While age is one of the best SEO factors for a website, you can actively pursue authority by earning links and mentions. Nevertheless, beware of schemes that artificially inflate your link count. Several industry surveys have found that the quality of links you earn directly affects your local search rankings. Thus, invest time in a website redesign to give it a new look. Here are some ways to achieve local search ranking authority:
Better visibility in local search results means that more consumers will come across your business. In turn, this will increase the web traffic that will lead to more conversions. Moreover, a positive public image helps your business gain long-term success. The best way to do this is by developing a good public profile with local SEO. However, you should remember that local SEO does not mean creating the best website in the world. Rather, you need to have a website that is optimized for your service area.
Content marketing helps you build a brand name and drive organic SEO traffic to your website. You can also leverage social media to generate additional traffic. However, be aware that social media algorithms limit the reach of links. Facebook, for example, would like you to stay on its platform. Therefore, you should write articles or blog posts that are relevant to your business. By doing so, you’ll build a strong brand that will last and boost your local rankings.
Local SEO consists of traditional SEO and geography. When people look for local businesses, they use a search engine like Google to find the best options. Those businesses that aren’t on page one of the search results are missing out on a lot of business. And 80% of local searches result in a sale. The goal of SEO for local businesses is to provide free inbound leads to your website. This is very beneficial to small local businesses.
Local SEO helps you appear prominently on Google Maps. By optimizing your website for location-specific searches, you can get higher visibility in Google Maps. For example, if a user is looking for a London hotel, they’ll find many results in the local listings. By using local SEO, you’ll get the top position for that keyword in Google. So, while the concept is similar to traditional SEO, local SEO has some unique challenges and tactics.
When you use local SEO, you’ll be able to target desktop and mobile users. This is advantageous because mobile users are increasingly conducting local searches, which makes it an economically feasible option for a small local business. And since over 80% of mobile phone and tablet owners conduct local searches, local SEO optimized for mobile searches is increasingly valuable. The coronavirus has only accelerated this trend. This makes local SEO more important than ever. If you’re ready to take the leap to local SEO, get in touch with SEO Design Chicago.