How to Get Your Business Found Online in St Matthews, Kentucky
If you run a business in St Matthews, you already know this is a great place to be. With over 17,000 residents and a steady stream of shoppers drawn to places like the Mall St. Matthews and Shelbyville Road Plaza, there’s plenty of opportunity. The local economy leans heavily on retail, restaurants, healthcare, and professional services. But here’s the problem: even if your storefront is right on Breckenridge Lane, customers may never find you online.
Most small businesses in St Matthews struggle to show up on Google for one simple reason: they haven’t done the basic work to tell Google they exist. Google doesn’t automatically know about your bakery, plumbing service, or dental practice. It finds businesses through signals. If those signals are weak or missing, you stay hidden.
Here are four things you can do yourself to fix that.
1. Set Up Your Google Business Profile
This is the single most important step. Go to Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) and claim your listing. Fill out every field: your address, phone number, hours of operation, and a short description of what you do. Add photos of your storefront, your team, and your products. This is how Google knows you’re a real business. Without it, you’re invisible.
2. Ask for Reviews (and Respond to Them)
Google pays attention to reviews. The more you have, and the more recent they are, the better you’ll rank. After a sale or service, ask happy customers to leave a review. Keep it simple: “If you enjoyed your visit, would you mind leaving a quick review on Google?” Then reply to every review—even the negative ones. This shows Google you’re active and engaged.
3. Make Sure Your Website Works on Phones
Most people search for local businesses on their phones. If your site loads slowly or looks squished on a small screen, they’ll leave. Google notices when visitors bounce away quickly, and it hurts your ranking. Test your site on a phone. If it’s hard to read or navigate, ask your web developer to make it mobile-friendly. This isn’t optional anymore.
4. Use Local Keywords
Think about what your customers actually type into Google. Someone in St Matthews looking for a plumber probably searches “plumber St Matthews” or “emergency plumber near me.” Use those exact phrases on your website—in your page titles, headings, and descriptions. Don’t stuff them in awkwardly. Just write naturally and include the place name where it fits.
What About Backlinks?
Backlinks are simply links from other websites to yours. When a reputable site links to you, Google sees it as a vote of trust. It’s like a neighbor recommending your shop to a friend. The more quality votes you get, the higher you rank. But not all links are equal. A link from a local news site or a business directory matters a lot more than a link from a random blog.
At BacklinkUSA.com, we help businesses in St Matthews earn those quality links by publishing articles about them on high-authority websites. It’s one of the most effective ways to tell Google your business is worth noticing.