So you want to know what Local SEO is? Well, let me tell you.
Local SEO is all about improving your online presence to attract local customers to your business. It’s like putting up an oversized sign that says “We’re here and we’re ready to serve you!”
As a business owner, you want to make sure that your online presence is optimised for local search terms. What you want when someone types in “best coffee shop near me” or “SEOs in my area”, is for your business to show up at the top of the search results. Local SEO helps you do just that.
But why is local SEO so important? Well, for starters, it helps you attract more customers to your business. By showing up at the top of local search results, you’re a lot more likely to get clicks and visits to your website. Plus, local customers are more likely to become repeat customers, and ‘supporting local businesses’ is more relevant than ever in these treacherous times.
What’s the Fuss About Local SEO?
As a local business owner, you might have heard about Local SEO through the grapevine. If you want to know what the fuss is all about, let me break it down for you.
The Top Ranking Factors for Local SEO Success
Many factors affect local rankings. These include your website’s on-page elements, local citations, reviews & ratings, and your Google My Business profile.
What is a Citation?
Local citations (directories) are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. These citations help search engines affirm the accuracy of your business information and improve the trust signals of your site, this subsequently leads to higher rankings if all boxes are checked.
Looking at Google’s Local Pack
The local pack (or map pack) is the section of Google’s search results that shows local businesses related to a search term. You will have seen this when searching yourself, there’s a map at the top and the top 3 results (which is where you want to be).
You’ve Gotta use Google My Business Properly
Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to manage your business’s online presence across Google, including search and maps. Your Google My Business profile is essential for local SEO and can significantly impact your local rankings positively. Make sure you have this!
On-page Optimisation for Local SEO
A website’s on-page aspects, such as title tags, headings, content and local landing pages, can impact your local ranking when done correctly. Make sure to optimise these elements to improve Google’s understanding of your intentions.
How Reviews Impact SEO & Business
Online reviews and ratings are not only important for local SEO but for business in general. Positive reviews can improve rankings when utilising schema markup, while negative reviews can hurt your business reputation. Make sure to manage your reviews and respond to them accordingly.
The Secret Weapons of Local SEO Success
Local Keyword Research
When it comes to Local SEO, finding the right keywords is crucial. You need to know what people are searching for in your local area, and how you can optimise your content to rank for those keywords. But how do you find those keywords?
One of the best tools for keyword research is SEranking. It’s easy to use and gives you a lot of data about search volume, competition, and related terms to help build out your keyword research. Here is a cheeky affiliate link for you to use if you want to.
Measuring Your Local SEO Success with Analytics
So, you’ve done your keyword research, created great content, and built some local backlinks. But how do you know if it’s working? This is where analytics come in.
Google Analytics is a tool for measuring your website’s traffic, including where it’s coming from and what pages are most popular. For local SEO, you’ll want to use a tool like SEranking to track your local rankings and visibility. This will give you a better idea of how your website is performing in locations.
There are many tools and resources you can use to improve your local SEO. One thing I’ll say is to remember to stay on top of the latest Google algorithm updates.
You’ll be on your way to local online fame in no time!