How to dominate the Harrogate market with digital marketing
Are you a Harrogate business looking to grow? Discover how good digital marketing services can help.

Harrogate is one of the UK's happiest places to live. With its beautiful surroundings, plentiful places to shop and high quality of life, it's no wonder it's become a hub for innovative small businesses.
It's not all beer, skittles and floral displays, however. Despite its idyllic reputation, Harrogate is feeling the economic pinch, too, with
The Harrogate Adviser warning that "small businesses and independent traders will continue to face financial pressures" in 2025.
If you're a small business in Harrogate, we hope this doesn't apply to you. But as a local digital marketing agency, we know all too well the challenges our townspeople face.
Perhaps your bottom line is impacted by the cost of living. Perhaps you're a brick-and-mortar business concerned about the Getaway scheme. Perhaps you're facing competition from similar businesses in Leeds, Huddersfield or Sheffield. Perhaps you're
struggling with recruitment.
Whatever problems you face, the key question remains the same: how can I ensure my business stands out in a crowded landscape?
Well, there's no one way to do it. But one thing's for sure: if you're going to dominate the Harrogate market, you can't do it without digital marketing.
Why do you need digital marketing in Harrogate?
In recent decades, the business world has changed dramatically – and no story of that change is complete without mention of the internet.
The scale of change is astonishing. Today, eCommerce accounts for
some 30% of the UK's economy.
And that's just the sales. Even people coming into your brick-and-mortar store could have checked you out online.
In practical terms, this means you can't afford to neglect your online presence. If you do, you're wilfully reducing the number of people who buy your goods or services.
"Sure", you might say. "That's why we've got a website." But in today's digital economy, a website isn't enough.
Why? Let's say you run a dog grooming business in Harrogate. If you type "dog groomer harrogate" into Google, you can't count on Google returning your business as a search result.
To be seen, you need a website that's built for local SEO. It's a complicated and many-faceted field. However, one key consideration is on-page SEO – using words and phrases on your website that are relevant to your business. The kinds of words and phrases that someone looking for dog grooming services in Harrogate, say, would use when searching online.
Regular content updates help, too. The best way to achieve this is to post fresh weekly blogs on topics related to your business. When someone is searching for dog grooming tips or information about pet care, your site shows up.
Combined with paid ads, good local SEO can give your online visibility a huge lift. But when people land on your site, you need to make a good impression straight away.
The importance of good web design
Two scenarios. One: it's a sunny afternoon. You decide to pop into town to buy some nail varnish. You go into two or three salons and eventually settle on the brand and colour you want. Time for a coffee.
Scenario two: you're searching online for nail varnish. You're confronted with dozens of options. You see a bottle you like the look of. You head to the website and it's unclear how much the postage is. What's more, the website is hard to navigate.
Nine times out of 10, you're going to close the tab. After all, you can probably find the product elsewhere – hopefully on a site that gives you the information you need and makes it easy for you to make a purchase.
This is the reality of internet shopping. When the market is so crowded, you need to make things as easy as possible for customers. Otherwise, they'll abandon their carts and look elsewhere.
How we can help
Here at My Digital Hero, we offer a range of digital marketing services for businesses in Harrogate and elsewhere. As well as offering
fully managed SEO, Google Ads and web design, we generate leads through email marketing, reach new clients through PR and social media and showcase your services with video and animation.
So, what makes us different? Well, first of all, we're a small but talented team. That means we offer a responsive service – no sales patter, no script and no one-size-fits-all approach. We work closely with our clients to ensure the digital marketing we provide reflects their brand identity.
And secondly, our copywriters are, um, copywriters – not AI. That means you get email marketing, blog content and web copy that's written by humans, for humans – the kind of copy that engages readers and helps make a mark on Google.
And thirdly, we're no spring chickens. We've already helped many brands in a range of sectors increase their online visibility and get more clicks. Take the case of Stump Cross Caverns.
Case study: Stump Cross Caverns
Stump Cross Caverns has a lot to shout about. It's an ancient network of caves and passageways under the Yorkshire Dales. As well as letting people explore, Stump Cross has a full calendar of events and experiences for people of all ages.
But when they came to us, their website simply wasn't cutting through. This meant they were missing out on all those parents, schools and cave lovers looking for something to do in their area.
We could see why straight away. The website wasn't built for SEO. Its content was fine but not
great. And it was failing to capitalise on school trips as a source of revenue.
We revamped the website, provided Stump Cross with regular cave-based content and overhauled their Google Ads account.
Since then, visitor numbers have gone up by eight percent, school trip revenue is up by 57% and Stump Cross is ranking for more than 1,390 keywords.
Stump Cross owner Oliver Bowerman said: "The website you created for Stump Cross Caverns has completely transformed the way we do business. We've seen an incredible boost in our SEO rankings thanks to the thoughtful, human-written content and the sleek, user-friendly design."
And that's just one example of what we do. If you're looking for a cost-effective digital marketing agency in Harrogate,
get in touch today. We'd love to help you make a splash online and reach new customers.
