Local SEO adds an invaluable dimension to any overall search engine optimization strategy. No matter the industry you operate in – restaurants, hair salons or contractors – local SEO provides six tactics designed to get noticed locally and get businesses seen by their target audiences.
Prominence: Your business’s online reviews and reputation play an essential role in its local search rankings, particularly if it can score one of Google’s “snack pack” results. Aim to collect authentic testimonials from consumers in your region to boost its online search visibility.
Keyword Research
Search engine optimization using local keywords helps businesses connect with consumers looking for products and services available in their immediate area. This is particularly crucial for service industries which often serve customers from various regions; using this technique ensures your brand can reach all of them effectively.
While using location as part of their keyword research process, marketers should also utilize modifiers to target more explicit searches and determine search intent. For instance, someone searching “supper clubs in Wisconsin Dells” on Google has very specific intentions that businesses offering these types of services should target with targeted SEO tactics.
There are various third-party tools that businesses can utilize for local keyword research. Examples include Moz Local Market Analytics, SEMrush’s Local Keyword Research Tool and BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid. In addition, customer surveys and feedback provide invaluable insight into what terms people associate with your business as well as the intent behind those terms that customers search for online.
On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization for small businesses is an integral component of local SEO. This means tailoring website content with keywords considered important by search engines – for instance title tags, internal links, URLs and content can all be optimized accordingly.
Effective on-page SEO helps search engines identify which pages of your site best answer a user query, potentially increasing traffic and business. When done right, SEO can assist search engines in ranking those pages higher in SERPs – leading to greater traffic growth and ultimately revenue increases.
To achieve optimal on-page SEO, it’s essential that all of your pages contain accurate and pertinent information about your business. This means having consistent NAP data across your website, Google Business Profile, and local citations on the web. In addition, adding schema markup (structured data) could help search engines better comprehend each page on your site.
Link Building
SEO depends heavily on links pointing back to your website, making local link building an essential strategy for improving local search engine rankings. Local links offer more relevance for local businesses than national or industry-wide ones because they come from businesses in your local community.
Traditional link building strategies can also prove useful for local SEO efforts, including creating content specifically targeted to your audience, reaching out to influencers and guest blogging on relevant websites, and being included in resource listings.
Testimonial link building can also be an effective method for local link building, by reaching out to local businesses you have collaborated with and asking if they would add your website as an endorsement link. This strategy builds credibility while showing potential customers that their best interests are at heart – though, as with any outreach strategy, this takes time and effort before reaping long-term dividends.
Social Media
Social media can be an integral component of an integrated search and social strategy for increasing local visibility. Social media provides businesses, particularly service-oriented ones such as cleaning services or restaurants without physical storefronts, an opportunity to promote themselves to users within their community.
Employing local hashtags can help expand your reach and target a more specific audience. Furthermore, making sure all local content on your website is optimized for search engines by including relevant local keywords in title tags and meta descriptions is an absolute must.
Last but not least, actively responding to reviews (both positive and negative) is also essential in building customer trust and improving your rankings in the long run as Google rewards companies that actively manage their profiles.