Whether you operate a start-up or a major enterprise. The very first step is to increase its visibility. And that’s where local SEO can help.
Local search engine optimization involves increasing a company’s online visibility to target a geographically specific audience.
Even though basic SEO principles remain the same, marketing companies and websites are highlighting location-based keywords, ranking factors, and customer testimonials.
Your company is losing a lot of potential revenue if it hasn’t taken the time to optimize for SEO.
Achieving top status in Google search results and Google Maps places your company in front of local clients who are seeking specifically what you have to offer.
Each day, well almost one-third of visitors search online for a local business, and approximately half of all search queries are for local information.
Check out the following local SEO statistics:
- Google Maps searches for "curbside pickup" surged by 9,000% each year.
- Search queries for "local" and "business" surged by more than 80% annually.
- More than 80% of mobile searches for local businesses result in a purchase offline.
- Local searches result in a purchase 28% of the time.
- 92% of searchers chose businesses that appear on the first page of search engine results.
- Seventy-two per cent of customers who completed a local search visited a business within five miles.
- Local information is the subject of 46% of all Google searches.
So, whether you own or run a local services company or business, optimizing your websites and directory listings will help you attract more consumers.
Our SEO experts have compiled a list of simple local SEO checklists that every business requires. Here's the breakdown.
Google My Business Listing
One of the easiest ways to ensure visibility in local search is to create a Google Business profile (also known as ‘Google My Business).
Businesses looking for a strong local presence should consider the profound significance of a verified, sturdy Google My Business listing.
It will bring your company and your business a plethora of inbound website traffic, phone calls, store visits, and much more.
Keyword Optimization
For your site, you must first define and select the important keywords for which you wish to rank.
You must be very aware of the relevant keywords for which you intend to rank in relevant searches. These should be woven effortlessly throughout your content.
Remember that today’s search engines are very particularly capable of detecting “keyword stuffing” in content than before.
This occurs when an author or content generator repeatedly inserts a targeted keyword or keyword phrase into the text in the hope of increasing search ranks.
Quite the contrary. All search engines like google will discipline your website if you engage in “keyword stuffing.”
SEO-friendly URLs
When evaluating their search engine optimization plan, many people overlook the URLs altogether.
This is a big blunder that could cost the website in the content of organic search rankings. Search engines value and reward clear, well-written URLs that are closely related to the subject of the site they are indexing.
For example, www.bestwebsite.com/1234 /789/263 find-info will never profit from the views and ranks of search engines when compared to a URL that defines exactly what that website is really about.
It may also be classified as a “malicious web link” by Google, resulting in a possible detriment that will harm your site’s search rankings.
Mobile Optimization
Whenever it comes to search engine optimization, don’t underestimate the value of mobile optimization for your website.
Leading search engines now index sites optimised for mobile viewing on the top in search engines when a person searches from a mobile device.
Search engines acknowledge when one is using a mobile device to access a website and want to provide you with the greatest mobile experience possible that means they’re less inclined to pick non-mobile websites, leading to better SEO.
Local citations
Every online reference of your business is considered a local citation. This could be conveyed via a local company directory, a business-specific website, a blog, or perhaps another local website.
Google my business is indeed the fundamental platform for providing contextually relevant local information and content regarding your business to search engines.
Google My Business then utilises that data to populate its multiple linked apps and services, including Google Maps, Local 3-packs, Google Posts, Knowledge Panels, mobile SERP carousels, and much more.
As stated at the outset of this article, Google My Business is the highest rated indication and among the most crucial to-do tasks on the local SEO checklist.
Social media
Social networking can help your company’s SEO in a variety of ways.
You may add your company address to several social networking platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Which acts almost like its own mini listing site.
Furthermore, social media sites appear in local searches for your business name. It is therefore critical to maintain your business profiles on all social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
It might boost the exposure of your company whenever people are searching for it on search engines.
Link building
Backlinks usually referred to as link building, are an essential component of any SEO plan. It is all about generating and advertising relevant resources and backlinks from renowned websites.
These would be the links that search engine crawlers prefer when evaluating link components for ranking purposes.
The more websites from various domains that link back to your website, the more importance popular search engines offer you in their ranking strategy.
Moreover, a greater number of backlinks leads to a greater volume of referral traffic, which leads to more prospective prospects on your website. You cannot lose by increasing your backlink count!
Wrapping up the checklist
As you implement your new and improved local SEO strategy, don’t forget to employ the Google Analytics goals tracking function.
Deep beneath the horizon, there’s a lot of stuff going on besides ranking and traffic, though we already know they’re important.
If your local SEO strategy is lacking. You most likely require professional SEO services. To obtain SEO services, contact Us. Our SEO professionals will provide you with the finest recommendations available.