How to Get Your Business Found Online in Ferndale, Washington
Ferndale is a growing town with a mix of longtime families and new residents moving in from Bellingham and beyond. Its economy runs on local services—from auto repair shops and dental offices to restaurants and construction companies. But here’s the problem: if someone in Ferndale searches for “best pizza near me” or “plumber in Ferndale,” most small businesses never show up on the first page of Google. Why?
The short answer: Google doesn’t know you exist yet.
Most small business owners in Ferndale think having a website is enough. It’s not. Google decides who to show based on signals—like how many people leave reviews, how fast your site loads, and whether other websites mention you. If you’re not sending those signals, you’re invisible.
Here are four things you can do today to fix that.
1. Claim and fill out your Google Business Profile
This is free and it’s the single most important step. Go to google.com/business and claim your profile. Make sure your name, address, and phone number are exactly the same everywhere online. Add photos of your storefront, your team, and your work. Pick the right category (e.g., “Plumber” not “Contractor”). Answer questions like your hours and whether you offer free estimates. This tells Google you’re a real, local business.
2. Ask for reviews—and respond to them
Google pays attention to reviews. A business with 20 recent reviews will almost always rank above one with 3 old reviews. Ask happy customers to leave a review. Send them a direct link. Then respond to every review—thank them for the good ones, and politely address the bad ones. It shows you’re active and care.
3. Make your website mobile-friendly
Most people search on their phones. If your site takes more than three seconds to load or the text is too small to read, people leave. Google notices this and drops your ranking. Use a tool like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check. If your site fails, talk to your web designer about making it faster and easier to use on a phone.
4. Use local keywords in your content
On your website, mention Ferndale by name. Write a page called “Plumbing Services in Ferndale, WA” or “Best Coffee Shop Near Birch Bay.” Don’t stuff the word in—just naturally include it in headings and paragraphs. This helps Google connect your business to local searches.
One more thing: backlinks
You might hear the term “backlinks” and think it’s technical. It’s not. A backlink is simply a link from another website to yours. Think of it like a referral. If the local newspaper or a Ferndale community blog links to your site, Google sees that as a vote of confidence. More good backlinks = higher rankings.
That’s where BacklinkUSA.com comes in. We publish articles about businesses like yours on high-authority websites. That creates those referral links and helps you show up higher on Google. If you want to get found in Ferndale, it’s one of the smartest moves you can make.