How to Get Your Business Found Online in Lakeland, Tennessee
If you run a business in Lakeland, Tennessee, you know the area is growing fast. With a population that’s nearly doubled in the last decade, Lakeland is home to a mix of new families, established residents, and a steady stream of commuters heading to Memphis. The local economy leans heavily on retail, healthcare, construction, and service businesses—everything from plumbing to pizza joints. But here’s the problem: even with all those potential customers nearby, many small business owners in Lakeland tell me the same thing. “I’m great at what I do, but nobody finds me on Google.”
Why is that? Most small businesses in Lakeland struggle to show up on Google because they’re competing against big chains, national brands, and other local shops that have already figured out a few simple tricks. Google doesn’t know you exist unless you tell it. And if your neighbor down the street has a polished online presence while your business has an old website and no reviews, Google will send customers their way first.
The good news? You don’t need to be a tech wizard to fix this. Here are four practical things you can do yourself to get found.
1. Set up and fill out your Google Business Profile This is the single most important step. Go to Google Business Profile (it’s free), claim your business, and fill out every section: hours, phone number, address, services, and photos. If you’re a bakery in Lakeland, add pictures of your cakes. If you’re a handyman, list the neighborhoods you serve. Google rewards profiles that are complete and accurate.
2. Ask for reviews—and respond to them Reviews are like social proof for Google. The more positive reviews you have, the higher you’ll rank. After a job well done, ask customers to leave a quick review. And reply to every single one—even the negative ones. A polite response shows you care.
3. Make sure your website works on a phone Most people in Lakeland search for businesses on their phones while driving or waiting in line. If your site takes forever to load or looks weird on a small screen, people leave. Use a tool like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check.
4. Use local keywords on your site Sprinkle phrases like “Lakeland plumber” or “best pizza in Lakeland, TN” into your website copy. Don’t stuff them in—just write naturally. This tells Google you’re a local business, not a national one.
Now, about backlinks. A backlink is simply a link from another website to yours. Think of it as a vote of confidence. When a respected site like a local news outlet or a community blog links to your business, Google sees that as a sign you’re trustworthy and worth showing to customers. The more quality backlinks you have, the higher you can rank.
At BacklinkUSA.com, we help businesses in Lakeland get those votes of confidence. We publish articles about local businesses on high-authority websites, which helps them show up higher on Google. If you want more customers to find you without guessing, that’s what we do.