Local SEO is becoming increasingly important to the success of small businesses. With almost 90% of consumers now using their mobile devices to find local information, it’s more critical than ever for small businesses to focus on having a strong web presence.
If you’re not familiar with Local SEO, here are some insights on how your business can benefit from investing in it.
What is Local SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps your website rank higher in search engines. It brings more traffic to your site, which should lead to more leads and sales for your business.
Local SEO is a subtype of SEO that focuses on optimizing your site so that it ranks higher in local search results. This means that when people are looking for a business or product in your area, they can find you.
Why is Local SEO Important?
Almost 90% of consumers now use their mobile devices to find local information.
Since most searches are location-specific, your website needs to be optimized for the specific area where you do business. This ensures that people searching for your services or products can easily find you online and make a purchase from you if they choose to do so.
10 Tips to Boost Your Local SEO Performance
➦ Understand your Customer’s Needs
According to Google research, 90% of smartphone users use their devices to find local information (such as store hours, directions, or menu items). Knowing this will help you better understand the information your customers are looking for.
➦ Creating Pages for Each Location
Are you are running multiple locations? If so, be sure to create a unique page that reflects each location individually. By doing this, Google will rank all of your locations based on relevancy for each location.
➦ Keyword Research is Your Friend
Keyword research is an essential step in the Local SEO process. To ensure your business appears at the top of as many search results as possible, you need to optimize for local keywords that customers are searching for. Be sure to check out Google’s Keyword Planner tools if you’re looking for a free way to find exactly what keywords your customers are typing into search engines.
➦ NAP Details are Key
Make sure you have all of your business’s information listed on Google, Yelp, etc. With this information, you’ll be able to rank higher in the search results by including keywords in your NAP details.
➦ Connect with Other Local Businesses
By creating an account with Google My Business, you’ll be able to show up in the results of other business directories like Yelp. The ability for your customers to see how closely related other businesses are located near yours will help increase online visibility.
➦ Utilize Facebook Ads
Facebook is by far one of the best platforms for small businesses that are starting with their Local SEO. Facebook Ads allows your business to geographically target a specific area, which is great for local businesses.
➦ Focus on Quality Content
Content is king! If you want a chance at ranking high in the search results, be sure to focus on creating original content that will help people understand the services offered by your company. Always remember, Google wants to provide accurate and relevant information as quickly as possible – so they look for sites with high-quality, relevant content as a way of determining if a site offers good information about a topic.
For example, if your website helps people find Denver sugar babies, you should be providing information from a perspective that is relevant to sugar babies rather than a perspective that is relevant to Denver apartment rentals.
➦ Utilize Review Sites
Be sure to take advantage of review sites like Yelp or Google My Business by encouraging your customers to leave reviews after working with you.
➦ Don’t Neglect Mobile SEO
With mobile accounting for nearly half of all Google searches, it’s important to make sure your website is properly formatted when viewed on a mobile device. It may seem trivial but you’d be surprised how many sites lack proper formatting when viewed from a smartphone.
➦ Editing NAP Details and Title Tags
It’s important to remember that Google and other search engines simply scrape content from your website. That means if the information they find isn’t accurate, it can hurt your ranking in the Local SEO results. By editing your NAP details and title tags, you’ll ensure that the correct information shows up in search engine results.
It’s also important to note that adding or editing content after submitting your URL to Google My Business may require you to wait for up to 48 hours before the data is refreshed.
Conclusion
In the end, Local SEO is a great strategy for small businesses as there are fewer competitors and it’s easier to be recognized by customers in their local areas. By following these 10 tips, you’ll have a good foundation for building your Local SEO presence.