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Local SEO is a popular strategy for many businesses that serve local customers. While it is very similar to general SEO, there are best practices to follow that can transform your business’s website presence and boost your brand reputation.
what is local SEO?
In local SEO, a business will optimize their website’s visibility through unpaid, location-based search results on Google Search, Google Maps, and other search engines. This strategy goes further than country-related searches and focuses on people located in specific cities and towns.
who does it benefit?
Businesses with physical stores (restaurants) and those who provide a service in the area (doctors, plumbers) can benefits greatly from local SEO, as most of their customer base comes from people who live near their business.
5 Strategies to improve SEO based
refine google business profile
A Google Business profile is the free listing of your business that can rank high on Google Search results when optimized correctly. Before you can optimize your business profile you must create or verify your profile. Basic information should be included in this profile such as contact information, operating hours, photos and videos of your business, and different attributes of your business (seating arrangements, Wi-Fi availability, ect.). When a Google Business profile is created, verified and optimized, a potential customer can find your business just by doing a quick Google search (zero-click search).
More refinement strategies
Once your Google Business profile has been created, it’s important to keep it active, updating with new business details, any new or trending news stories, and upcoming offers. Google reviews can be another way to boost your ranking and help you stand out to users, especially if reviews are positive. It’s essential to respond to every Google review—even the negative ones. This shows customers that you value all customer feedback, and want to continue improving ob your services.
perform local keyword research
Local keyword research is more specific than general keyword research, as businesses find popular search terms that people use when searching for products and services that serve that area. Use keyword research tools like Semrush and look into your local competitors to determine which local keywords they might be missing out on, that you could include.
optimizing “near me” searches
“Near me” keywords are essential for businesses as they directly target customers who are looking for nearby products and services. There are many ways to optimize “near me” searches, including:
- Refining Google Business Profile
- Adding proper schema markup (code that helps businesses understand content on a webpage)
- Have backlinks
- Make your site mobile-friendly
- Improve on-page SEO
work on on-page SEO
Creating localized seo content on your business’s website can help enhance its visibility on search engines. Content on your site should resonate with your local audience from trends to special events in the area.
geo-location pages
Geo-location pages are designed to target users who live in a particular city or town. These pages will summarize services for your business and how they target the area where a certain customer lives in. Each geo-location page must offer fresh content, imagery, and special keywords that include “in [City, State].
local blog content
When creating a local blog content strategy, write meaningful content that customers are looking for. Maybe there’s a popular question within the industry you can answer, or maybe there’s a common pain point you can help with. Some popular local content ideas can include event-related posts, local news, or local resources directories.
Local SEO requires a thorough strategy that keeps in mind your business’s location and your customers. At Sperling, we offer local SEO strategies that will help enhance your website’s visibility.
