When you’re looking for ways to improve your local search engine optimization, one of the best ways is to build citations. Local citations are any mention of your business name, address, phone number, or website. The most popular place to build these citations is on online business directories. These citations are called structured citations, and the more industry-specific these citations are, the better for your SEO. This type of backlink helps Google trust your website and improves local ranking.
There are many factors to consider when optimizing your local SEO. Your website’s distance from the geographic area in which people perform searches is a key factor. Your business’s name and address should be clearly stated and in the correct category. You should also include relevant keywords and have a valid NAP (name, address, phone number, email) on your website. Also, reviews are important to help Google validate the credibility of your business. Google will prefer businesses with higher ratings on local directories.
When people perform local searches, they will see a list of local businesses that are close by. These results will appear at the top of the SERP. However, these ads are not part of the organic results. You can also choose to advertise through local search ads. While these are less effective than organic listings, they can be an effective and hassle-free way to increase your local presence. If you’re not sure whether to use these ads, consider the benefits of local SEO.
While the benefits of local SEO are immense, you should remember that this is an important aspect of your overall marketing strategy. Research has shown that 46% of people searching on Google are looking for businesses in their area. In addition, many of these customers are also motivated to make a purchase. Taking advantage of local SEO is important for your business’s online presence and helps your customers find you easily. It can even boost sales offline. So, don’t waste time on ad campaigns that aren’t relevant to your business.
Another effective way to boost your local SEO is to use positive reviews. According to a recent study, 72% of mobile users believe that a business with positive reviews is more reliable. By placing positive reviews on your website, you can ensure that your business will be able to be found and get the exposure it deserves. And, it will boost your local SEO relevance and establish relevance for search queries. So, do not forget to do these three simple things to increase your local SEO.
Structured data mark-up is a great way to relay important business information on Google’s search results. This is also useful if you own a local business, organization, product, or service, and you want to be found on Google Maps. You can also try to analyze your pages’ code with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to boost your local SEO. If you want your business to be listed in local search results, make sure it has a Google My Business page.