Get on the Map with Local SEO
SEO is an amazing way for local businesses like stores, studios or offices to find new customers and increase their exposure. With local SEO, you can take actions to help your site show up on search engine result pages (SERPs) when someone searches for a business like yours in your area. For example, when someone looks for “hair salon,” they’ll be shown results for nearby salons – even if they didn’t explicitly search for that location.
Unlike newspaper ads and mailbox fliers which target many people who may not be interested in your business, local SEO makes it easy for you to zero in on a much more relevant audience. In other words, it helps you be in the right place at the right time—when customers are looking in your area for the products or services you offer.
Why Local SEO Is Important
As a website owner, you want to optimize your site for local searches. To do this, you want to help Google understand three things:
- What exactly you do;
- What type of searchers would be interested in your website;
- Your physical location.
Done well, local SEO increases the chances that Google will list your website in relevant searches performed by users interested in your location. The more frequently you can get your website in front of your target audience, the more likely they’ll convert to actual customers.
How to Do Local SEO Like a Pro
Here are some tips to help you optimize your website for local search:
1. Get on Google My Business
This free tool will ensure that your important details – address, hours, phone number, directions, and website – are listed on Google Maps. Customers can also leave reviews here. This is crucial because businesses with many reviews tend to rank higher in Google Maps. Strong reviews also increase your chances of snagging a coveted spot in the Local Pack. This Google feature showcases the 3 highest-ranked businesses on Google Maps at the top of SERPs.
2. Submit your site to local directories
Local directories list hundreds or thousands of websites and they often rank high up in search results. In addition to well-known directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and FourSquare, you can find listings sites that are specific to your field. People searching for the best places to dine, shop, hang out and sleep often turn to these sites to help them make their decisions, making them an important space to list your website.
3. Be consistent with your contact details
Make sure you write your business name, address and phone number (NAP, for short) EXACTLY the same way across the Internet, whether it’s on Facebook, LinkedIn or your website’s header, footer and contact page. Use real addresses whenever possible and avoid P.O. boxes.
4. Create a great mobile site
People searching for local businesses are often on-the-go and more users search from mobile devices than from laptops. Because of this, Google’s algorithm is currently migrating towards a “mobile first” focus—meaning that it’ll be placing mobile-friendly sites higher in search results. Check out these best practices to boost the performance of your mobile site.
5. Use keywords about your location
Think how other people might to refer to your neighborhood or community and use them in your content. For example, your yoga studio may be located in the city of Springfield, but potential students may search by street, neighborhood, county or region. Include those in your content to make sure you cover all your bases.
6. Add a map to your contact page
This is a quick and easy way to show where your business is located. It can score you some Google points and boost your site’s visibility in search results.
Target the Right People
More often than not, people turn to Google first when looking for products or services. Pretty much everyone is connected 24/7 to the Internet and as mobile usage continues to soar so do local searches.
Local SEO is an essential piece of the SEO puzzle. It helps you promote your business to a specific, relevant audience—the very people who are most likely to turn into actual customers. By following these easy steps, you’ll be well on your way to showing up in local search results and seeing see your traffic—both online and in-person—increase.
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