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Everything You Should Know About Local SEO (Top Tips & Tricks)
As a small business, you may find the whole process of ranking for Google terms incredibly difficult. Why? You may ask. This is because more resourced businesses are also channeling their resources and technical know-how to target the same terms, thereby making it impossible for you to find your way to the top of search engine result pages (SERPs). What if we told you you could rank highly on SERPs? Local SEO offers you the chance to compete favorably with big establishments.
If there's one fact that's certain; it's that local SEO has become more popular and useful to small businesses than it has ever been, especially with the invention of mobile queries. Different searchers worldwide can now easily type "where to get" + "near me" on their mobile search pages, guaranteeing they'll get what they're looking for near them. View Green Lotus
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But how exactly does local SEO work? How can you jump on the train as a small business owner? This article covers extensive tips to help you begin your journey towards ranking better using local SEO.
What is Local SEO for Small Business?
Before going into all the technical details about local SEO, let's start by explaining what SEO is.
SEO is the abbreviation for search engine optimization. It refers to strategies and tactics marketers use to push their brand up on search engine result pages. The strategies help brands appear organically when searchers search for keywords related to the brand's products, services, or business offerings.
For example, "Trendy hairdressing salon" would want its business to appear on search result pages relating to "hair salon." Like "Mike Electrical company" would want to show up when people search for "electrician."
Marketers and business executives are often interested in ranking their businesses among results when searchers look up topics related to their business. SEO helps them achieve this.
So, what is local SEO?
Now that we know what SEO is, it's easier to explain what local SEO stands for. As the name implies, local SEO is the process of improving search engine visibility for local businesses. Local SEO works more for businesses with physical addresses. Businesses can follow local SEO best practices to improve organic traffic from potential customers searching for information related to their business from nearby areas.
Local search engines typically rely on signals like local content, links, citations, and social media pages to gather information for local searches. Businesses can use local SEO to position their products and services to local customers and prospects searching for their businesses.
Remember that local brick-and-mortar businesses (especially service-based ones) do not need people from distant locations. They just need nearby searchers to find their business, and that's where local SEO comes into play.
Tips for Ranking Better on Local SEO
Now that we've explained local SEO and how it'll benefit you, you're probably wondering how you can get on the train. Here, we'll review proven steps to better your local SEO efforts.
- Create a Google My Business Account
Perhaps, the first and most effective step to ranking higher on Google Maps is optimizing your Google listing. It also helps you gain visibility in Google search local results. But you'll need a Google My Business Account associated with your business profile to optimize it on Google listings. Don't be paranoid - adding your business profile to a Google My Business account is easy. You just need to provide all the information requested on the Google My Business account dashboard. The information will be automatically added to your business profile, which shows up on Google Search local results.
To optimize your business profile on Google:
- Register a Google My Business account and ensure that all information provided is correct and verifiable
- Provide your business logo, operation hours, products and services, acceptable payment methods, and related images.
- Encourage (but not coarse) customers to leave reviews of their experience doing business with you.
- Respond to customer reviews and take action where necessary.
- Publish posts to your business profile.
Find the Right Keywords
Like regular SEO, local SEO survives on keywords. So, while optimizing for local SEO, consider the words your potential clients will input in their search query when searching for your products and services online. For example, if you're an appliance seller, find out whether potential customers are more likely to use the word refrigerator or the slang fridge when searching for your products.
Make a list of 30-50 keywords you can think of, then go on Google AdWords to verify whether your chosen keywords are frequently used or not. Google AdWords also has a product called Keyword Tool that you can use to find keywords to build your list.
Use the most related keywords on different pages of your website to help them rank higher when prospects input those keywords on search queries.
Optimize for Voice Search
We are already witnessing rapid growth in voice search. We expect this growth to continue in the coming years. So, while setting up your local SEO, we recommend optimizing for how people ask questions when they speak into a device instead of how they type the questions.
Essentially, voice searchers rely more on long-tail keywords than regular searchers. So, it is essential that you adjust your content's SEO to have the more conversational tone of someone speaking. For example, you'll want to optimize for traditional question starters like (who, when, what, why, how, and where).
You also want to consider user intent when trying to optimize for voice. Think about what pieces of information searchers want when they perform these searches. This way, you can optimize by providing the answers to these questions.
Optimize Your Website for Mobile
With several studies already showing a quick shift from desktop to mobile search, there's no better time to optimize your website for mobile than now. Mobile website visits grew from 57% to 63% between 2016 and 2017, while desktop visits declined from 43% to 37%.
This further confirms the need to optimize your website for mobile if you intend to become a player in the local SEO field. Wondering how to go about this? Here are simple tips to try:
- Ensure a quicker load time for your website (the rule of thumb is for load time to not exceed 3 seconds)
- Use bigger fonts to make it easier to read.
- Use images throughout your website to break long blocks of text and ensure better readability.
- Convey only the information you need and avoid filler texts and irrelevant information.
- Ensure an intuitive UI for a better user experience.
Submit Your Site to High-quality Local Directories
One of the most popular ways to boost your position in search results is by submitting your site to high-quality local directories. First, Google indexes the directory entries to see how reputable they are. It then returns the most reputable directory entry to a high position in search results. This typically means that even if you struggle to earn top ranking for a particular URL on your site, your business may still earn visibility on search results from other sites.
Beyond the SEO benefits of submitting your site to quality directories, there are other benefits you stand to get. For example, it may be an opportunity to get a backlink that will enhance your overall performance in search results. It also increases the visibility of your business to anyone using the same directories.
However, remember that this only works when you submit your website details to high-quality directories. So, you must screen all available directories to ensure you're submitting to the right one.
Remember not to overstuff your site with keywords
While keywords are important, overstuffing them in your website can be counterproductive. Remember the rules when inserting keywords: "make pages primarily for users, not for search engines."
Contents with overstuffed keywords can easily irritate readers and cause them to lose interest. This is why we typically advise against overdoing it. Your priority should be providing value with your content, and that includes making your text clear and easy to read.
Conclusion
That's it - a detailed look at everything you should know about local SEO. Remember, ranking high in search results is a marathon, not a sprint, so you should take it one step at a time. With the right steps, your business will soon be in the face of local searchers looking for your products and services.
Are these steps too difficult for you? Do you want an expert that can help deliver readymade local SEO for your business? The experts at Green Lotus are skilled in helping businesses achieve the best SEO results. Contact us to learn more.
