worth it to tap into new customer demand in your area.
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