Let’s be honest. If you’re running a business in Cleveland and your website’s sitting there like a forgotten pierogi at the back of the fridge, you’ve got a problem. Not because your site isn’t beautiful or functional or full of clever headlines, but because no one’s finding it. And in a city as neighborhood-loyal and search-savvy as Cleveland, that means you’re missing out on real people with real wallets, just a few clicks away.
So, how do you fix that? You get strategic, hyper-local, maybe even a little obsessive. Let’s talk about how to actually get Clevelanders to your website without relying on luck or a billboard off I-90.
Local SEO: The digital equivalent of being on the right street corner.
Local SEO isn’t fancy; it’s foundational. If you want people in Lakewood or Tremont to find your business, you have to show up when they search for it. And not just vaguely. You need to be the answer to their exact question.
According to BrightLocal, 98% of people use the internet to find local businesses. That’s basically everyone. And 78% of them do it more than once a week. So if your business info is outdated, your photos are blurry, or your location data is inconsistent across platforms, you’re not just missing traffic; you’re missing trust.
Step one is your Google Business Profile. Fill it out like it’s a dating profile you actually care about. Hours, services, photos, the whole thing. Then, sprinkle your content with Cleveland-specific keywords—think “estate planning attorney in Rocky River” or “emergency plumber near Old Brooklyn.” Don’t overdo it, but don’t be vague either.
Also, reviews matter. A Harvard study found that just one extra star on Yelp can boost revenue by up to 9%. So yes, that one cranky review from 2019 is worth
addressing.
Make your content feel like it belongs here.
Generic blog posts are fine if you’re selling cloud software to everyone and their dog. But if you’re a Cleveland business, your content should sound like it knows what pierogi is. That means writing about local stuff—for real people who live here, not just for Google.
Try titles like “Top 10 Summer Events in Cleveland and How to Dress for Them (Hint: Layers)” or “Why Cleveland Small Businesses Are Rebuilding with Local Web Design.” Bonus points if you include real case studies or stories from your clients.
Use tools like Google Trends and AnswerThePublic to see what people are actually asking. Then go specific. Mention neighborhoods. Talk about weather. Reference the Browns, cautiously.
This kind of content doesn’t just rank better; it builds trust. People want to buy from businesses that feel like they’re part of the same ecosystem, not just another faceless site.
Now, about those influencers.
Cleveland’s influencer scene isn’t all selfies and smoothie bowls. There are real people here with loyal followings who care about local businesses, and working with them can be surprisingly effective.
Use a tool like Upfluence or Heepsy to find
micro-influencers who actually live here. Then don’t just throw money at them. Give them something to work with. Maybe it’s a promo code just for their followers. Maybe it’s a behind-the-scenes look at your process. Maybe it’s a collab that involves pierogi. (Yes, we’re back to pierogi. It’s Cleveland.)
Even better, get involved in the real world. Sponsor a local event. Host a workshop. Livestream something useful. Just make sure there’s a link back to your site somewhere obvious.
Paid ads, but smarter.
Paid ads can work, but only if you treat Cleveland like the patchwork of neighborhoods it is. University Circle isn’t the same as Parma, and your ad strategy shouldn’t treat them like twins.
Geo-targeting lets you run separate ad sets for different areas. Try different offers, different language, maybe even different visuals. Use location extensions on Google Ads so people can see how close you are. And keep the copy local. “10% off for Cleveland Heights businesses” feels personal; “Limited-time offer” feels like spam.
According to WordStream, local service ads average a 5% click-through rate. That’s high, but only if you’re saying the right thing to the right people.
Backlinks: Still boring, still effective.
Backlinks are like character references for your website. And if they come from local sources, they’re even better. You want links from places that Google already trusts, especially if they’re
Cleveland-based.
Start with local publications like Cleveland Scene or FreshWater Cleveland. Pitch a guest post or send in a story idea. Join the local chamber of commerce. Sponsor a nonprofit event and ask for a link in return.
Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to see where your competitors are getting their links. Then, politely try to do it better.
Speed and mobile: Don’t make people wait.
More than 63% of Google searches happen on mobile. In Cleveland, that probably means someone’s standing in a parking lot trying to figure out where to eat before the Guardians game. If your site takes forever to load or looks like it was built in 2008, they’re gone.
Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to see where you’re lagging. Fix what you can. Make sure phone numbers are clickable. Make sure your address links to a map. And if you’re writing blog posts, consider using AMP to make them load faster.
Source: Statista
Don’t forget to retarget.
You finally got someone from Cleveland to visit your site. Great. Now what?
Retargeting lets you stay in front of them. Use Facebook Pixel or Google Tag Manager to track visits. Then serve ads that feel like a gentle nudge, not a hard sell. Maybe it’s a reminder about a product they looked at. Maybe it’s a promo for their neighborhood.
Segment your audience by interest or location. Someone browsing from Ohio City probably wants something different than someone in Mayfield Heights. Treat them like distinct people, not just
traffic.
So what’s the takeaway?
Driving traffic in Cleveland isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about knowing who you’re talking to and meeting them where they are—in their neighborhoods, on their phones, and in their search results. Do that well, and you won’t just boost traffic; you’ll build
relationships. The kind that lead to real business.
That’s the view from the ground.
We’ll be back soon with more real-world insights.
Until then, keep building.
– Perfect Sites Blog