Local SEO is an essential strategy for any business seeking to expand in its local market. It increases brand visibility and sales potential by ranking highly on search engines when people in your vicinity look for products or services you provide.
Though website content and citations remain the primary factors in local SEO, there are other signals you can use to boost your rankings and attract more customers.
Keywords
Keywords form the basis of local SEO, making it essential for business owners to know what their target customers are searching for. Doing this will allow you to rank higher in localized results and generate more leads to your website.
One way to locate a valuable list of keywords is using a keyword tool. These programs enable you to detect words people type into Google, as well as show you their search volume and difficulty level.
Once you’ve identified some great keywords, it’s time for some keyword research. This can be done manually or with free and paid tools (both free and paid).
Local Citations
Local citations in local SEO refer to online mentions of a business’ name, address and phone number (NAP data). Citations can be found in local business directories, websites, apps and social platforms.
Citations are invaluable tools for local business discovery and can even affect search engine rankings. As such, maintaining consistent citations is paramount for local SEO success.
Accurate or inconsistent citations can negatively affect your business’s local SEO ranking and cause customer dissatisfaction.
When a business updates its name, address or phone number, it’s essential to update all local citations immediately. Not only will this minimize the risk of losing customers but it can also benefit your local search engine optimization (SEO).
Local Reviews
One important local ranking factor is the quantity and quality of reviews posted about a business. Google takes these into account when deciding which businesses are most relevant for a searcher.
Reviews are therefore an integral component of a successful local SEO campaign, as they give customers social proof that others have experienced and enjoyed the business’ services.
Furthermore, consumers are more likely to patronize a business with high ratings; thus, businesses should actively solicit online reviews and professionally address any negative feedback received.
In addition to the number of reviews, review velocity is another influential local ranking signal – the frequency with which your business receives new reviews in a given time period. This helps Google determine how frequently your business is relevant for a given keyword.
Local Maps
Local searches account for a significant portion of SEO traffic, as they are the most frequently performed searches by potential customers. If your business can appear in these searches, you have an excellent chance of snagging more leads and closing sales.
Start by optimizing your Google Business Profile listings for keywords used by your target market to locate businesses like yours. Then, optimize your website accordingly for those same search terms.
While these strategies are effective for targeting specific services, there are also other factors you should take into account to maximize your business’ online visibility.
One of the most essential is embedding a map of your business on your site’s contact or directions page. Not only does this assist visitors who need directions, but it sends an effective signal to Google as well.