Local SEO is an important aspect of digital marketing that can help you reach your ideal audience through local search results. It can also be an effective way to generate new business and attract loyal customers.
Whether you run a small, local business with a brick-and-mortar storefront or a large business that services clients in a specific area, it’s important to implement a local SEO strategy. With the rise of mobile devices and voice searches, more and more people are looking for businesses that offer local services or products.
It’s important to remember that local SEO isn’t just about gaining rankings and traffic – it’s also about creating a better experience for users. It can include improving site speed, implementing a user-friendly structure, and optimizing your content for conversions.
Make sure to focus on keywords that are relevant to your business and target local users. This will ensure that your website appears in search results whenever a potential customer is looking for your business or services.
Use a Google keyword planner or other tool to discover keywords with low competition and high volume of searchers. These are often long-tail keywords that are specific to your location and product.
Create a page on your website dedicated to local keywords and unique content for your particular location. This will allow you to optimize your website for these terms and increase your visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
Be sure to use a natural, conversational tone when writing your pages. This will help ensure that you answer your customers’ questions in a way that they can understand.
Submit your business information to reputable local directories, review sites (like Yelp), and industry-focused blogs and directories. These sites can boost your local rankings by providing citations to your business, which Google counts as votes of confidence that your company provides a valuable resource for the searcher’s query.
Another great way to secure citations is by joining or participating in local business associations or trade organizations. These groups can help you build your online presence by offering you a place to showcase your work, and they can provide a link back to your website as well.
Using local keywords in your blog posts is also an excellent way to gain citations and boost your rankings in the local search results. These can be articles that address local issues, or even just a blog post about a specific topic related to your business.
Be sure to optimize your main navigation and meta descriptions for local keywords, too. This will make it easier for people to find you in the local listings and increase your chances of appearing on the Map Pack as well.
Get your contact information up to date in all local directory listings by updating your phone number and other details on a regular basis. This includes ensuring that you’re listed on Google and other popular online directories, and by keeping your business hours up to date as well.