Business owners can never afford to underestimate the importance of local SEO. Almost half of Google searches are local according to HubSpot, so you need to pump up your local SEO. Your goal is to hit that Google local search “3-pack” so you make it to the top-three results. If you can get your business sitting pretty in one of these competitive slots, you’re going to feel the difference. But how do you do that? Don’t worry we’ve got some ideas.
SEO is search engine optimization, but it’s hard to optimize if you don’t first optimize your website. When applying website optimization, you need some specific strategies to succeed:
These little adjustments can do wonders for local website/SEO optimization.
There are tons of online business listings and reviews. In order to get your rankings higher AND ensure your info online is correct, you can claim your online profiles. The most important thing to claim is your Google My Business listing, as most other platforms and listings use this as their base to collect your info.
The 3-pack uses popular sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp in hand with a Google My Business page as a reference point for your business. You’ll automatically show your business profile on Google Maps, so people instantly know what you’re all about and how to find you.
Also, very important to local SEO: Consistent info across all listings and platforms.
Inconsistencies account for 41% of ranking challenges for local businesses. Always make sure you use identical info. For example, it would always be John Street, never John St or John St. This might seem like a silly detail, but it isn’t according to search engines.
Claim your other social profiles on the social media channels popular with your audience. This will increase visibility with existing customers while helping search engines find you.
You’ll probably scream if you hear anyone mention blogging again, but it is a cold stark reality, it’s essential for today’s local businesses. Inbound marketing allows you to leverage local events and news to speak to your readers while improving SEO. Content should benefit readers without focusing on your products and services. Help, educate and entertain readers to work your way up the local rankings.
Make sure you understand your target, so your content remains relevant and valuable.
Your blog should be hosted on your website as it adds more internal links which are very important to local optimization. Links are the number one ranking factor for localized organic traffic.
Your posts should always include city names, neighborhoods and unofficial local area names. Local area names not only read more friendly but also help search engines find you when users enter local-centric terms.
Blogging helps you collect inbound links. If you find other local businesses with good blogs, you can partner with them to create mutual linking opportunities. This wouldn’t work with your competition. Instead, look for complementary services like a garden center if you specialize in interlocking brick or a furniture store if you are an interior designer.
The internet provides hands-on review sites from people who love or hate a business. You can leverage reviews to build your online reputation. Some businesses are worried about bad reviews and ratings. However, even bad reviews can help your business, as long as you are highly responsive to negative comments or complaints. In fact, studies show that 78% of consumers feel companies that respond to comments care about their customers.
If you don’t manage online review sites, you could find yourself in trouble as 97% of customers will use reviews in their buying decision. So, don’t be afraid to ask customers to leave reviews. Keeping a steady influx of reviews improves your online profile. As long as you are customer-focused and provide a first-rate product and service, you’ll be able to kill it review wise.
Citations refer to web pages that mention your business. They do not require a link and just need to have mention of the name, contact info or your website. You can improve your ranking by taking the time to list your business on legit local business directories like Yelp and Foursquare.
It takes time to complete the citations, but it does help. Some other citation ideas could include:
It’s all about getting creative with your research to find citation opportunities. These ideas will certainly provide an excellent base.
Boosting your local rankings takes effort, but it will be worth it. You’ll increase organic results, which is the best since it’s free. This can provide more leads, which means more revenue. When you combine your outstanding service and quality product with improved local SEO, you’re sure to see growth.