The 2026 Digital Marketing Strategy That Actually Works for Nottingham-Based Companies

James Dooley: If you're a business based in Nottingham and looking to grow in 2026 but you're uncertain which digital marketing strategy you should be focusing on, today James Dooley is joined by Kasra Dash to talk through the different digital marketing strategies that could help businesses grow in Nottingham. Before getting into the strategies, Kasra, what advice would you give to a Nottingham based business when it comes to digital marketing? Should they be focusing on AI SEO or GEO, what some people are calling it? Should they be looking at LLM optimisation, traditional SEO or PPC? Before they spend money on any marketing channels, what advice would you give to a business owner in Nottingham?

Kasra Dash: The biggest issue seen with Nottingham businesses that contact us is that they do not have a predictable system in place. By that I mean they do not have KPIs. Businesses might be spending money on Facebook ads, PPC or SEO, but they are doing it sporadically without tracking performance. What businesses need is a predictable KPI system. They should know how much they are spending. If they spend £2,000 on marketing, how many leads are generated from that spend? Are they getting ten leads, twenty five leads or thirty leads? From those leads, they then need to measure how many are actually contactable. Out of the ten leads, do five people answer the phone? Do two people respond? Businesses need to know that number. After that they must measure how many of those contacted leads turn into paying customers. Once those KPIs are in place, digital marketing becomes far easier because the business can clearly see which channels are working. They can double down on the channels producing results and reduce spending on the ones that are not. James and I are going to discuss several marketing channels, but that does not mean a business has to invest in every single one. Some companies might choose to focus on one or two channels that produce the best results. James, what is the first marketing channel you would recommend to Nottingham businesses?

James Dooley: The first step has to be branding or brand SEO. Businesses need to make sure they look strong online and have a positive reputation. Everything should begin with a strong brand search engine results page. SER stands for search engine results page. When someone searches for your business name, the results should present a strong brand presence. Getting that right creates a foundation for every other marketing strategy. A strong brand presence improves conversion rates for paid ads and social media campaigns. When potential customers research a business before making a decision, the brand reputation they see online can influence who they choose. Branding therefore becomes extremely important for all digital marketing strategies.

Kasra Dash: The next strategy is AI visibility. More companies are now analysing what platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity say about their brand. Businesses should check whether those platforms present their brand positively or negatively. They should also look at what those platforms say about their competitors and work to improve their own positioning. Some people refer to this as AI SEO. Others call it GEO or LLM optimisation. Regardless of the name, it will be a major marketing strategy in 2026 and the years ahead.

James Dooley: Artificial intelligence is becoming a major factor in digital marketing. Another strategy is completing the form at FatRank or Promo SEO. These companies offer commission based lead generation services for UK businesses looking to grow. Businesses should always generate their own leads through their own marketing efforts, but outsourcing some lead generation can help diversify lead sources. Businesses can visit fatrank.com and fill in the form to see whether they qualify for a no risk supply of enquiries. Promo SEO also offers a similar performance based lead generation service.

Kasra Dash: The next channel to consider is Google Business Profiles. This means Google Maps listings and local SEO. Businesses should optimise their Google Business Profile and collect more reviews from customers in their local area. One advantage is that once a Google Maps listing ranks well it can generate consistent leads. The challenge is getting to that position. Some businesses may be competing with listings that already have fifty or one hundred reviews. To gain reviews you need customers, but to get customers you often need visibility. It becomes a classic chicken and egg problem. Even so, businesses should still set up and optimise their Google Business Profile because it strengthens their brand presence.

James Dooley: For businesses operating locally, ranking in Google Maps is important. The next strategy is organic SEO. Businesses should work on improving their website rankings in search engines. Local businesses can create pages targeting the areas they serve. For example, a plumbing company could create a page for plumbing in Manchester or other locations they operate in. These pages can also be linked from the Google Business Profile. Organic SEO can also include writing blog content related to the services a company offers. Businesses should focus on creating high quality content, building topical authority and earning third party backlinks. These efforts help improve organic rankings.

Kasra Dash: Another important strategy is organic social media. Organic social media works largely as a numbers game. Businesses should create content their audience actually wants to see. Many brands post a few times on Instagram and then stop posting for years. That approach does not generate sales. Instead, businesses should create helpful content such as guides, how to posts and before and after examples. This type of content attracts attention and encourages users to learn more about the company. Organic social media does not require ad spend, but it does require consistent posting. Ideally businesses should post three or four times each week.

James Dooley: Paid social media advertising is another opportunity. Many marketers talk about the dollar a day strategy. If a business is already posting content regularly, they can spend a small amount of money boosting those posts. Case studies and awards can be promoted to strengthen brand reputation. Retargeting ads are also effective. When someone visits a website, businesses can show adverts to that person across platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. Paid ads can also run on Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Reddit. Paid social media remains an underused digital marketing channel.

Kasra Dash: The next channel is PPC advertising through Google Ads or Bing Ads. These appear as sponsored listings above organic search results. Businesses tend to either love PPC or hate it. Some companies spend £10,000 or £20,000 without seeing results, while others scale their entire business using PPC campaigns. The difference often comes down to how the campaign is set up. Successful PPC campaigns require negative keyword lists, protection against click fraud and high converting landing pages. Competitors sometimes click on ads deliberately, which wastes advertising budget. Businesses should also ensure their sales team responds to PPC leads quickly. When PPC is managed correctly it can perform very well. When managed poorly it can burn through budgets quickly.

James Dooley: PPC certainly has pros and cons. It can generate instant leads, but many businesses have wasted significant budgets without results. Since we are discussing paid channels, another opportunity is advertising on AI platforms. Advertising inside AI platforms has not fully rolled out yet, but ChatGPT and other large language models may introduce advertising options. Businesses that adopt these platforms early could potentially generate leads at a lower cost. Paid AI listings may become an important opportunity in 2026.

Kasra Dash: Another strategy involves brand mentions on forums such as Reddit and Quora. This area is partly outside a company's control because it relies on customers discussing their experiences. Businesses should encourage satisfied customers to share reviews and recommendations. Positive discussions on forums can generate additional enquiries.

James Dooley: Platforms like Reddit are also being cited frequently in AI search results. When people discuss products or services on these platforms, it can help improve AI visibility for the brand. The final strategy involves tradesman platforms and lead generation websites such as Checkatrade, Bark, Rated People and MyBuilder. Businesses should track their return on investment carefully when using these platforms. If they generate profitable leads then they are worth continuing. There are also lead generation companies that generate enquiries using SEO, PPC or social media ads and then supply those leads to businesses. If those leads produce a positive return on investment then they can be a valuable part of a digital marketing strategy. FatRank and Promo SEO both offer performance based lead generation services that guarantee return on investment. Businesses can visit their websites and complete the form to explore whether these services can generate enquiries for their business. Lead generation should never rely on a single source. Businesses should diversify their marketing channels so they do not depend on one strategy alone. Thank you very much, Kasra.