Search engines like Google love local businesses that operate in a specific location. Businesses with physical storefronts and delivery services are given preferential treatment in search results over businesses that only have an online presence or don’t have a physical address.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your business’s content to rank higher in search results, as well as creating a user experience that is relevant and useful for potential customers. Using local SEO techniques can seriously boost your small business’s visibility and profitability, especially if you operate out of a niche industry that most people aren’t already aware of.
The Basics
One of the first steps to understanding how local SEO works is to think about what it means to be local. When searching for something on Google, are you looking for a product sold in your city or state? If so, then you want your business to appear in the results.
Use the Google My Business feature to optimize your website for the right searches. With this, you can specify the geographical location where you want your business to appear in search engine results. Your business will appear next to organic search results in a specific area, which can help people find your business and purchase from you even faster.
What is Google My Business
Google My Business listings are placed on the right side of Google search results and can be seen by people searching for your type of business in a specific geographical area. These ads have been designed with local SEO in mind, but they’re not just limited to companies that have physical locations. If your business does home delivery or only works on client’s facilities (like a plumber,) you can also claim a Google My Business profile.
Create a Press Release for your Business
Businesses should create a press release to send to local media outlets. The press release should include information about their business, such as their products and services, address, hours of operation, and contact information. Publicity is one of the most powerful tools in digital marketing and can increase your chances of ranking better on Google.
Use Reputation Management Services
Reputation management services are the perfect way for you to improve your search ranking. Not only can these services monitor your website’s reputation, but they can also help you build backlinks from reputable websites, which will help make up for any lost traffic. This is especially important if you’re a local business in a competitive area with lots of competition.
If you want to use reputation management to grow your business, you should also consider using social media marketing and advertising. Social media marketing has been proven to be one of the best ways to attract new customers.
Creating SEO content for your website
The best way to ensure that search engines rank your website higher is to create relevant and valuable content for potential customers. This means writing content about your company’s actions rather than what you sell. Companies with “SEO-friendly” websites consistently outperform those with “sales-focused” websites in terms of organic traffic.
Businesses should use local keywords in their content, such as the names of their products and services. For example, if your company sells high-end designer clothing, you could include the phrase “high-end designer fashion” in your content to rank higher in search results. This is a proven method for businesses that specialize in a specific niche.
Using keywords strategically can make your business more visible through organic search results. In addition to using keywords, you should ensure that all links within your website are relevant and valuable to potential customers.
Rank for Niche Terms That are also Popular Words
An easy way to get local SEO success is to rank for a niche term that is also one of your industry’s top 10 most popular words. A great example of this is SEO for “bed and breakfasts.” You can use keyword research techniques like looking up synonyms and related keywords to find out what people are typing into search engines when they search for your specific niche topic.
If you have a lot of competition, ensure you include multiple variations of that keyword phrase in your content, such as by adding it to your company name or title tag. This will help you stand out from others competing for the exact keywords.
Additionally, don’t forget about long-tail terms! Search engines like Google favor long-tail keywords because they are more relevant to queries than short-tail keywords. If you target the five most popular times with your content marketing strategy, you could miss out on a ton of potential traffic if you neglect these more specific queries. You can also combine keyword and social media strategies to get more targeted traffic from search engines!
Always Be Optimizing Your Copy
One of the most significant benefits of local SEO is that you can create a user experience that is relevant and useful for potential customers. The best way to do this is by optimizing your copy so it’s straightforward to read. If possible, avoid jargon or industry-specific language that most people will not understand, as this could make it difficult for them to know what you do. Instead, use language that non-industry specialists will readily understand.
The other thing you need to remember about your business listing in Google Business Profiles is that it should continually be updated. If you don’t update it regularly, the information displayed may no longer reflect what your business does today. This is especially important for contact information and opening hours. Nothing puts a potential customer more off than approaching your business with a buying intention just to stand in front of closed doors.
In conclusion, SEO should be an essential part of your local marketing strategy.
Takeaway
Search engines like Google love local businesses that operate in a specific location. Businesses with physical storefronts and delivery services are given preferential treatment in search results over businesses that only have an online presence or don’t have a physical address.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your business’s content to rank higher in search results, as well as creating a user experience that is relevant and useful for potential customers.
Creating helpful and compelling content can increase your chances of being found by potential customers through organic search results. In addition, using keywords strategically can help you rank higher in search results for those terms. Finally, constantly optimize your copy so it’s easy to understand and relevant to potential customers.