Local SEO is a digital marketing strategy that helps local businesses and service-area companies outrank competing firms in the same geographical area on Google Search. It involves using a combination of traditional SEO tactics such as keyword research, link building, and content optimization, along with specific strategies that are unique to local searches.
The primary benefit of local SEO is increased online visibility for your business which leads to more customers at your bricks-and-mortar location or on your website. This can result in more subscriptions, sign-ups, appointments, or sales. Local SEO can also help increase in-store traffic by tapping into local shopping trends.
As with any type of SEO, the first step is to perform a keyword research to identify high-volume keywords that your prospects and customers are searching for. This will give you a good idea of what search terms to target on your website, in your blog posts, or in social media content. You can use tools such as SEMRush, Spyfu, or Ahrefs to identify the most relevant keywords for your business.
Once you have a list of relevant keywords, start performing competitive analysis to see what your competitors are doing and how they’re ranking for these keywords. This will provide a good indication of the competitive landscape and what it will take to rank on top for your specific niche.
Next, you’ll want to optimize your Google Business Profile for local search. This includes providing a detailed description of your company, adding photos, ensuring all information is accurate and up-to-date, and listing the service areas you cover. This will enable Google to show your business when someone conducts a search with “near me.”
In addition to optimizing your Google Business profile, you’ll want to earn local citations. This can be done by creating profiles on industry-specific directories (such as those for plumbers and electricians) or by reaching out to local organizations such as Chambers of Commerce, licensing bureaus, and trade associations. You can also earn local citations through partnerships, scholarships, or guest blogging opportunities.
Another key aspect of local SEO is the quality and quantity of your reviews. It’s widely known that customer reviews are one of the most influential factors in determining how your business ranks on Google. This is why it’s important to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews for your business on Google My Business and other online review sites.
Finally, you’ll want to implement Schema Markup on your website to improve its ranking potential on Google. This can be done through a plugin like Rank Math. Once installed, the plugin will automatically generate schema markup for your site based on the data you enter. This will significantly enhance your ranking potential on Google’s SERPs.