Standing out in New York City is no small feat. When you’re surrounded by 8 million people, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. All the same, it’s easier to get attention in New York than it is among the billion websites that are online. Just ask that naked cowboy in Times Square. So, when a bride-to-be in Washington Heights Googles “wedding planner near me,” you want top-billing on the search results. In this article, we share the power of local SEO for NYC event planners and strategies for standing out online.
Use Keywords Specific to Your Location
Keywords refer to the terms search engines use to match your website to a user’s query. Clearly, using the term “event planner” and related phrases in your content strategy will clue Google into the fact that you are operating an event planning business.
But you can throw in more terms that refer to your location. Be sure to include more location-specific keywords than simply “New York City” or “NYC.” Use the boroughs and neighborhoods where you plan events.
Pro Tip: Use a location-specific keyword in your tagline to increase its importance to the search engines.
Increase Your ‘Local Map Pack’ Ranking
Remember the last time you googled “Pizza near me?” There was likely a list of three nearby pizzerias at the top of the search results with a map to the right. At the bottom of the three results was a button that said, “See more places.” That, my friend, is a local map pack.
Working your way to the top of the local map pack will help more clients find you. You may be surprised to learn that the proximity of your NYC event planning business isn’t the only factor that will put your business near the top of the local map pack. Other ways include:
- Earning many positive online reviews.
- Making sure your name, address, and phone number are correct across the web.
- Earning backlinks from high-quality websites.
- Having a strong social media presence.
- Making sure your information is complete in your Google Business Profile.
Update Your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is so essential to your online presence and your local SEO efforts that we need to have a heart-to-heart about this essential optimization tool. It not only improves your local SEO, but your GBP legitimizes you in the eyes of clients, gives you a way to interact with your clients, and boosts your reputation. In addition to completing your profile with updated information, you can do the following to improve the local SEO rankings for your NYC event planning business:
- Encourage clients to leave reviews.
- Respond to all of the reviews you receive.
- Upload high-quality images of your outstanding events.
- List your specific event planning services, like wedding planner, corporate event planner, etc.
- Respond to event questions in the Google Q&A section.
- Attach your social media profiles.
Increase Your Online Reviews
We’ve just touched upon how increasing your online reviews can increase your placement in the all-important local map pack. However, online reviews can do so much more than that.
Online reviews help your website rank better in local search results. Online reviews count as “User-Generated Content” that Google uses to scan for relevant keywords. Online reviews are especially rich in long-tail keywords.
These are the longer phrases users input when they are looking for something very specific, such as “carnival-themed wedding planner.” If you happened to have planned an outstanding carnival-themed wedding and the bride left an online review, you just scored a spot on the first page of search results.
Also, don’t forget about social media. Reviews on your social media profiles boost your visibility on those platforms.
Pro Tip: Responding to your reviews gives your website and your GBP a boost.
Learn More About SEO at The Event Planner Expo
Many potential event clients begin their search for an NYC event planner by googling some variation of “party planner near me.” You can earn the search engine’s spotlight when you use the tips above.
However, leveraging local SEO is just one way to grow your NYC event planning business. Want more ways to grow your event planning business? It all starts here at The Event Planner Expo. From networking to learning, this event is designed to help you grow. If you missed out this year, make sure you get on the waitlist for updates and announcements for The Event Planner Expo 2025!
