Local SEO is a powerful way to target and drive highly-targeted, organic search traffic from your local area to your website. This guide will help you understand how it works, and then walk you through the steps needed to get your business ranking in the local SERPs (Search Engine Results Page).
At a high-level, Local SEO is very similar to traditional SEO. Search engines, like Google, scan through their index to find the best matches for someone’s query – essentially pulling up a list of the most relevant businesses in their area. In order to rank well in this list, a number of different factors must be taken into account, including your website, Google My Business Profile, local citations, and review signals.
To start, it’s important to do your keyword research for Local SEO to understand the types of searches that are being made in your area. Then, you can use those keywords in your content to ensure that searchers are finding your site.
Next, you’ll want to ensure that your business information is consistent across all online properties. This includes your website, Google My Business listing, and other third-party business directories, like Yelp. Then, you’ll need to work on gaining reviews for your business – both on your website and third-party sites, such as Yelp and BBB.
While focusing on these factors, it’s also important to be mindful of what your competitors are doing. For example, if you’re seeing that other local businesses are ranking higher than you in the Map Pack, try to figure out what they might be doing that you’re not. This can help you combat some of their tactics, such as listing inaccurate location information or spamming their profiles with fake reviews.
Prominence is the third ranking factor for Local SEO and it focuses on how prominent your business is in the local search ecosystem. This includes things like citations, Google My Business profile activity, and the prominence of your reviews on both your website and third-party review sites.
For instance, if you’re an Italian restaurant with great food, you’ll want to focus on getting reviews for your place from both consumer directories and social media platforms, like Yelp, Foursquare, and even Facebook. This helps validate the quality of your products and services, as well as authenticates you in Google’s eyes.
Finally, the last major local ranking factor is proximity – which is what determines whether your business shows up in the Google Carousel when someone searches for something related to your industry. This can include things like your city, zip code, and landmarks. This can be influenced by the type of business you are and the types of searches people are making, so it’s important to monitor your position in this factor on a regular basis. Fortunately, there are tools, such as our own Listing Management tool, that can help you keep track of your listings and quickly correct any inconsistencies that arise.