How to Get Your Business Found Online in Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan, is a town built on more than tulips and tourism. With a population just over 33,000, it’s home to a strong manufacturing base (think Herman Miller and Haworth), a thriving downtown retail scene, and a growing number of service businesses. But here’s the problem most local business owners face: when a potential customer searches for your service on Google, you’re probably not showing up.
Why? Because you’re competing with big chains, regional companies, and a handful of other local shops that have figured out how Google works. The good news is you don’t need a marketing degree or a big budget to fix it. You just need to do a few simple things right.
Why most Holland small businesses don’t show up on Google
The biggest reason is simple: Google doesn’t know you exist. Or if it does, it doesn’t trust you enough to show you to searchers. Google ranks businesses based on signals—things like your website, your online reviews, and how many other websites talk about you. Most small business owners in Holland have a website that’s five years old, a handful of reviews, and zero mentions from other local sites. That’s not enough to beat the competition.
Four things you can do yourself
1. Claim and fill out your Google Business Profile. This is free and it’s the single most important thing you can do. Go to google.com/business, claim your listing, and make sure your name, address, phone number, and hours are correct. Add photos of your storefront, your team, and your work. Respond to every review—good or bad—with a short, polite reply.
2. Ask for reviews (the right way). After you finish a job or a sale, send a quick email or text asking for a review. Don’t bribe people—just ask. Five to ten new reviews can make a noticeable difference in where you show up.
3. Make sure your website works on a phone. More than half of local searches happen on a phone. If your site is hard to read or slow to load on a mobile device, Google won’t show it. Use a tool like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check for free.
4. Use local keywords on your site. If you’re a plumber in Holland, don’t just say “plumber.” Say “plumber in Holland, Michigan” or “Holland plumbing repair.” Put that phrase in your page titles, headers, and a few times in your content. It tells Google exactly who you serve.
What are backlinks and why do they matter?
A backlink is simply when another website links to yours. Think of it like a referral. If the Holland Chamber of Commerce website links to your business, Google sees that as a vote of confidence. The more quality votes you get from trusted local or industry websites, the higher you’ll rank. Most small businesses have almost no backlinks, which is why they stay stuck on page two or three of Google.
How BacklinkUSA.com can help
We help Holland businesses earn those votes of confidence. BacklinkUSA.com publishes articles about local businesses on high-authority websites, giving you the kind of backlinks that actually move the needle in Google rankings. If you want to show up before your customers even know they need you, that’s where we come in.