As a local business owner, it can be daunting competing against larger brands with resources dedicated to marketing. Therefore, it’s critical that you focus on optimizing your website for local search results, with local SEO being particularly advantageous to small businesses with limited budgets. But developing an SEO strategy for local businesses may not be straightforward and there are various factors to keep in mind when crafting one.
One of the key local SEO tips is optimizing your Google Business Profile. This involves filling out your profile completely, building NAP citations, and collecting reviews – this increases your chance of appearing in the Map Pack which searchers see first when looking for businesses nearby.
Improve local SEO by developing engaging, relevant content that speaks directly to the interests of your audience. Do this by analyzing organic search results and determining which words your target demographic are searching for – then incorporate those keywords into the copy and meta tags of your website.
Make sure your website is mobile-optimized; consumers increasingly search for businesses and services on smartphones, so ensuring its performance on this platform is essential. Finally, add local schema markup to your website; this code tells search engines which type of business it is and where its location is; this enables your listing to appear when someone searches a keyword related to that type of service or product.
Content that is unique, high-quality and authoritative is crucial to the success of local businesses. This should be evident on your website pages through title tags, meta descriptions and alt text for images; plus your website must regularly receive fresh updates that answer customers’ inquiries – such as when there’s an inquiry about COVID-19 that can be addressed with either an FAQ page or blog post on that subject matter.
Your business must also be visible offline by being listed in local directories and claiming all listings that include your name, address and phone number (NAP). Doing this will allow for consistency of NAP listings – an essential ranking factor in local SEO – while adding location pages on your website for each of your locations to showcase specific offerings such as store hours, parking/transit options and promotions for audience.
Other helpful local SEO strategies include building backlinks from quality sources, resolving customer service issues quickly and creating video content. By applying these tactics, you can increase local SEO and edge out competitors more quickly. In essence, local SEO is all about using your best efforts to drive relevant traffic and sales and continue expanding your business while serving the community at large. So what are you waiting for? Take action now!
