Local SEO is a form of search engine optimization that helps local businesses reach their target audience. It involves optimizing a website so that it shows up higher on search results when people are looking for businesses in a specific geographical area.
A successful local SEO strategy can help you increase visibility, boost your brand’s reputation, and connect with new customers in your area. It is important to implement a local SEO strategy that is customized for your business and the market you serve.
Build Citations, Get Reviews, Track Your Rankings
A solid local SEO strategy includes building a comprehensive set of citations on relevant websites and online properties like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and BBB (Better Business Bureau). Make sure each citation contains your business name, address, phone number, and website URL. Also, keep your NAP consistent across these sites so that search engines can recognize your location and rank you better in local searches.
Create Schema Markup for Your Site
Adding relevant Schema markup to your site is one of the best ways to improve your search engine rankings for local terms. This helps Google show your business in more localized results, which means more traffic for you and a better chance of turning those visitors into paying customers.
Start by using a tool like Google’s Keyword Planner to generate a list of keywords related to your business. This tool will also let you know how much search volume those keywords have and how competitive they are.
When it comes to local SEO, you want to choose keywords that are a good fit for your business and your market. You don’t want to use too many keywords that are too competitive and aren’t related to your business, because it could hurt your SEO and damage your ranking.
Next, research your top competitors and their keywords to see what they are targeting. This will give you a better idea of what your own keywords should be and what search terms are most effective for your business.
Another good resource is Moz’s annual Local Search Ranking Factors survey, which lists the most important factors that influence how a business ranks on search engine results pages. These factors are constantly changing, so it is important to stay up to date on the latest trends in local SEO.
Do Keyword Research
To find valuable long-tail local keywords, conduct a keyword research on your competitor’s websites and blog posts. In particular, check their About page and contact pages. These are likely to contain some of the most relevant local keywords that are being used by your competition.
You may find that your competitors are targeting some of the same keywords as you do, so it’s a good idea to add those keywords to your own list. In addition, it’s always a good idea to do a little local SEO keyword research and try to find new keywords that are not yet being targeted by your competition.