Local SEO is an increasingly important strategy for businesses that target a specific geographical area. It allows searchers to find your business based on their location, which is more likely to lead to a conversion than keyword searches that don’t include a geographic reference.
Google ranks local listings based on signals like Google My Business (GMB), citations, and review mentions. The key is ensuring your business is optimized for these factors and monitoring them closely.
Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB) Listing
Optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing can help you increase your visibility and drive more customers to your business. This can be done by adding correct business information, updating hours, and adding photos.
A well-optimized GMB profile can appear on the first page of a search engine, giving potential customers essential information about your business. It can also boost your local SEO by appearing in related searches within your local area.
The key to optimizing your GMB is choosing categories representing your business and its services best. These categories can include the types of products or services you provide, the location of your business, and the type of people who might use your service.
Your chosen category is essential because it will appear in search results and Maps. It’s also important to ensure your address is accurate and up-to-date. Keeping your GMB optimized is a long-term process that requires regular attention.
Optimize Your Website
Boosting your business in local search is an essential part of the digital marketing process. Eighty-eight percent of local searches turn into a visit or call within 24 hours, and it’s one of the most effective ways to generate new leads.
Optimizing your website can have a significant impact on your local SEO efforts. It can also attract quality visitors to your site who are interested in the products and services you offer.
Add local information to your page’s metadata (title tag and meta description) so Google can identify your location. In addition, use schema markup to organize your data and make it easier for search engines to match your business with relevant searches.
Another great way to improve your local SEO is to encourage online reviews. These are the second-most influential factor in ranking local businesses.
Encourage Online Reviews
Online reviews can significantly impact local search results and your overall business. A Harvard Business School study found that even a one-star increase in a company’s star rating can boost revenues by up to 10 percent.
Getting fresh and frequently received reviews on your Google Business Profile, website, and other third-party review sites is an essential local SEO strategy. It’s also important to encourage customers to leave reviews.
For example, print a slip of paper that asks for a review or place it in product boxes or bags along with the receipt. Include a QR code that links directly to your chosen review site.
Another way to encourage online reviews is by submitting your name, address, phone number (NAP), and website URL (NAP+W) to authoritative and localized directories. These citations comprise 11 percent of the local pack-ranking factors and can help searchers find your business.
Leverage Location Pages
Location pages are vital to your local SEO strategy, whether you’re a single-location business or have multiple brick-and-mortar locations. They serve as landing pages for your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing and give visitors all the information they need to convert and become customers.
It would help if you optimized each for specific search terms to maximize your location pages’ potential to rank. This means keyword optimization in your page titles, header tags, body content, and unique content relevant to your target audience.
Also, include your business’s NAP data — name, address, and phone number — on each page. This helps Google understand your business’s presence on the web and rank you higher in local searches.
You can boost your location pages’ search engine performance by including relevant images and videos with the correct alt tags. This will improve your ranking in local search results and increase the likelihood that people will find you on Google Maps.