Top Tips To Boost Local SEO Efforts and Connect With Target Audiences
The process of optimizing the content in online platforms to increase their visibility in the local search results by optimizing a website for brand-related keywords in a geographic area is said to be Local SEO. The businesses with physical stores or serving a geographic location benefit from Local SEO. Their search rankings improve, that in turn increases their search results. An influx of additional visitors to the website is the overall aim of Local SEO. By means of Local SEO efforts, customers can easily discover, evaluate and get in touch with local businesses to fulfil their requirements. In turn, the businesses are earning greater brand awareness, more leads, better foot traffic and higher sales.
How Do Local Search Results Appear?
In comparison to the traditional search results, the search results for local businesses appear somewhat different, however, not entirely.
For instance, Google displays a "Map Pack" at the top of search results – a few of the top-ranked businesses come up. Definitely, to appear in the Map Pack, the business should have a Google Business Profile already set up. Along with the Map Pack, the business website should be optimized for increasing business visibility in local organic search results. It is important because the customers would see the business listing in the Map Pack, notice the 4 – 5 star reviews the business received, and then check the business appears in the organic results. Right away the searchers build up trust and consider the business to be legitimate when they find the business exists in the Map Pack and is even highly ranked in the below results.
Maybe a business does not have a physical location or a business address, still, it can still be ranked in local organic results through optimized high-quality content bearing relevance to the city for which the website should be ranked. Even if the business has not appeared in the Map Pack, still it could appear below it – it will be possible only when the website has included the local keywords and unique content for that specific location.
Top 12 Local SEO Strategy Tips To Optimize Business Presence
When the Local SEO strategies are properly implemented, the business' online presence can tailored to attract local customers, improve the search engine rankings, and increase the chances to get connected with the desired audiences in specific geographical areas. By practising the right strategies, the efforts are sure to pay off. Hence, we shall now share a list of 12 local SEO strategy tips to help you get started –
1. First, Either You Claim or Optimize Your Google My Business Profile
The online directory providing accurate information to users about the local businesses of a specific region is Google My Business. Within a year of being launched, a business might have a listing automatically. This could have been helpful but it is possible for the automated listing to have errors. That is why optimizing GMB listing is important. These are the steps to go about GMB listing optimization –
Your complete listing should consist of all the relevant information to optimize your business profile. Furthermore, it helps the users to find your business more easily.
2. Include More Citations in Online Directories
Mark all territories in all the big map data aggregators, which include Google, Bing, Yelp and Apple for traffic maximization online as well as in-store. Landing in the top 5 results on Google ought to be your goal because it usually accounts for the majority of user click-through rates.
No duplicate listing is allowed. All the provided information should be accurate and consistent. Then you can maximize the results of online directories. Choose to apply for a Chamber of Commerce membership in your community. You shall receive access to an external inbound link that has been created for your area.
3. Get Done A Local SEO Audit For Your Business Website
Next, compare your website to that of your competitors. You can analyze how good or better your business is doing. To conduct the audit, you can use free tools and analyzers such as Google Analytics or Publer. Compare your website's top results on the SERPs by identifying your target keywords.
Encode all – the content types, elements, keywords and website layout. Maintain every detail in a Spreadsheet for tracking the entire audit.
4. Identify The Relevant Local Keywords To Target Them
By targeting location-related keywords, local businesses can better utilize the website traffic. Increasing the "Near me" search terms makes it the key focus for local businesses when the website traffic goes high to 900% from 150%. Eventually, website traffic and visibility become better when the local keywords are identified and targeted.
Keywords within 10 to 15 miles of business can be identified with the help of Google's Keyword Planner Tool. Using this tool, you can filter the location-based keyword searches to check out the popular searches in your area. From the Keyword Planner tool, you can even get a list of relevant keywords for targeting your local business so you can include them in your website's content, copy and URL.
5. Mobile Optimization is Compulsory
Nowadays, almost all eligible shoppers are using Smartphones for convenient shopping, hence a mobile-friendly website for your local business is a must. A website developer has to be involved in making mobile-friendly websites. The better the user experience, the more time they spend scrolling your business website.
Here is a briefing on how you can successfully optimize your website for mobile :
6. Invite and Encourage Reviews From All Your Happy Customers
To win over new customers, positive reviews from the existing happy customers take the game to a level higher. Claim your Google My Business profile along with other online business listings for encouraging users to share reviews, so you can get maximum out of your customers.
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Offer discounts on further purchases or freebies to customers as incentives. This is a strategy that improves the online presence of the store and develops trust with potential customers. Never fail to respond to all reviews – whether good or bad. Customers can understand you are engaged with them.
7. Work On Creating Relevant Local Contents For Search Engines and Users
Localize your content to keep them relevant to your target audiences. Maintain a Blog section and update it frequently. Release a press statement. Create a separate landing page connecting with your community. Offer significant insights about your local community. Participate in promoting local events or offerings and partner with a reputed local organization. Keep the contents natural by relating to your brand's value. Create content emphasizing user needs, and beyond what your business is selling.
8. Keep Your Focus on High-Quality Backlinks
A link from a third party leading back to your website is called the backlink. Backlinks from high-quality websites create a positive impact on a website's ranking and authority, which a local business needs a lot.
Here is how you can start building high-quality backlinks to your local business –
Writing fluff-free, high-quality and relevant long-form content is the key to creating an effective backlink content strategy.
9. Remember To Create Location-Based Pages
Maybe you have multiple business locations, then creating location-based pages proves helpful. The store name, contact details, location, operating hours and a unique store description should be included. Even the testimonials from contented customers who have already paid a visit to your store should be inserted.
When there is only one store in a specific location, then the “About Us” section should be made more interesting. Include a trivia about the area. To derive the best results, include a Google Map of the area.
10. Your Website Should Be Made More Google-Friendly
Be attentive to your page structure to boost search ranking. Optimize the URLs, headers, title tags and meta descriptions. Every new blog post brings up an opportunity for creating new indexed pages, targeting a local search phrase and higher the contents in the SERPs.
Add the high-volume keywords to the page structure for optimizing the "Near Me" local searches.
11. Surely Add Google My Business Profile Posts and Be Active On Social Media
Social media is an effective tool to promote Google My Business Listings for local businesses. A social media profile keeps the audiences aware and updated about the latest sales, events and necessary changes your business is making, like store schedules and product availability.
There are Facebook users who visit the local business pages once or twice a week.
To make the most out of your social media strategy, follow these tips:
A solid social media presence significantly impacts small businesses, despite increasing sales or web traffic immediately.
12. Part Take In Local Community Events
Participating in local events helps in improving local SEO. The more you attend these events, the better you organically connect with audiences and learn more about your local community. Ultimately, you are promoting your brand.
To gain media exposure and brand awareness – sponsor events, partner with organizations, join larger community events and make yourself a panellist or industry expert in local news. Increasing visibility and reaching a wider audience will be possible when you take advantage of these opportunities.
Thus, Local SEO is very much essential for local businesses for their online presence maximization in a particular geographic area. The process is a continuous one, you have to regularly monitor and optimize for maintaining and improving search rankings over time. SEO geared towards local results significantly impacts the business's success, specifically if you are relying on local customers. Implementing the discussed strategies and keeping yourself updated with the latest trends and productive practices, definitely makes your business discoverable and accessible to target audiences online. Maybe a small local business or a larger business unit having multiple locations, Local SEO is equally powerful for driving traffic, increasing leads and raising the sales count of the business.