If you are popular with the term Search Engine Optimization, then local SEO is a part of it.
There are two types of SEO. One is local SEO and another global SEO. Both are very important when it comes to the search engine.
Google works with various types of algorithms and with each change in algorithm they are trying to bring some new updates. They are trying to provide a better user experience with all those changes.
Panda and Penguin were two popular updates and both of them changed everyone’s perception of optimization.
Before their arrival, it was very easy to get into the 1st page of SERP. But it became very difficult now because Panda and Penguin algorithms only support good quality contents with enough information. They don’t want to give users irrelevant pages only because of optimization.
So, these algorithms check the content quality and many other factors well before giving search result.
After these two updates, there was a new update called Pigeon. This mainly concentrated on local SEO. Through this update, users will get local things they want to know by finding out their geological location. This is a very useful update from Google to local searchers
To enhance the user experience, you can aid them by giving all possible details about your business on your website.
Everything should be visible to them. When you create content for the website, you can apply some optimization techniques to get it listed under SERP.
Every business wants to appear in the top results and they are working very hard to achieve this. Just by advertising your business, you can’t achieve this.
There are many other factors you can consider while trying this. This is a guide for local business owners to know more about local SEO tactics.
What is Local SEO Marketing?
Local SEO is different from all other SEO types. This generally gives importance to local searches based on geographical locations.
For example, if you are running a restaurant in an area, that should be visible to users who live in that area when they search for a restaurant near me. This is what local SEO does.
Marketers who want to promote their business locally must follow local SEO marketing strategies.
You need to optimize the search engine to make it see that your business is local, and it should be visible to people who live in your area when they search. This is possible by following some simple steps.
This is a recent way that introduced by Google to let local searchers know about local businesses. They updated their algorithm for it to identify local businesses and to present it for users.
This shows Google’ effort to provide a better user experience through its new innovations. Here are some changes pigeon brought in local SEO
- Pigeon changed the local pack results and reduced it from 7-3 which will be more accurate. This increased the competition among business to reach to these top 3 positions
- Reduced the geographical radius around any search. This will also give you the best result near you
If you are new to this term you must know every detail about this term. By knowing strategies and important factors that affect local SEO you can work on your business promotion accordingly.
Local SEO Strategies to Outrank Your Competitors:
1. Google My business page:
This is the main reason for showing local business when we search for it. There will be an address, number and name of your business in the search result. You can claim your business by visiting Google My business page.
There will be a form for you to fill out. You must include all details about your business in this form including the type of your business, address, the number to contact with area code, correct address, operating hours, a small description about your business, etc.
The clearer your business details, the better to get noticed. Google always promote business with clear details and you must ensure to include everything about your business in this form as you can.
If you are running a restaurant business, you can enter your menu with pictures of items. You can also add images of your business location to help your users. After completing the form, you have to claim your business to Google. This will help to show your business on local search result
2. Check details of all your listings:
This is very important to check your NAP. NAP is the name, address, and phone number. There are many local directories where you will list your business as part of the promotion. When you do that, you must add the same NAP details everywhere. Otherwise, it will create great issues in future like penalties. You must check all your business listing account and make sure about this.
Next factor is your email address. When you add your email address while listing, it should not be a personal email address.
You should create a business email which is more reputable than just a Gmail address. Every business should have its own business mail address with their business domain name.
Describe well your business category in Google words to give users a clear idea about your business type. If you are running an Indian restaurant you should specify that instead of using some words related to it like any item name.
You can register your business in all local directories and sites. This can help you to get listed under the local business search.
3. Reviews:
Local reviews are very important if you want to attract more users to your business. Google offers a provision to add reviews about your business. You can encourage your current customers to leave a review of your business.
If they like it and write good reviews about your service or product this can create a positive impact in your business ranking, mainly people look into Google business page, Yelp, and social media for reviews.
They only choose your business if they found good reviews of your service. You can see a change in your business sale after getting so many positive reviews.
4. Link building:
This is another local SEO marketing strategy you should try. Like global SEO links are very important in local SEO too. You can try to get links from local business relevant to yours, to get ranked well.
Google always values links very much. Keep that in your mind and find new ways to get quality and relevant local links to your business site.
- You can try to host local events by sponsoring it. This will aid you to get listed on their website
- Conduct community events like any charity or fundraisers to work with some good causes. It will also help you to get features in local newspapers and television.
- Connect with other business to work mutually. You can recommend some best local business by creating a page for your customers. You can also ask them to do the same which will help you to get some local links
- Contests for your customers will help with link building
- Conduct surveys in social media platforms locally to get votes from customers to know the best local businesses.
- Do something good and get featured in local newspapers. You can also create some publicity through controversy or something which will make your business famous.
5. Keywords:
You can optimize your website with keywords which can get features in local search results.
Usually, people search your business with a city or area name where you are located. You can add them to your website contents.
Title and title tags are the main places where you can include these words well. Also, when you create a URL include those local keywords.
When you handle with keywords, make sure to be careful not to overstuff keywords in your page. This can cause negative more than positive effects.
6. Use social media as a marketing tool:
Social media is a good marketing tool even though your business is local. Create your business page and ask your customers to follow your page. This will help to reach to more social media users with your existing customers.
Let them know about every new change that you introduce to your business. When your customers share or comment on your post this will become visible to their contacts and they will also know about your business. This strategy will work well to promote your business locally and it will improve its reach too.
You can also find out some social media influencers and get their help to promote your business. This is more like giving an advertisement about your business using celebrities. They can influence people’s decision and that’s why they are known as influencers.
As the competition is high it is difficult for a business to standout without publicity. Quality of product and service is important with publicity if you want more retaining customers to your business.
7. Add schema markups:
This is a new technology from Google every business should use. When you search for a topic the first result it shows will be schema mark up.
If users get what they want from it, they don’t have to search for other results. A schema marks up about your business will have everything related to your business with detail of the products you sell, services you offer and reviews from your customers, etc.
Now only around 30% of business using this schema mark up. But if you want to stand out from your competitors this is a must now.
Google offers many tools to help you to add these schema markups within your website. This will help the spiders to easily highlight the specialties of your business.
These are some very important factors you should follow while concentrating on local SEO. Here are some extra tips for you to follow
8. Local SEO tips 2018:
Other than the above-mentioned strategies you have to be alert about all new changes happening around you digitally.
Local optimization can help you a lot but as the algorithm changes, these factors will also change. So be alert and follow the changing strategies well.
It is not easy to stand out among so many local competitors. But if you are technically sound or get help from a good marketer who can professionally help with your business promotion, can help you to achieve this goal.
Check out some additional tips for local SEO
- Create a well-navigated website with a simple UI. You should make it easy for users to find something from your website
- Website update is very important to follow when you want to get featured in the top search result.
- Optimize the Meta description, URL, title tag, etc for local search
- Mobile usability of your website is very important to notice. Most of the users now depend on their mobile device to search for something.
- You can add your business location on your website to make users easy to get access to the location.
- Creating local contents on your site can help you to get noticed easily. You can add all local events related to your business on your site to inform your customers or followers
- Use local SEO tools to your advantage. There are many free SEO tools and paid one available. Some best local SEO tools are Whitespark Local Citation Finder, Moz local, screaming Frog Ahrefs, Buzzstream, etc.
- Control negative reviews. All local directories let you resolve negative issues offline. Or else you can ask them to remove negative reviews. There will be framed negative reviews to defame your business. Remove them without showing your customers.
Final words:
To attract the local customer’s optimization of your website is essential.
Many users depend on Google for searching for anything they want. Google uses its new algorithm to filter out unwanted search result from local search and display it to users.
To establish your business locally, make sure to try all available strategies to get listed under top search results and make your website optimize for local search and increase your business sale.