Just starting up a business is a triumph. Many people have dreams of being brilliant entrepreneurs, but they don’t have the wherewithal or the guts to carry that off. But the next question for you is whether or not you have what it takes to move your business to the next level. And, for many businesses, that next level is stretching from the local level to more of a national reach. It can be a daunting task but think of the benefits. Aside from the prestige, such a move would engender, you would also be privy to an exponentially-enhanced customer base. If you’re thinking about making yours a national business, you better also be ready to partake in National SEO practices as well.

Part of this task is deciding when is the right time to make the move to SEO plans that take your business from coast to coast. Once you commit to it, you have to understand what it takes to create such an SEO campaign. It’s something that requires a lot of strategy and expertise, which is why many business owners farm out these services to professional companies who know how to handle them. In any event, you’ll find that the expansion can happen a little more naturally and rapidly than you might think, as long as you make the right moves.

1. A Little Investment

In the past, taking your business to the national level would require the expenditure of national advertising, which was often a bit too cost-prohibitive for business owners. On the other hand, going from local to National SEO won’t break your bank, but you shouldn’t enter into it on the cheap either. A half-hearted effort at the beginning of your marketing and SEO outreach can easily damage your brand, which would be hard to overcome once that impression is made on a national level.

2. Thinking Outside Your Zip Code

The main thing that you have to realize when setting up SEO practices outside your normal locality is that you have to try and get inside the minds of a whole new segment of the population. Keywords that might have worked for you on the local level might not be something on which you can rely when you go national. In addition, you might have to be more all-in in terms of more proactive marketing efforts like videos and social media.

3. Getting the Word Out

Your off-page SEO must also undergo a huge expansion in order for your National SEO efforts to flourish. Off-page means the effort to build links back to your site from outside sources. When you go national, you have to think in terms of larger scope. For example, the local celebrity who linked to your page back in your local marketing heyday won’t cut it if you go national. You might have to seek out an influencer with a nationwide audience.

These are all things you must consider when you try to stretch your SEO nationwide. But it is doable, and it can really change your business in ways you never imagined if done right.