Did you know that 97 percent of consumers use the internet to find local businesses? And when they do, they usually click on the link that is ranked on the first page of their search results. This is why it’s so important for your business to have a strong local SEO strategy.
Local SEO is vital for businesses that want to be visible in searches for products and services in their area. If you own a brick-and-mortar store or provide service within a certain geographic area, you need to make sure your website appears in search results when potential customers are looking for businesses like yours.
There are a few key things you can do to improve your local SEO. Here are 10 tips to get you started:
1. Include your physical address and phone number on your website
Make sure your website is optimized for local search by including your city, state or region, and zip code on your website. Include this information in your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content. When you mention your physical address on your website, it helps meta search engines and business directories to better index your website. This can help to improve your website’s ranking in relevant search results, and ultimately send more traffic your way.
2. Claim your Google My Business listing
If you haven’t already, claim your Google My Business listing. This is a free listing that allows you to manage how your business appears in Google’s local search results. Once you’ve claimed your listing, be sure to keep your information up-to-date, including your hours of operation, address, and phone number. Be sure to include a detailed description and specify the Business category that is the closest match to your business. Adding imagery and regularly posting to your Google My Business listing can help improve your local SEO. When you add images, be sure to use high-quality photos that are relevant to your business and include keywords in the file name. You should also post updates about your business on a regular basis. This helps show Google that your business is active and can help improve your ranking in search results.
3. Keywords optimize your website by including targeting location name
Use local SEO keywords on your website. When potential customers search for businesses like yours, they will often include a location in their search query. For example, if someone is searching for “coffee shops in Los Angeles,” you’ll want to make sure your website appears in the results by including relevant keywords on your website. Use keyword research tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner and semrush.com to find local keywords that are relevant to your business. Once you’ve identified a few target keywords, be sure to use them throughout your website, including in your title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content.
4. Optimize your website for local voice searches
Voices search is a fast-growing trend, and it’s important to optimize your website for this type of search. When people use voice search to find local businesses, they often use long-tail keywords that include a location. For example, someone might say, “Siri, find me the best coffee shop near me.” To optimize your website for voice search, be sure to include long-tail keywords that include a location on your website. You can also optimize your website for voice search by including structured data on your website. Structured data is a code that helps search engines understand the content on your website. This can help to improve your website’s ranking in relevant search results, and ultimately send more traffic your way.
5. Publish Local content on website
One way to improve your local SEO is to publish local content on your website. This could include blog posts about local events, news, or businesses. You could also include a local section on your website that includes information about the area where your business is located. When you publish local content on your website, be sure to include relevant keywords and backlinks to other local businesses or websites. This will help improve your website’s ranking in relevant search results, and ultimately send more traffic your way.
6. Get listed in online directories and review sites
In addition to claiming your listing on Google My Business, you should also get listed in other online directories and review sites. This helps to improve your website’s visibility and can send more traffic your way. There are many online directories and review sites that cater to local businesses, so be sure to find a few that are relevant to your business and get listed. Once you’re listed, be sure to claim your listing and fill out all of the information. This includes your business name, address, phone number, and website URL. You should also add images, videos, and reviews to your listing to help improve your visibility.
7. Add Schema markup to your website
Schema markup is a code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand the content on your website. This can help improve your website’s ranking in relevant search results, and ultimately send more traffic your way. To add schema markup to your website, you’ll need to edit the code on your website. If you’re not familiar with coding, you can hire a developer to help you. Once you’ve added schema markup to your website, be sure to test it using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to make sure it’s working properly.
8. Promote your website locally on social media
Social media is a great way to promote your website locally. You can use social media to share your website’s content, interact with potential customers, and build relationships with other local businesses. When you promote your website on social media, be sure to use relevant local hashtags and include a call-to-action. You should also promote your website on social media platforms that are popular in your area. For example, if you’re a local business in the United States, you might want to promote your website on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
9. Create city pages for targeting specific locations
If you have a business that serves multiple locations, you can create city pages on your website for each location. City pages are pages on your website that are specifically designed for a particular location. They typically include information about the city, such as attractions, events, and businesses. City pages can also include images, videos, and reviews. Creating city pages can help improve your website’s ranking in relevant search results, and ultimately send more traffic your way.
10. Get more local reviews
Local reviews are an important part of local SEO. Reviews can help improve your website’s visibility and can send more traffic your way. To get more local reviews, you can encourage your customers to leave a review on your Google My Business listing, as well as other online directories and review sites. You can also promote your reviews on social media. When you ask for reviews, be sure to leave specific instructions on how to leave a review. For example, you might want to include a link to your Google My Business listing. Getting more reviews can help improve your website’s ranking in relevant search results, and ultimately send more traffic your way.
Implementing these local SEO tips can help improve your website’s ranking in relevant search results, and ultimately send more traffic your way. While some of these tips require some technical knowledge, others are relatively easy to implement. Regardless of your level of expertise, there are a few things you can do to improve your website’s local SEO. So get started today and see the results for yourself!
