Local SEO is the process of optimizing a business’s website for search engine visibility in specific geographic areas. It differs from regular SEO in that it uses different ranking factors to influence a website’s visibility on Google’s local search results. The goal is to drive qualified traffic and customers to a business’s physical location. The result is more leads and revenue.
Local searches make up a large percentage of all online searches, and they’re very important for small businesses that rely on foot traffic. A strong local SEO strategy can help a business rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which means that more people will see the business’s listing when searching for products or services. In addition to being found on Google’s SERP, businesses can also use local SEO strategies to improve their Google My Business listing, which is displayed when someone searches for a business in their area.
In a study conducted by Google and Ipsos, 4 out of 5 consumers who used a search engine to find information about a local business visited that establishment within the day. That’s why local business SEO is so important – it helps prospective clients and customers discover your business.
A local SEO strategy can include a variety of tactics, from improving the website’s content to building quality backlinks. The first step is to create a list of keywords that are relevant to your business and its geographic market. You can start by using tools like Google’s autocomplete and “People also ask” features to get ideas for potential keywords. Try typing in some of these keywords into a search engine and add local modifiers, such as “Arcadia CA cleaning service,” to narrow down the list of options.
Once you’ve identified some keywords, you can begin implementing them into your marketing materials. This might mean creating a blog post that includes the keyword in the title and content, or it might mean adding the phrase to your business’s social media posts. The most important thing is to be consistent – adding the keyword to all of your marketing materials will help Google recognize that you’re trying to rank for this term and give you more credibility in search engine results pages.
You can also focus on building local citations and getting reviews. Moz’s annual Local Search Ranking Factors survey reveals that review signals are one of the most influential factors in local search and snack pack rankings. This is why it’s important to collect customer reviews on sites that Google would expect businesses to have a presence on, such as Yelp, Facebook, Thumbtack, and Foursquare.
Finally, you can also boost your local SEO by running link-building campaigns that target relevant, local websites. This might include reaching out to local news outlets or area blogs and asking them to link to your site. It’s also important to monitor your listings on directories, such as Yelp and Bing, and to fix any inaccuracies that you see. Fortunately, our Listing Management tool can help you manage this process and keep your listings up-to-date across all major search engines and directories.