Hi everyone, Ted Yeatts back with you here from Local Content Marketing in Tampa, Florida. We’ve established that a podcast is a powerful way to build intimacy and trust with your local audience. But here’s the often-missed secret: that audio content is one of the best tools you have to make Google absolutely love your website. By strategically leveraging your podcast, you can significantly boost your organic search rankings. The key to making Google love your podcast lies in a simple process: turning that great audio content into even better text content on your website. Google’s crawlers are designed to read, and the more authoritative, relevant, and fresh text you provide, the higher your website will climb. The first and most critical step is publishing full, accurate episode transcripts on your website. After you record and produce an episode, have it transcribed completely. Each transcription should be posted on a dedicated page on your website, serving as the official show notes for that episode. This provides search engines with a huge chunk of unique, keyword-rich content. When you discuss local issues, services, or landmarks in Tampa during your podcast, those keywords become permanently indexed text on your site. This is a massive boost to your local SEO because it confirms your relevance to Tampa-based searches. Beyond the full transcript, you should be using your podcast content to create targeted blog posts. If you have a short podcast, an edit version of the transcript could serve that purpose. But, if you have a longer podcast, then your conversation probably covered several topics. Take two or three key segments from your episode and turn those into standalone, refined blog posts. This allows you to focus each piece of content on a specific local search term. You are essentially tripling your content output and targeting multiple keywords from a single hour of recording time, giving Google more reasons to send users to your site. Another way your podcast helps Google is by naturally driving more traffic and engagement. When listeners go to your website to find the show notes, or perhaps to find the resource you mentioned on the episode, they increase your time on site and decrease your bounce rate. These engagement metrics are crucial signals to Google that your website provides a good user experience and contains valuable content. By consistently producing engaging audio, you are training your audience to visit your website, which Google recognizes as a vote of confidence. Furthermore, a podcast naturally assists with building high-quality backlinks. If you interview a local leader, another Tampa business owner, or a community expert, they are highly likely to link to the episode page on your website when they promote their appearance. These local backlinks are gold for your authority and ranking power. They tell Google that established sources in the Tampa community trust and endorse your website. Finally, your podcast content provides essential material for your Google Business Profile posts. You can use short summaries of new episodes, relevant quotes, and images from your recording session to post timely updates directly to your profile. This continuous activity across both your main website and your most important local asset signals to Google that your business is highly active and authoritative, ensuring you rank better in both map results and organic search. By viewing your podcast not just as an audio channel but as a powerful engine for generating searchable, high-value text content, you turn a single creative effort into a multi-channel SEO strategy. That’s how you leverage your microphone to make Google love your website. Until next time, this is Ted Yeatts reminding you that local content builds trust, and trust builds business.

Hi everyone, Ted Yeatts back with you here from Local Content Marketing in Tampa, Florida. We’ve established that consistent, high-quality content is the foundation for building online authority and trust. We know we need to blog, we need to podcast, and we need to engage on our Google Business Profile. But there's a critical question that every local business owner must answer and that’s: How do you translate all that effort and great content into actual, paying customers? The difference between attracting clicks and creating customers lies in a deliberate shift from seeing content as an end goal to viewing it as a sales assistant that guides prospects through a journey. For local businesses in Tampa, this journey has to be hyper-focused and highly actionable. It requires moving people from general awareness to a specific transaction, and it requires starting with a logical progression for your content. We often call that a conversion ladder or a sales funnel. Every piece of content you create should be designed to move the customer one step closer to hiring or buying from you. At the top of the ladder, what we call the awareness stage, you want to create content that is educational and focused on solving a prospect’s problem. This is where your blog posts and podcasts should address broad, common questions that initially bring people to your brand. For a Tampa HVAC company, this is content like "Why Does My AC Keep Freezing Up in Florida?" or "Your Guide to Home Humidity Levels in Tampa." This type of content attracts clicks because it solves a problem, but it shouldn't try to sell anything yet. Its main job is to establish your credibility and earn the initial trust of the searcher. Once we’ve established that initial trust, the middle of the ladder is the consideration stage. Once a prospect trusts your expertise, you need content that helps them evaluate you against competitors. This content should be very specific and should prove your competence. This is where you introduce case studies showing how you fixed a complex problem for a client. Or, you might offer a detailed guide comparing different service options, or a video tour of your facilities that lets them meet your team. For the HVAC company, this is content such as "Comparing the Top 3 AC Brands for Energy Efficiency in Tampa Homes" or "Meet the Team: Our Certified Tampa Technicians." This is the content that builds confidence and narrows the field, making your business the obvious choice. Finally, when the prospect is ready to move, we reach the bottom of the ladder, which is the decision stage. This content is short, direct, and eliminates every possible barrier to a transaction. This includes special offers for first-time customers, clear pricing pages, a detailed FAQ about your warranty, or a prominent, easy-to-use "Request a Free Quote" form. Every single click on this type of content should lead directly to a customer conversion, whether that’s a phone call, a text, or a scheduled appointment. But, that’s not the end of the story. Once you’ve created this great content and guided them along, the biggest failure I see in content marketing is a weak or missing Call to Action. If your content is great but doesn't tell the reader exactly what to do next, you've wasted the opportunity. For local businesses, your Calls to Action must be geographically and contextually relevant. Don't just ask them to "Contact Us." Tell them to "Schedule a Free Roof Inspection for Your South Tampa Home Now!" Specificity increases conversion because it removes doubt about the relevance of the offer. Furthermore, the Call to Action must align with the customer’s stage on the conversion ladder. A problem-solving blog post should prompt the reader to "Download Our Free Checklist" so you can capture their email address, not immediately ask them to buy. Content at the bottom of the ladder, on the other hand, should prompt immediate action like "Call Now for Same-Day Service." One more important note about Calls to Action: embed them everywhere. Don’t just wait until the end of your article, podcast or video. Use unobtrusive banners, in-text links, and integrate them naturally into your text or script to ensure your customers don’t miss the next step. Content marketing is a long-term investment in trust, but to make it pay off, you must treat your content like a well-trained sales team. Each piece must have a purpose, a clear destination, and a compelling instruction for the customer's next step. When you intentionally design your content to guide users from their initial click to a final conversion, you ensure that every minute you spend creating content directly contributes to building your business. Until next time, this is Ted Yeatts reminding you that local content builds trust, and trust builds business.

Hi everyone, Ted Yeatts back with you here from Local Content Marketing in Tampa, Florida. When we talk about building online authority, many local business owners immediately picture themselves churning out weekly blog posts, recording daily videos, and feeling the pressure to be a full-time "content creator." I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to be an “influencer” to establish yourself as the trusted expert in your local market. You can build powerful online authority by simply leveraging the expertise and actions you already demonstrate every day. The secret to building authority without becoming a traditional content creator lies in focusing on proving your expertise rather than just performing on camera. Your service, your certifications, and the validation of your community are more powerful than any trendy post. One of the most effective ways to build authority is through maximizing your Google Business Profile. This is your primary online proof of work. Every single positive customer review you receive is a small but mighty piece of authority content. A five-star rating with a detailed testimonial acts as a powerful third-party endorsement that instantly validates your expertise. Make it your mission to consistently and politely ask satisfied customers for reviews, and ensure you respond to every one. An active profile with hundreds of genuine, positive reviews is an unbeatable authority signal that requires no content creation. All it requires is the great service you already give, and consistently asking your customers. Next, you need to focus on earning strategic, high-quality backlinks. As we've discussed before, backlinks are simply links to your website from other, locally trusted, websites. They act as digital votes of confidence. You don't have to write a Pulitzer Prize-winning article, or create an Oscar-worthy reel to earn them. Instead, focus on community engagement. Sponsor a local charity event in Tampa, partner with another highly-rated local business for a joint promotion, or offer your expertise to a local non-profit. When these reputable organizations link back to your website as a sponsor, partner, or resource, they are transferring their established trust to you. This builds your domain authority with search engines without requiring you to sit down and write a full article every day. You should also leverage your existing expertise through Q&A and what we call “micro-content.” Every question a customer asks you is a piece of authority-building content waiting to happen. Instead of writing a long article, use your Google Business Profile’s Q&A feature to post common questions and your expert answers. You can also create short, simple social media posts, like a quick "Pro-Tip of the Day,” that answers one question clearly. This is highly valuable content that comes directly from your daily work and takes just a minute or two to produce. And, because you are demonstrating your knowledge, instead of just creating entertainment, you are actually building your authority. Finally, ensure your website is structured to highlight your credentials. List all your certifications, awards, local honors, and industry memberships clearly on your website. Use dedicated "About Us" and "Service" pages to detail your team's experience. Every time a customer searches for a qualified professional, these clear signals of expertise will stand out. It’s important to remember that content creation for your small business should not be like a second full-time job. It should simply be documentation of the expertise you already demonstrate as you go about serving your customers. By focusing on your Google Business Profile, local backlinks, and leveraging simple Q&A, your Tampa business will build a powerful online authority that is authentic, trustworthy, and entirely earned. Until next time, this is Ted Yeatts reminding you that local content builds trust, and trust builds business.

Hi everyone, Ted Yeatts back with you here from Local Content Marketing in Tampa, Florida. When we talk about having a podcast for your local business, the goal isn't just about creating one piece of content. Every single episode you produce can be a source of endless content that you can reuse across all your marketing channels. The key to compounding your local reach is repurposing your podcast. By taking the work you’ve already done and breaking it down into new formats, you can get maximum value from your efforts. So, let’s talk about seven ways to repurpose your podcast for more local reach. The first and most powerful way to repurpose your podcast is by creating a full transcript. Turn the audio into text and post it on your website as a blog post. This is a critical step because search engines can’t "listen" to your podcast, but they can read the text. A full transcript provides a wealth of locally relevant keywords and rich content that will significantly boost your local search engine optimization. After the full transcript, you can create multiple blog posts from different segments. That’s the second way you can repurpose your podcast. A full-length podcast episode might have three or four main points. You can take each of those segments and expand on them in a separate blog post. This allows you to target different keywords and provide a deeper dive on specific topics, all sourced from one piece of audio. Third, you can then pull out compelling quotes and key takeaways to create social media posts. A powerful quote from your episode can become a text-based post for Twitter or Facebook. A fourth way to repurpose your podcast is to turn a short, impactful clip into an audiogram—a short video clip with a sound wave and text overlay—for platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube and TikTok. These visual snippets are a great way to grab attention and drive traffic back to the full episode. Fifth, you can leverage your podcast for your email newsletter. Instead of just sending an email with a link to the episode, write a brief summary of the main points and include a call to action to listen to the full show. This provides value to your subscribers while also promoting your latest content. Sixth, you can create downloadable content from your podcast. For example, if your episode was about "Five Ways to Prepare Your Tampa Home for a Hurricane," you could create a simple infographic or a printable checklist based on those five points. This gives you a new piece of content to share and can serve as a lead magnet to grow your email list. The seventh and final way to repurpose your podcast that we’ll discuss today is to use the questions from your episode—or questions you've received from your audience—to build out a Q&A or FAQ page on your website. This is a very effective way to answer common local customer queries, which helps with search visibility and provides immediate value to visitors. By taking these steps, you can turn one podcast episode into a blog post, social media content, email updates, and a variety of other assets. This strategy ensures your message reaches more people in Tampa, appeals to different content preferences, and strengthens your authority across the entire web. Until next time, this is Ted Yeatts reminding you that local content builds trust, and trust builds business.

When we talk about getting found online, there is one place that holds more power than almost any other for a local business, and that’s Google Maps. Customers use it every single day to find businesses just like yours. Many business owners believe they need to pay a pricey agency to get to the top of the Google Maps search results, but I’m here to tell you that’s not true. You can absolutely dominate your local map rankings with consistent effort and a focus on what truly matters.

Hi everyone, Ted Yeatts back with you here from Local Content Marketing in Tampa, Florida. It's a frustrating reality for many small business owners: you put effort into creating content for your website or social media, but it feels like nobody is seeing it. Your business is doing great things in the community, yet online, you remain invisible. Today, I want to talk about five common content mistakes that lead to this exact problem and what you can do to get back on the map. The first major mistake is ignoring local relevance. Your business is in Tampa, but your content could be for anywhere. If your blog posts, podcasts and videos are too generic; and they fail to mention local issues, landmarks, or events, search engines will have a harder time connecting you with the local people who are searching for your services. Your content needs to be about and for your community. It should address the specific needs and interests of customers in Tampa, using local keywords and topics to build a powerful local connection. Another major mistake is being inconsistent. This is a pretty common problem. You might start a blog or a podcast with a burst of energy, publish a few pieces, and then stop for months. This sporadic effort doesn't build momentum or trust. Consistency is key because it signals to search engines that your website is active and a reliable source of fresh information. It also trains your audience to expect new content from you, which keeps your business top-of-mind. A steady stream of content, even if it's a short weekly update, is far more effective than an occasional flood of articles. A third mistake is creating low-quality, or "thin", content. This is content that offers no real value. It might be a short blog post that barely scratches the surface of a topic or an article that is simply a sales pitch in disguise. It might also be things like memes or shallow trends. Content needs to be genuinely helpful, insightful, and comprehensive to earn a reader’s attention and a search engine’s trust. Content that merely skims a topic or isn’t really connected to what you do at all, is a wasted opportunity. It will not rank well and it will fail to build the authority necessary to be seen as an expert. Next, a common error is focusing on yourself, not your target audience. Many businesses make the mistake of creating content that is all about them, their products, or their latest achievements. While that has a place, it should not be the main focus of your content marketing. Your content should answer your customers’ questions, solve their problems, and provide information that benefits them directly. It should speak to what they want. When your content is a resource for your community, it organically earns trust and brings people to your business. Finally, a huge mistake is neglecting your Google Business Profile. You might be spending time on social media content, but the two most important places to post are your own website and your Google Business Profile. An inactive Google Business Profile with no recent photos, posts, or responses to Q&A can hurt your visibility. Google prioritizes businesses that are actively engaged on its own platform. Regularly posting updates and photos to your profile is a simple, free way to signal to Google that your business deserves a top spot in local search results. By avoiding these five mistakes and focusing on creating consistent, high-quality, and locally relevant content that serves your audience, you can make your Tampa business visible and trusted online. Until next time, this is Ted Yeatts reminding you that local content builds trust, and trust builds business.

When we talk about building a memorable brand, we often focus on things like logos, taglines, or social media presence. But there is one element that can cut through the noise and embed your business in the minds of your customers faster than anything else, and it might surprise you. A custom jingle. A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising. You've heard countless ones over your lifetime, from national brands to local businesses. That catchy tune and simple melody can get stuck in your head and, in an instant, recall your business and what it does. In our digital-first world, a jingle might seem old-fashioned, but its power for creating instant memorability is timeless. A custom jingle is a highly effective, low-cost investment that can pay dividends for years to come. It’s a tool that works on an emotional level, creating a powerful link between a simple tune and your business. And, in today’s world, you can even use A.I. to create your jingle for you. A.I. has made harnessing the power of music for your brand easily affordable for every business.

We've talked a lot about the importance of consistent, high-quality content for building trust and getting found online. But, I hear a common refrain from a lot of small business owners, and that’s some version of: "That all sounds great, Ted, but I'm not a writer! I don't have the time or the skills to be a content creator." Well, I'm here to tell you that there's a powerful tool now available that can be your secret weapon for killer content, even if you’re not a writer and that’s artificial intelligence. Ultimately, AI removes the barriers that have prevented many local businesses from leveraging content marketing effectively for far too long. It empowers you, the expert in your field, to share your knowledge with your community without needing to be a professional writer. When used correctly, it allows you to amplify your expertise to be seen and trusted by more people in Tampa and your local community.

Today, I want to discuss the ultimate goal behind all those efforts: becoming the go-to expert in your local market. When customers in our community think of your industry, your name should be the very first one that comes to mind. That level of top-of-mind awareness doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through a thoughtful and intentional strategy. Here are three ways to make your Tampa business the undisputed local authority on whatever you do. Ultimately, becoming the go-to expert in your local market is a long-term strategy built on a foundation of trust and consistent value. Demonstrate your expertise every day through online content creation. Invest in and be active in your community. Be transparent about your work and processes. By following these three steps, your Tampa business will not only get found online but will become the trusted authority that customers seek out by name.

Hi everyone! Ted Yeatts back with you here from Local Content Marketing in Tampa, Florida. Today, we're tackling a frustrating issue that many Tampa small business owners face. In fact, it’s one of the most common questions I get asked. And that’s: "Why isn't my business showing up on Google?" And the frustration behind the question is understandable: You've got a great service, happy customers, and you're a vital part of our community, but when people search online, you're nowhere to be found. Let's break down the common reasons this happens and, more importantly, what you can do to fix it.

What exactly is local content marketing, and why does it work so incredibly well for businesses like yours? Well, at its core, local content marketing is about creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content that speaks directly to the needs, interests, and questions of the people in your specific geographic area. Yes, it is marketing, but it’s even more so about becoming an indispensable part of the daily lives and decision-making process for your local customers. Think about it this way: traditional advertising often shouts at people, hoping to interrupt them long enough to make a sale. Local content marketing, on the other hand, shares a helpful answer, offers a solution, or provides useful information exactly when someone needs it. Instead of a blanket message that’s all about you, it’s much more like a personal conversation with your neighbors.

Today, I want to shine a light on another powerful tool that might seem intimidating but is incredibly effective for local businesses: the podcast. You might think podcasts are only for big names or national brands with large studios. I’m here to tell you that every local business in Tampa should have a podcast, even a short one. Podcasts possess a unique power that other forms of content can’t quite match: the power of intimacy. When someone listens to your podcast, they are inviting your voice and your message directly into their ears. This creates a personal connection that is far more profound than text on a screen. A podcast allows you to convey your personality, your passion, and your genuine care for your customers in a way that truly resonates. This builds a foundation of trust and familiarity that is invaluable for a local business looking to forge strong relationships within its community.

Today, I want to emphasize a principle that, in the long run, outweighs any single keyword strategy when it comes to getting found online. And that’s: consistent content is more important than keywords for your local business. Now, don't get me wrong. Keywords are still important. They're the language your customers use to tell search engines what they're looking for. They're the starting point in the search. So, you absolutely need to know what those local search terms are. But simply stuffing keywords into your website, or only focusing on ranking for a handful of terms, is a short-sighted approach in today's digital landscape.

Hey everyone! Ted Yeatts back with you here from Local Content Marketing in Tampa. We've talked about how important it is to know your local search terms and why blogs and podcasts are vital for getting found in an AI-driven search world. Now, let's dive into another crucial piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked by local businesses, yet carries immense weight with search engines: Google backlinks. You might be thinking, "Backlinks? Why should I, a local Tampa business, care about links from other websites?" And that's a fair question. Let me tell you exactly why you should care. In the simplest terms, a backlink is a link from another website to yours. Think of it as a digital "vote of confidence." When another reputable website links to your business's site, it signals to search engines like Google that your website is a valuable, trustworthy, and authoritative resource. For local businesses in particular, these "votes" from other local businesses, organizations, or media outlets are incredibly powerful.

Today, I want to talk about the absolute first, foundational step to getting found online and that’s knowing your “SERP terms.” SERP is an acronym that stands for Search Engine Results Page. It’s the page you see when you type a keyword or query into Google or any other search engine. Conquering the SERP begins with knowing your local search terms.

For years, "SEO" has been about optimizing websites for search engine algorithms using specific keywords and technical tweaks to rank higher on the search results page. But the future, and increasingly the present, is all about AI search. People (including your potential customers) are and will be using ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude and other AI bots to provide direct, summarized answers. So, instead of getting a list of search results, they are getting personalized recommendations and even engaging in conversations to find places to do business with.

So, how do you stop wasting money on SEO that doesn't work? It comes down to focusing on what genuinely works for local businesses. Prioritize meticulous optimization of your Google Business Profile. Invest in creating high-quality, genuinely helpful content that speaks to your local audience (like blogs, podcasts, and video.) Actively encourage and respond to customer reviews. Ensure your business information is consistent across every online platform. These are the organic, trust-building strategies that yield real results and sustainable growth. And the best part is, you can do all of that yourself, without paying some “SEO Management” company an arm and a leg for nothing. So, don't pay for empty promises! Invest in proven strategies that connect you directly with your local customers.

In this episode, Ted Yeatts reveals how local businesses can rank higher on Google without paying for ads or SEO by consistently building a trustworthy online presence. He explains the importance of optimizing your Google Business Profile, creating locally relevant content, managing reviews across multiple platforms, and maintaining consistent business information online—all of which signal to search engines that your business is credible, relevant, and worth ranking in local search results.

In this episode of the Local Content Marketing Podcast, Ted Yeatts explains why podcasts are a powerful yet often overlooked tool for local businesses. He highlights how podcasts allow for highly targeted marketing, build personal trust with listeners, improve local search engine visibility, and establish the business owner as a trusted expert in their field. By consistently sharing relevant, local-focused content, business owners can strengthen their reputation, connect with their community, and drive real business growth.

In a world saturated with digital noise, standing out is harder than ever. Your customers are scrolling, searching, and sifting through information at a dizzying pace. So how do you cut through all that and connect with the people in Tampa, or your local community? The answer, my friends, lies in providing value before you even ask for the sale. That's the essence of content marketing for local businesses.