Most local businesses write nonsense nobody reads.
“10 Tips for a Healthy Smile.” “Spring Cleaning Checklist.” “Why Professional Service Matters.”
Drop that garbage. We’ve all seen it a thousand times. Your customers have too, which is why they’re not calling you.
Here’s what works: answering the weird, specific things people in your neighborhood Google at midnight. The stuff that makes them pick up the phone and call YOU instead of the guy with the prettier website.
Stop Writing Like a Corporate Robot
Every local business blog sounds like it was written by the same boring person. Probably because half of them are copying from the same “blog post templates” they found online.
“As a trusted local provider…”
“With over X years of experience…”
“We pride ourselves on…”
Shoot me. Please.
Your customers don’t talk like that. They don’t think like that. So why the hell are you writing like that?
Real people have real problems. They search for real solutions. In real language. Like “why does my toilet sound like it’s possessed,” not “optimal commode maintenance strategies.”
The Searches That Happen in Your Town
We spent a week creeping on what people type into Google. Not the keywords some SEO tool told us to target. The actual, unfiltered, sometimes embarrassing stuff real humans search for.
Holy molly, people get specific:
- “Is that smell from the paper mill normal, or should I evacuate?”
- “Can my landlord really charge me for that?”
- “Why does everyone on Oak Street have the same crack in their driveway?”
See the pattern? These aren’t generic problems. They’re YOUR TOWN problems. The stuff only locals would know or care about.
That’s your content goldmine right there. While your competitor writes another thrilling piece about “The Importance of Regular Maintenance,” you’re answering what people want to know.
Local Problems Need Local Context
Generic how-to content is everywhere. And it’s useless.
“How to fix a leaky faucet” has been written approximately 47 million times. But “Why every apartment in the Riverside complex have the same leaky faucet problem”? That’s different.
We know a plumber who wrote about the specific pipe material used in 1960s ranch homes in his area. Boring as hell, right? Except every homeowner in those neighborhoods forwarded it to their neighbors. Because suddenly that weird water pressure issue made sense.
Local problems have local causes. The contractor who cut corners on the big subdivision in 2003. The city water treatment change that’s making everyone’s hair feel weird. The reason every business on Main Street floods when it barely drizzles.
Write about what you see every day. Not what some content calendar template tells you to write about.
Be the Expert Who Knows Stuff
Everyone claims to be the “local expert.” Usually right before they prove they don’t know jack about the actual community.
Real expertise isn’t about years in business. It’s about knowing which restaurants have rat problems before the health department does. It’s understanding why half the houses on the north side have foundation issues. It’s knowing exactly when the city turns off the fountain downtown and why it matters for wedding photos.
We watched a pest control guy build his entire business on one blog post: “Why Every House Near the Old Brewery Has Roaches.” Turns out, there’s a specific reason involving old grain storage. He was the only one who bothered to explain it.
That’s expertise. Not “we’ve been in business since 1982” but “here’s the weird thing about your neighborhood that we’ve figured out.”
Seasonal Content That Makes Sense
“Get ready for spring!”
“Summer is coming!”
“Fall maintenance tips!”
Groundbreaking stuff there, Captain Obvious!
Real seasonal content for local businesses is hyperspecific. Like why every pizza place run out of dough during homecoming week. Or which neighborhoods lose power first during storms (and why). Or when the city starts enforcing those parking rules everyone ignores.
A landscaper we know predicts exactly when different neighborhoods’ leaves will peak based on tree types and elevation. Photography nerds plan their whole October around his posts. That’s useful. “Rake your leaves” is not.
Behind the Scenes
Nobody cares about your company picnic photos or your new employee’s hobbies. They care about why you can’t get an appointment in September. Or why you won’t service certain neighborhoods. Or what happens to their trade-in.
A local bakery finally explained why they’re closed on Mondays. Not “for rest” but because the ancient oven they inherited needs a full day of maintenance to not explode. Customers went from annoyed to protective overnight.
That’s real behind-the-scenes content. The actual reasons behind the quirks that affect customers. Not manufactured feel-good BS.
Touch the Third Rail
Every town has topics nobody wants to discuss publicly. The development that’s pissing everyone off. The local institution that’s terrible. The city council decision that’s messing small businesses.
You don’t have to throw grenades. But acknowledging reality builds trust.
We know a gym owner who wrote about losing members to the new budget chain. No whining. Just “Here’s what we’re doing differently and why it costs more.” His members rallied around him.
Sometimes the best content addresses what everyone’s already bitching about on Facebook. Just, you know, more professionally.
Event Coverage That Doesn’t Suck
Your business sponsored the fun run. Great. So did everyone else. The standard “thanks to everyone who came out!” post is worthless.
But detailed coverage of local events? That’s content people want. Who won. What happened. The drama everyone’s gossiping about.
A realtor live-blogs city council meetings. Sounds boring until you realize she’s translating government speak into “this is how it affects your property value.” Her blog is required reading for local homeowners.
Your Most Annoying Questions Are Your Best Content
You know those questions that make you die inside because you’ve answered them 10,000 times?
Those are blog posts. Every. Single. One.
“Do you work on [specific car model]?” Blog post about which mechanics in town specialize in what.
“Can you match this color?” Blog post about why some things can’t be matched and what to do instead.
“Is this covered by insurance?” Blog post breaking down what insurance covers in plain English.
Every weird question is content gold. And every blog post is one less interruption during dinner.
Name Names
Mentioning other local businesses feels gross. Like forced networking at a chamber of commerce mixer.
But done right, it’s useful. Not “shout out to our friends at…” but “If you need X, these are the only three places in town that do it right, and here’s why.”
Be specific. The electrician who shows up when scheduled. The restaurant that can handle severe allergies without poisoning anyone. The contractor who won’t ghost you halfway through.
Real recommendations with real reasons. Not reciprocal backscratching.
The Technical Stuff That Matters
SEO nerds will tell you to obsess over keywords and meta descriptions and schema markup and… sorry, we dozed off.
For local content, keep it simple:
- Use your city name
- Mention neighborhoods and landmarks naturally
- Write headlines like humans would search
Google’s not stupid. They know what local content looks like. You don’t need to keyword stuff “plumber in [city]” seventeen times.
Just Start Somewhere
The biggest mistake? Overthinking it.
You don’t need a content strategy. You don’t need an editorial calendar. You need to write about the things you deal with every day.
The electrician who blogs about which neighborhoods still have knob-and-tube wiring. The restaurant owner who explains why menu prices went up (with actual numbers). The vet who writes about which dog parks have Giardia problems.
This isn’t Pulitzer material. It’s useful information for your neighbors. That’s it.
Running Out of Ideas? You’re Not Paying Attention
“But what if I run out of things to write about?”
Then you’re not listening. Your customers tell you what content they need every time they call with a question. Every time they complain about something. Every time they’re confused about your industry.
Scroll your local Facebook groups for five minutes. Read the comments on local news stories. Eavesdrop at coffee shops. Content ideas are everywhere.
Still stuck? Ask directly: “What do you wish you understood about [your industry] before you needed us?” Boom. Six months of content.
The best local blogs don’t try to educate the world or go viral on LinkedIn. They serve the people within 10 miles who might hire you. Do that consistently, and you’ll build something better than traffic. You’ll build a business people actually trust.
Now stop reading about blogging and go write something useful.