Local SEO or Local Search Engine Optimization refers to techniques used to optimize your website and local listings to appear more frequently for local searches. This is not only limited to Google searches but searches on other platforms, such as Bing and Yelp.
While some businesses may choose to go the paid search advertising way, others prefer working on their organic search rankings. By making use of the following guidelines, dominating local search results is within your grasp. In this local SEO for Dummies guide, we'll take you through what you need to know about local SEO to improve your business's visibility online and, ultimately, profitability.
Local SEO Basics
The first step to achieving your local SEO goal is to claim your Google My Business listing. This sets the foundation for local SEO. Why? Google has an 87% market share, meaning that most searchers make use of Google and Google Maps when looking for local businesses. Claiming your Google My Business listing means these searchers will be directed to your business as a result.
Building citations and links are essential aspects of SEO. The more websites that link to your website, the higher your SEO ranking will be. Links and citations are viewed as signs of trustworthiness from other businesses. The more links you have from authoritative pages, the higher you'll rank, and the closer you'll be to your local SEO goals.
How to Use Keywords
When you query a topic on Google, you're faced with two types of results the Google search engine will display. One is organic results, and the other is paid advertising. Paid as are usually displayed at the very top of the SERPs and are displayed differently from the rest of the results. The word Ad appears next to the company's URL if it's a paid listing. 33% of all clicks on Google go to these paid ads.
While improving your rank organically is preferable, not many business owners know how to do it. Improving organic search rankings can take several months, too. Organic results, or results that are displayed on SERPs but aren’t paid for, account for 40% of clicks. When it comes to local SEO, your business needs to be present in both of these options. Develop a keyword strategy by conducting keyword research to find the words and phrases potential customers are using to find your business.
Relevant keywords for local SEO are all directly related to your business. This would include your physical location, phone number, operating hours, and, most importantly, the product or service you provide.
For example, if you own a coffee shop, you must include the words coffee and cafe as keywords alongside information that your ideal customers would often search for. These keywords will ensure the best results for your local SEO.
Looks Matter
The way your website looks is directly linked to your local SEO. The more time searchers spend on your site, the higher you'll rank. It should be easy and enjoyable for your customers to navigate your website and find the information they need. If a website isn't visually appealing, hard to navigate, or both, you'll lose out on conversions, traffic, and ranking.
Important information to have readily available on your website is the name of your business, address, and phone number. This should be available on each page of the website.
You want your user to easily navigate your webpage; a way of achieving this is to have separate pages for each service you provide. Along with making the experience more pleasurable for the user, you're allowing yourself to appear on specific searches for specific services, even though you're only one company.
With more people making use of their mobile devices to search on-the-go, it's essential to have a mobile-friendly website. Mobile searchers are more likely to patronize a business with a mobile-friendly website. But that's not all. Sites with a mobile version are ranked higher and appear higher on the search results page, or SERPs. The bottom line is, Google gives priority to mobile-friendly websites.
Track Your SEO
It's important to track your SEO. You'll be able to make data-driven, evidence-based adjustments to your tactics. This can easily be gauged by looking at the following:
- Your ranking — This refers to how high up you are in the local search results for related keywords. The higher up on the list you are, the better your SEO is.
- Traffic — the number of visitors you've had to your site. You should compare traffic trends over the past years and compare the previous month to the current month. You can determine whether your overall SEO performance is improving or not.
Local SEO for Dummies: A Takeaway Message
Getting your business to rank highly for local SEO is not a one-time thing; it should be a process you keep building, tweaking and improving. Google is one of the first places consumers go when searching for local offerings. It's important to reach your local SEO goals and to make sure you're competitive on this level. Found Search Marketing can help you with Local SEO customer acquisition. Get in touch with Found Search Marketing today to get started.