Bringing in local traffic is crucial for neighborhood businesses to remain contenders in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Often people search for what they want on the go, and capturing these leads helps boost profits. Discover ten clever SEO tips to optimize a local business website and start soaring past the competition.
- Mobile-Friendly Sites Matter
To achieve optimum local SEO results, make sure your site is mobile-friendly. When customers search from a tablet or smartphone, they should have a seamless experience using the site. Anything less means they are surfing to the competition. If you are unsure about the current design, consult with industry professionals such as Upswell Marketing to optimize the site.
- Google My Business
One of the easiest ways to improve local SEO is to fill out your Google My Business profile. When people search for neighborhood companies in the industry, they will find your business along with relevant information such as the address, phone number, and website. Verify all facts are updated and correct, such as operating hours and offerings, to build trust with potential customers. When people look for a business, they instantly find these business results on the first page of the search engine results.
- Check Your NAP
Customers must be able to find your business when they are ready to take action. With that in mind, always include the company’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) in all listings, directories, and promotional materials. Verify the NAP is correct and consistent everywhere it appears to make customers feel confident about finding you and taking action.
- Get Positive Reviews on Google
Most customers perform a preliminary Google search to determine how other people like a company. Encouraging happy customers to leave positive reviews helps boost local SEO. Plus, reviews encourage visitors to learn more about what you offer based on other consumers’ incredible experiences with the business. Offer discounts or incentives to get people to write Google reviews and add photos.
- Create Localized Content
Becoming a local authority helps businesses earn regional respect and build their client bases—craft localized content about news, events, and upcoming happenings in the neighborhood. Use your blog and social media accounts to regularly update people in the area about the latest updates, including industry news. Another way to appear in local searches is by attending events in the area and supporting local charities and teams. The most often people see you around town, the most likely they will become paying customers in the future.
- Perform Detailed Keyword Research
One of the crucial aspects of SEO is choosing the right keywords to attract your target audience. Perform keyword research using tools such as Google Analytics to determine how people search for items and services offered by your business. Look for highly trafficked keywords with low competition to start climbing up the search engine results. Make sure to select localized keywords, so customers in the area find your company when they are ready to make a purchase. Remember that keyword research is ongoing to ensure your content, title tags, and metadata are relevant to your target market today.
- Create Local Pages
Integrating the company into the neighborhood is essential for people to find it when using search engines. Local pages outline various happenings, places, and events in each town in your regional areas. Plus, these pages become a resource for travelers and people who move into the area looking for certain products and services. Include your company information on these pages, including the NAP, so that people know your business offers this valuable information. As they continue to find local resources from you, they begin to remember the company and what it offers.
- Include Relevant Links
Another way to amplify your local SEO efforts is to include relevant links to informational resources in your content. Add links to educational and industry resources to help people find the information they want. Publish articles on other sites with backlinks to your website to boost SEO. For local SEO, make sure to add localized keywords for customers to find your company. Once again, remember to add the NAP, so visitors have contact information for your business when they are ready to find out more.
- Add Listings to Local Directories
Local directories help people find businesses near them, much like the phone book worked years ago. When someone needed a particular item or service, they flipped through the yellow pages to find companies offering it in the area. Now customers search through local directories online to find companies. Include your NAP, logo, and other company representations for a consistent profile on every site. Verify your information appears the same on all directories, websites, and social media accounts to build trust and recognition.
- Optimize for Voice Search
There was a time when people had to type what they wanted into the search box to get results online. Now many people use voice-activated devices to get information as they multi-task their way through life. Busy customers use voice search to gather information about what they need instantly. Make sure your site is locally optimized to appear in voice searches to attract more leads. Often these customers are searching quickly and ready to make a purchase immediately, and you don’t want them to wind up surfing over to the competitors.
Local SEO is an affordable and effective way to reach out to your target market and start generating more leads for your business. First, make your company has a professional and consistent profile on your websites, social media accounts, and local directories. Conduct keyword research to hone in on local terms used to find businesses like yours and include these phrases in your title tags, metadata, and content. Remember that local SEO is an ongoing strategy that requires continued research to stay on top of the search engines. Do you still have questions about local SEO? Reach out to an industry expert today to find out more about optimizing your business for success tomorrow.
