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Local SEO allows you to rank higher in local Google Search Results. Because it requires you to know what the users are searching for locally, local SEO is different from traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Local SEO can be extremely beneficial to businesses as it accounts for up to 46% of all queries. This guide will show you how to implement local SEO best practices.
What is Local SEO? How does it work?
Local SEO is a search engine optimization strategy that helps businesses appear more prominent on local search queries. Local SEO is available to all businesses with physical locations and/or who serve geographic areas. It’s especially important for companies that plan to expand geographically, as it helps them attract new customers and allows them to rank higher in local SERPs.
Local SEO can be used by existing businesses to share their business with potential customers. This strategy is a great way to help businesses thrive in a sea of online advertising saturation and tough competition.
29% of SERPs contain a local pack as a result. It, therefore, seems that locally based searches represent a massive chunk of the SEO world, and if you are looking for your company to succeed, it’s important to get your product to the top of the local search results.
What matters for local SEO?
The Standard Google organic search SMS listing page includes regional and geographic data packs. An alternative algorithm determines the main Google search results for the search result map. Google’s primary search algorithm is similar to website content and the popularity of local links.
Another factor that can impact local SEO rankings is the location. Google My Business also has a listing of nearby businesses. You can use SEO tools that are focused on Google Local Search to help you develop regional-focused SEO audits. For example, you could create a keyword analysis of your local audience.
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Local SEO Rankings
We now know a little bit about the issues we face. Let’s get to the point.
Create an GMB (Google My Business). Listing
Local packs display the map and all businesses within that area. It is essential to create a GMB listing for your business in order to rank high on Local SEO. This will allow you to rank higher with Google’s algorithm, as long as your company information is accurate.
Optimize Voice Search
Voice searches are becoming more popular. 76% of smart speakers owners conduct local voice searches at the very least once a week. 46% of users also use voice searches to find information about local businesses every day.
Your SEO strategy should be adjusted to accommodate verbal queries, just as you do for keywords on the pages. Your customers will prefer to use voice search with long-tail key words than traditional queries. This means that you will need to adjust SERPs and adapt to conversational tone.
SEO is a broad topic that can be used to search for information. Traditional searches, for example, focus on the what, when and where of the resource. Voice searches have a greater impact on user intent, which is most often used when users are looking for specific information.
Keyword Research
Local Search Engine Optimization Keyword Research should be a one-off effort. You shouldn’t try to find new keywords every day, unlike blogs. In most cases, all you need is some keywords that people search for their local businesses. This section will explain how to incorporate qualified local search terms in your SEO campaigns. I have also covered this topic more than I had the time.
Mobile Website optimization
A study by Perficient shows that the shift to mobile devices compared to desktops has been more drastic since 2020. The number of phone-based website visitors increased from 63% in 2019, to 68% by 2020. Local content is particularly profitable. 18% of all mobile searches that display local intent result in purchases within 24 hours. A. This confirms that your website must be optimized for mobile in order to play a role in local SEO.
Your site should not only be optimized but also intuitive in terms UX. There are some golden rules of UX that you need to follow to be successful with your website.
If your local business is expanding into new cities and neighborhoods, you’ll need to consider website localization. It’s about adapting your web pages to the local culture. New York, for example, has the highest Hispanic population in the US. If you have a branch there it is worth translating your website to Spanish and redesigning it with Hispanics.
NAPs must be
Google checks the citations of your website to verify that your business has the correct information. These citations not only confirm your address and phone number but also provide information about other aspects of the company such as operating hours and services offered. This is how a local business ranks when searched on Google.
USPS is one of the most difficult services to reach. There are even websites with instructions on how to get through. Do not use these services to find such a website. Your NAP should not only be accessible to Google, but also to the customer.
Online reviews
A study found that negative reviews can hurt you in terms of SEO, and the more positive your reviews are, the better. Google also considers reviews from reputable sites when ranking local businesses. If you respond respectfully to positive reviews about your page, it is a good idea. This will give potential customers confidence in trusting and increase their likelihood of finding you in Google’s search results.
Regular SEO is still required
Google has always treated local search terms differently than other search terms. Still, companies that come in higher in organic search rankings will also have high placement locally. It is important that your website content and link building practices are optimized for local search engine optimization. This unique ranking system determines a site’s position on the map. Local SEO strategies are recommended for competitive keywords.
Businesses will naturally want to rank for keywords which are more general (e.g. ‘coffee shops’) as well as their locality (Maple Valley). These two strategies must be combined through regular SEO techniques and traditional Local Optimization techniques in order to make Local SEO more effective.
Create local content
Google no longer focuses on search engine optimization. Google’s primary focus is not on SEO for engines but providing the best content for users. First, the user experience is important. Therefore, you want to write blog posts that go beyond sales tactics and target creative topics where you can be entertaining or informative as well as a local authority about your niche.
SEO is more effective if you have local content. This establishes you as an authoritative and credible resource in your industry. This leads to increased traffic to your site, and higher rankings on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).
Inbound links that are relevant and authoritative
Google considers inbound linking from other websites to indicate relevance for your website. Your website’s domain authority can be affected by inbound links. Start with Chamber members and suppliers to get involved in your company, then expand the circle.
One way to make a difference is by hosting a community event.
You can also list your business in local directories. Here are some of the most popular:
- Moz
- Angie’s List
- Yelp
- MapQuest
- City-Data
- Foursquare
- Craigslist
- Local Guides
- Bing
- Thumbtack
- Blogarama
- Yellowbook
- Spoke
Google Autocomplete
Google’s Autocomplete feature is a great resource for Local SEO. It is easy to find out what people are looking for in your industry. You can also see how they spell those words so that you can create new content around them.
It can be combined with tools such as Keyword Surfer to give you an idea of what customers are searching for. This can help you create new content.
Wrap-up
Local SEO is a continuous battle for business owners. However, Local Optimization can help you gain an edge in the hyperlocal search engine result pages. This means that you create content that is relevant to your company’s location, whether it be new topics or specific keywords.
This includes getting links from relevant and authoritative sites so Google can determine how well-known you are locally (and nationwide). Online reviews and local directories still make for powerful signals for local SEO. Keep them in mind.
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