If you’re a business owner, you should start local SEO efforts immediately. While you’ll find a lot of content marketing tools out there, you should also create your own content to target a local audience. Creating content for your website doesn’t necessarily mean you need to write blog posts – resource guides, presentations, and technical specification sheets all work well. However, there are a few key aspects to local SEO that you need to be aware of.
Consumers have begun to incorporate their location when searching for products and services online. While most people use big search engines to find what they’re looking for, they also use location-based sites to find local businesses. Local SEO allows only businesses to be shown in local searches – unless they’ve done the work themselves or hired a local search marketing agency to do it. Moreover, nearly 60% of online searches are conducted on mobile devices, which means that local SEO can help you reach your local Internet audience more effectively.
Another aspect of local SEO is building citations. Citations are mentions of your business name, phone number, and website. The most popular way to build citations is by claiming your listing in online business directories. These mentions are known as structured citations, and the more industry-specific they are, the more value they have for SEO. Not only do they provide backlinks, but they also provide Google with a higher level of trust for your website.
In addition to having a good Google My Business listing, make sure to list important information about your business on your website. Google will use the information to help potential customers find you. It’s important to list your business information on Google my business, since this is critical for local SEO best practices. The best place to list it is on the first page of search results. And remember to use Google my Business to keep updated with the latest news and updates.
SEO basics include the use of location and service. Using local search terms in content will boost your SERP location. You can use these terms in pillar content, blogs, and social posts. If you own a car dealership, for example, you can include references to how the business serves the town in your About Us page. Likewise, a blog post on “How to Get the Best Deals on Hondas in Northwestern Montana” would focus on a blog post.
It’s not uncommon for a business to be listed in more than one city. In this case, the more cities you list in, the better. Local SEO is best done through a mobile-optimized website. Google’s algorithm looks at a dozen focal points on a local landing page. A website that looks good on mobile will rank better than one that doesn’t. Using Google Maps is an excellent way to increase local SEO.
In addition to building links to your website, structured data mark-up is an excellent way to relay important business information to Google SERPS. Use the Google Structured Data Testing Tool to analyze the code on your website. The test will give you an idea of which pages are using structured data mark-up. Then, use it to optimize your product or service. The more structured data you use, the more likely your website will rank higher for relevant search queries.
Review management is important for local SEO. While it may seem like a daunting task, managing reviews online can reap big rewards. In addition to social media and email marketing activity, online reviews will be the foundation of your brand’s reputation. Always keep your brand and message in the forefront of your communication with your online community. Relevant content is critical for local SEO, so keep your content relevant and high-quality. It can take many forms, including blog posts, social media posts, and videos.
In addition to quality links, you should include your phone number and NAP in your website. By listing this information on your website, you can reinforce your location and provide customer details. In addition to your address and phone number, you should also include a link to your website or GBP, and optimise your meta information. Business citations are not necessarily links, but they can increase your website’s prominence online. Trade associations, chambers of commerce, and other sources are excellent places to make business mentions.
When people search locally, local SERPs will appear as organic and GMB listings. Optimizing your website for local queries is key in local SEO. This is because Google has to determine the intent of the searcher. If the user searches for a hotel, for example, Google might not return the hotel’s website if it determines the user wants to book multiple hotels. Therefore, it’s important to optimize your website for local search queries and to keep your business visible in these places.