Local SEO is the process of optimizing your business’s online presence so that it ranks higher in search results for specific geographic regions. As a result, your business receives more traffic and leads. It’s a highly competitive field, but there are many things you can do to boost your visibility and increase ROI.
The first step in local SEO is conducting keyword research. You can do this by simply searching for keywords related to your business and the city where you operate. Then, include these keywords in your content. This includes meta tags, headers, within the body of your pages, and image alt attributes.
Another way to improve your visibility is by building high-quality backlinks. These links should be from authority websites in your region. This could include licensing bureaus, trade associations, the Chamber of Commerce or.edu sites (ask about partnerships, scholarships or guest posting opportunities).
You also want to ensure your NAP (name, address and phone number) is consistent across all directories. Using a tool that manages these listings can help you achieve this, as can focusing on major citation sites like Google My Business (GMB), Bing Maps, Yelp and Facebook.
In addition to claiming and managing your GMB listing, you should focus on collecting reviews from local consumer directories. This includes sites like Facebook, Yelp, Thumbtack and Angie’s List. This helps Google determine if you have a strong local presence, which in turn will impact your ranking in the snack pack.
Creating content that is relevant and unique can also help your website rank higher. This can be in the form of blog posts, news articles or even infographics and interactive quizzes. Just be sure to include your target keywords in the content and use them in the headline when possible, as this will alert search engines that the post is important.
Finally, you want to make sure your store operating status is accurate. Google has started displaying this attribute in search results, so it’s important to keep your inventory up-to-date.
Local SEO is an essential part of any business, as it allows you to reach customers that are close to your physical location. By utilizing the tactics above, you can improve your chances of being seen by potential customers and drive incremental performance year over year.