The Importance of Local SEO for Your Business
Local search is becoming an increasingly important tool for businesses. With 97% of search engine users looking for nearby information, a business’ ranking in these searches can have a major impact on how many visitors they receive.
To achieve top rankings in local searches, businesses need to have an effective local SEO strategy. Doing so can draw in new customers and boost revenue for the business.
Keyword research
Keyword research is an integral component of any local seo strategy. It gives you insight into what people are searching for when they search online for products or services like yours, helping you rank higher for those keywords so that targeted traffic can flow to your website and convert more customers.
When researching keywords for your blog or website, there are a few tools that can help you uncover potential targets. WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool offers search volume data while Google Trends shows what questions people are asking.
Once you’ve created a list of keywords, do some competitive keyword research. This will enable you to see what your competitors are targeting and where they rank. It may even give you some ideas for new keywords to add to the mix. Afterward, use those terms as part of either local SEO efforts or paid search campaigns.
On-page optimization
On-page SEO is a suite of strategies designed to boost your website’s rankings in search engine results. This involves tasks such as optimizing key pages with appropriate title tags and meta descriptions, making sure your website is mobile-friendly, and regularly updating content.
Additionally, on-page optimization involves making sure the content of your site is highly pertinent to your target audience. This is essential for Google as they use keywords in title tags to decide if a page is pertinent to a user’s query.
Local SEO is a complex process that requires consistent attention to detail across all channels. This means having your name, address and phone number (NAP) information consistent across the web as well as location-specific high-quality content that is updated regularly.
Furthermore, local citations are an integral component of local SEO. These online mentions of your business’ name, address and phone number help to highlight it in search results. When you actively manage these citations to ensure their accuracy, it builds trust in these sources and can potentially boost your ranking on search engines.
Link building
Local link building is an integral component of your local SEO strategy. Not only will it boost your business’ visibility in organic searches, but it can also drive relevant traffic to its website.
Building local backlinks through outreach is the most efficient method for increasing traffic. While this type of marketing requires more time and energy, it can yield impressive results.
If you have a blog or social media accounts, you can reach out to local influencers and bloggers in your target market. Ask them if they would be interested in featuring your product or service on their site.
Another way to earn quality local links is by finding sponsorship opportunities. These could come from charities, events, or even suppliers; the possibilities are endless.
If you want a high-quality backlink from an industry site, do your due diligence and research your competitors’ backlink profiles and the websites they are receiving links from. This includes researching which websites your competitors are linking from and understanding their link sources.
Reputation management
Reputation management is an integral component of local SEO. According to studies, 90 percent of consumers rely on online reviews when making purchasing decisions, so a poor reputation could have an adverse effect on your brand.
A strong online reputation encourages customers to trust your business and builds brand value. It also helps drive sales and boost conversion rates.
Website Design and Content Management: Maintaining a positive reputation online starts with having an attractive website with clean, keyword-rich copy. Furthermore, responsive web design and ease of use improve your customers’ experience.
Listing Building: Make sure your business has a presence on as many citations as possible, including niche listing sites and popular directories. Doing this allows your business to easily appear in local search results and increases the likelihood that reviews will be positive.
Review Requests: Getting current and past customers to leave reviews is an integral component of online reputation management. Farotech’s tailored Local SEO & Review Management software automates this process by sending review request emails with direct links for your customers’ convenience.