With the recent growth of mobile internet users, local SEO has become increasingly important for businesses that offer services or products to their local audience. It’s a bit different from traditional search engine optimization (SEO), but it involves the same basic elements. In addition to optimizing business listings and content, local SEO also focuses on local citations and reviews.
Whether you are a digital marketing agency, a plumber, or an accountant, local SEO strategies can be applied to any type of business. To get started, determine what terms your potential customers are searching for when looking for your product or service. Doing this will help you find the best way to rank your website for those terms.
Once you know what terms your customers are using, do some research to see how other companies are ranking for those same terms. This will give you an idea of what it takes to be successful in your area. You can then use this information to help guide your own strategy.
The first step in local SEO is to create a Google My Business profile listing. This is a great place to start since it’s free and can help you get seen by more local customers. Be sure to optimize your listing by including all of the relevant details about your business, including photos, videos, and descriptions. You should also list your products and services and update them regularly.
Next, you need to build links on local sites that are relevant to your industry and location. This can be done by contributing to community blogs, participating in local events, or joining a local organization. You should also try to get backlinks from local authority websites like.edu sites, chambers of commerce, and licensing bureaus. Lastly, you should focus on getting local citations from high-quality directories such as Yelp, Bing Maps, Facebook, and more.
A common mistake made by local marketers is focusing on the keywords they think their audience is searching for. While this is an important part of any marketing campaign, it’s also crucial to look at the broader topic that those keywords are guiding. This will allow you to better optimize your website for your target audience’s search intent.
Another mistake is overlooking the importance of having a strong social media presence. Not only does this help build brand awareness, but it can also boost your website’s rankings in SERPs. It’s also a great way to interact with your audience and show them that you care about their opinions.
A final mistake is not making the most of Google’s local search results feature, known as the “Map Pack.” This is a set of 3 local business results that appear at the top of SERPs for certain local searches. You can improve your chances of being included in the Map Pack by optimizing your GMB listing and ensuring that your business is listed on all of the major local search directories.