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.