Local SEO strategies provide a cost-effective means of reaching your target audience without incurring unnecessary ad costs, while simultaneously positioning you as an authority figure within your industry and community.
To ensure optimal local search performance, businesses need to publish relevant content and ensure their NAP (name, address and phone number) is consistent across platforms and review sites. Citations and customer reviews also play a vital role.
Keyword Research
Mastering local keyword research is crucial for any small local business that wishes to rank higher in local search results. Doing this allows you to gain a better understanding of how audiences search, identify gaps that you can fill with new content and make data-driven digital marketing decisions.
Start by thinking about the products or services you provide and compiling a list of potential keywords, before using a keyword research tool (Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner and Moz’s Keyword Explorer are excellent choices) to gauge their popularity. In addition, take note of your competitors’ websites, reviews and citation listings for some additional ideas.
Finally, evaluate the search intent of each keyword. Does the searcher want to purchase or avail of the service instantly or does the keyword have local intent? For example, someone searching “dentist” likely wants to locate one nearby; to test this hypothesis use Google and see if there’s a map with local businesses nearby or listings at the top of SERPs for that term.
On-Page Optimization
Many consumers searching for local services and products use Google to initiate their search process, so employing proper local SEO strategies will enable your customers to locate you easily.
Optimizing your website for keywords you wish to rank for requires creating pages highly relevant to those keywords and including them within content. Use a tool such as Semrush to monitor on-page SEO performance.
Link-building can also help your ranking. Encourage anyone writing about your business to link back to your website. Get listed in local online directories and forums; these tactics can also help build trust with customers – accurate business details, positive online reviews and an optimized website may increase the odds that potential customers choose you over competitors.
Link Building
Local search algorithms differ from traditional SEO in that their primary goal is connecting with local audiences, customers and businesses. This may involve engaging with local media as well as claiming or optimizing Google My Business listings, targeting relevant citations and encouraging customers to leave reviews (the marketing rule of seven suggests it takes at least seven brand impressions before an individual takes an actionable step).
Link building is key for Local SEO, as it signals to search engines that your site is authoritative and relevant in your industry. Linking can also boost rankings and attract targeted traffic. Using tools like Ubersuggest and Keywords Everywhere, you can identify relevant local opportunities such as local directories that fit with your business as well as niche directories with greater search engine weightings.
Reputation Management
Online reputation management is essential to any local business, whether it’s a large retail chain, an’mom-and-pop’ convenience store or even just a veterinarian clinic in a rural community. A steady flow of reviews – positive and negative alike – is a critical component in search ranking algorithms, and having an established system for handling user feedback effectively is also incredibly essential to long-term success.
Your name, address, and phone number (NAP) must appear as crawlable HTML text on your website for your business to rank well for local searches. NAP citations – instances when someone mentions your NAP in online directories or other local listings – are also essential in ranking highly for local searches.
Find a service provider who provides comprehensive local SEO strategies, including Google Business Profile optimization, on-page optimization, NAP citations and reputation management. Look for one who provides transparent reporting of results as well as regular communication channels – look out for one offering Position Tracking so keywords and rankings can be monitored both at an individual ZIP code-level as well as in local packs.