If you are familiar with SEO, Local SEO needs no introduction. However, if you’re new-ish, just understand local SEO as optimizing your site for a specific local area. It could be just a city, a state, or an entire country.
This is the digital era where online searches play a very very VERY important role in consumer decision making. And a bulk of those online searches are done to search for local businesses, as much as 90%. The percentage alone illustrates how vital local SEO is for attracting potential customers and converting them into loyal ones.
Getting your content optimized for local people is crucial if you own a local business or provide services to a specific geographic area.
Over time, Google’s advanced algorithms have prioritized more on local search results when users send a query. These local search results provide quick and efficient options to the users and are preferred. As a result, search engines prioritize local businesses in SERPS to give users more personalized and relevant information to its users. It’s a win-win for both the search engine and the users.
How to Improve Local SEO? We’ll simplify the process for you. Let us dive into some pointers and strategies to enhance the local SEO that will help you improve your local visibility and traffic.
Key Takeaways:
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1. Claim your business in Google My Business platform to place your business in SERPs and Google Maps 2. Conduct keyword research and on-site optimization to organically attract viewer’s attention 3. Request customers to leave a review on your business 4. List your business in local directories and earn citations 5. Involve your business in local events and occasions 6. Make use of social medias to establish your online presence even further. |
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is about tailoring your services, products, and online content to people locally. Your website and content cater to the search behavior of local customers so that you’ll appear in their SERPs more often.
Do I need Local SEO?
Simple answer. If you run a business or a service that has a physical location or provide services in a specific area, local SEO can be of big help.
A general search query for a local is ”[product/service] near me”. In the search result above, the user (me) wanted some hotdogs. The results here show restaurants that can provide some good ones according to ratings.
If your services are well talked about online, that’s a new source for business and customers.
Try your search optimization journey with Growfore today for the best results.
Local SEO vs Traditional SEO, What's the difference?
The difference between these two SEOs boils downs to the target audience. Traditional SEO aims to improve the reach and visibility on a global scale while local SEO is just the opposite. It’s more personalized and narrowed down to a specific geographic area. The main goal of local SEO is to drive more local people to your site for products or services.
Here are some amazing tips to get your local SEO journey started:
- Claim Your Google My Business Listing
- Optimize Your Site For Local Searches
- Earn Local Citations and Backlinks
- Encourage More Online Reviews and Ratings
- Don’t Forget Social Media
No worries, we’ll go more in-depth on these topics.
1. Claim Your Google My Business Listing
Creating your Google My Business (GMB) account is one of the most important steps for your local SEO. A GMB Account enables businesses to manage their company/business online to ensure they appear in the local search results.
It is a free tool that costs no money and allows you to customize the way your business is presented to users online. Your business profile allows you to connect with customers, post updates on it, read reviews from customers, list products and so much more.
By claiming your GMB listing, you can end up in Google Maps and local search results. How convenient. Business owners can update their business info with names, addresses, phone numbers, operating hours, websites, services, and pictures. With so many optimization features, it’d be a grave mistake to not create an account already.
Moreover, you won’t need a real physical address to place claim your spot in the GMB listing. As long as you make in-person contact with customers, you are good to go. This includes plumbing, cleaning, or other in-person services that might not have a head office.
This tip isn’t only for Local SEO. Make sure you have your GMB account to place your business on Google Maps. This way people who come near your locality can know about your business if they’re searching for one.
How To Make a GMB Account?
- Visit the Google My Business website and click on the “Manage now” button.
- Sign in to your Google account or create a new one if you don’t have one already.
- Enter your business name and address. If your business is already listed, claim the existing listing; otherwise, create a new one.
- Verify your business by phone, email, or mail. Google will send a verification code or a postcard to your business address.
- Once verified, you can complete and optimize your GMB listing by adding accurate information, photos, operating hours, and other relevant details.
- Remember to regularly update your GMB listing, respond to customer reviews, and monitor insights to maximize the benefits of your Google My Business presence
2. Optimize Your Local Searches
It’s not SEO anymore if you don’t have on-page workings to do. If you own a website, on-page SEO is important. On-page SEO is about optimizing your website for keywords you found relevant in your content. On-page SEO allows search engines to understand the relevance of your website content. So if you are familiar with keyword targeting for a global audience, research relevant keywords for a local audience.
A well-optimized site has:
- Enhanced User experience: It’s a general benefit to SEO. By organizing your elements such as meta tags, headings, and contents in a relevant, well-optimized way, you can boost your rankings in the local search results.
- Targeted Local Traffic: With proper keyword targeting, you will be getting in traffic from local customers.
- Increased Click-Through Rates: Better keyword targeting and optimization will automatically lead to higher click-through rates. With a well-optimized site, your business will be listed high in the local search results.
- Increased Conversions: More the CTR, the higher the chances of conversions. Additionally, by having a well-strategized conversion plan you will have increased conversion rates.
So How Should You Do It?
- Do keyword research
If you want to improve your website’s visibility in local search results, make sure you conduct a thorough research. Incorporate location-specific keywords so your business appears at the top. Here’s how you can do it. Google Keyword Planner is a great free tool to help you research keywords.
If you own a restaurant at let’s say Melbourne, your meta title for blogs can be “Best Restaurant in Melbourne”. Follow it up with a meta description highlighting your unique selling points. Do the same for your headings. Your H1 heading could be “Best food in Melbourne”.
- Sprinkle information about your business
Make sure you sprinkle some information about your business and what it specializes in throughout your content. Do not overdo it. Make sure it’s natural and informative. This helps search engines understand what and who your blog is about/for. Your content should have strong keywords likely to be searched by users.
- Optimize your images
Use images that have a lower file size to ensure a faster loading page. Your images should also not be shy of eye-catching infographics with alt texts and descriptions. Learn more on Image Optimization with our Full Image Optimization Guide.
- Location-Specific Landing Pages
You should have a few landing pages dedicated to a specific target location. That landing page should have relevance to the area you are targeting for. Don’t forget to include information about your business, products or services, customer testimonials, local reviews, and any location-specific details that can help users make informed decisions.
- URL Structure
Optimize your URLs to include location-specific keywords. For example, if you have a landing page targeting “Dog grooming services in San Francisco,” an optimized URL could be “example.com/dog-grooming-san-francisco.” This makes it clear to both users and search engines what the page is about and improves the likelihood of ranking for location-specific searches.
- Schemaorg
Schema.org is a project that contains all structured data markups supported by search engines. Users can use Schema.org to find the markup they need for their particular page. Learn more about Schema here.
Want to know about more amazing free SEO Tools for your websites? Learn more about free SEO Tools.
3. Earn Local Citations and Backlinks
Think of it as advertisements. Local citations are online mentions of your business on various internet directories. It’s like a backlink from business listings, review sites, websites, and other platforms. These types of citations all lead back to your site and establish credibility and relevance in a specific location.
Backlinks are of a similar type and are very essential to any kind of SEO strategy to establish authority and relevance. We all know what strong authority and credibility result in; a higher site ranking.
How Should My Business Earn Citations?
Directories are platforms that lists and provides information on local business. An example of a directory is TripAdvisor. It contains all the required information on the business and is a great source for earning citations. Research and identify local directors that are well-established and have an online presence to claim your business on their platform.
Make sure you have uploaded relevant information on the directories and is consistent across all platforms you claim your business in. Make sure you have relevant and consistent information as false information is a big no-no.
Secondly, try to partner up with other local businesses or organizations. It’s a real business after all and sponsorships aren’t that farfetched of an idea. Consider sponsoring local events, and participating in community events to establish your presence. Getting your business known by the locals is a great way to have your business locally boosted.
When building citations and backlinks, you should focus on quality over quantity. Go for sources that have established themselves well over time and are relevant to your industry. Be genuine in your outreach efforts and provide value to the local community, and you’ll be more likely to earn valuable citations and backlinks.
4. Encourage Online Reviews and Ratings
The first thing people look for when they discover a business is its ratings. How well is the service /product provided by a business? Ratings play a huge role in search engine algorithms and impact how high you are placed in the SERPs. A good amount of positive reviews for your business improves your business’ visibility.
The first impression is the last impression. Once a potential customer sees the review on your business, it’s highly likely a good review they read will put a good impression. It helps customers make informed decisions about your goods and services. Positive reviews are social proof that validates the credibility of your business. So don’t take reviews lightly.
How To Generate Positive Reviews From Satisfied Customers?
This goes without saying, providing excellent customer experiences. If a customer is satisfied, make them double satisfied (just a new term I made up) with your customer experience. A good business-to-customer interaction is sure to generate positive reviews.
Research shows that requesting people to leave a review on the app store, or subscribe to a youtube is more likely to have a successful conversion than leaving otherwise. Similarly, actively ask customers to leave a review. Make reviewing process easy by providing customers with links to review platforms.
You could additionally provide some offer in exchange for a review too. Just make sure you comply with the guidelines of review platforms and ethical practices to generate fake reviews.
Use social media. Social media is a great way to interact and engage with customers for a business. Be online, publish content, and share it on your social media accounts. Don’t forget to request people to leave a review!
5. Use of Social Media
This last and final tip cannot be emphasized well enough. Social media do what they are best at; being social. They help boost your online presence and visibility within your local community. There are many social media that you can make use of to establish your online presence.
Let’s talk about a few of the popular social media and how you should strategize your SEO plans.
- Facebook: Have a Facebook page for your business with accurate and relevant information and description. Make sure to share updates and engage with your audience. Facebook pages also have a review system through their likes and stars, encouraging them to leave reviews!
- Google My Business: While not strictly a social media platform, Google My Business (GMB) is crucial for local SEO. Claim your business listing, provide accurate information, and regularly post updates, photos, and offers to place yourself higher on local search result pages.
- Instagram: It’s a platform to share pictures. So share visually appealing photos and videos of your products, services, and local events. Use location-based hashtags, engage with local influencers, and encourage user-generated content by running contests or featuring customer posts.
- Twitter: Share timely updates, news, and promotions about your business. Engage with local customers, industry influencers, and other businesses in your area by mentioning them and participating in relevant conversations.
- YouTube: Create video content showcasing your products, services, or local expertise. Optimize your video titles and descriptions with local keywords. Share your videos on other social media platforms and embed them on your website.
Learn more about the Role of Social Media in SEO and Best Practices.
Remember to stick to three important principles: Consistency, engagement, and relevance. Update your social media with relevant pictures, posts, and profiles, and engage with your audience.
Engagement is important as it’s better to retain an old customer than try to acquire a new one. Provide good content/products/services tailored to your local community. Utilize your social media strategy well to place yourself higher in the SERPs.
Conclusion
We know the need for local SEO for your business to flourish locally. By implementing the tips we stated above, you can improve your website’s visibility in local SERPs more easily. We listed out the best practices for your local SEO to drive the intended traffic to your business. What’s there to remember? Not much. Focus on relevant keywords, claim Google My Business listing, get local citations, request reviews, and customer engagement on social media.
And like stated before, remember the three maagical principles.
