Traditional marketing is long gone. While printing brochures and having good word-of-mouth publicity is good, the current era is digital. You need to invest your resources into attracting people through your online presence. Your local audience plays an important role in the success of your business. These are the people living and working nearby, searching for what you offer. They’re more likely to book your services when they find you online organically. This group of people can be your loyal community that can help your business grow. This is where local SEO comes into the picture
What is a local SEO strategy?
Local SEO is a comprehensive strategy to make your business rank higher on the search engine results page. It involves using and optimising high-ranking keywords, targeting a specific geographic area, and creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing, encouraging user reviews. By leveraging local SEO, you can get more traffic to your website, generate a strong reputation, and build a loyal customer base.
How to optimise your website for local SEO
Create and optimise your Google My Business (GMB) listing.
As a business owner, you need to create a GMB profile. Here’s what you need to do:
- Provide accurate information about your business, like your name, address, and phone number.
- Create categories for the services you provide.
- Encourage customers to review and rate your business online.
If Google finds your information authentic, it can give you a space on Google’s local search results page. GMB plays an important role in improving your website’s traffic and attracting local customers.
Keyword research and targeting
Keyword research is an essential part of SEO, and local keyword research makes it more precise. Optimising your website with local keywords attracts potential customers staying within a specific geographic location. Here’s how to do it:
- Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Semrush to search for keywords tailored to your desired region.
- Add location-specific keywords like city name, neighbourhood name, or ‘near me’ in your content.
- Search general keywords based on your industry on Google, note down ‘related searches’ and add them to your content.
Online reviews and reputation
Google considers good ratings a crucial ranking factor, often ranking businesses with high ratings at the top. If you have multiple 5-star reviews, Google’s algorithm considers it a sign of a reputable and trustworthy business. Hence, encouraging customers to leave reviews is essential to staying at the top.
Get listed in local directories
Local directories are a great way to increase the visibility of your business. Many directories, including Yellow Pages, Crunch Base, and Yelp, let you add your business profile for free. Some of these also allow you to link back to your website, which is valuable for improving the website’s visibility.
Make your website mobile-friendly
An overwhelming number of local searches today happen through smartphones. You can’t afford to ignore mobile optimisation. Focus on creating a user-friendly, fast-loading website to improve the user experience. Google now primarily uses the mobile version to index and rank.
Create localised content
Communicate with your local audience by sharing updates about special offers, news, or local events. Create blogs to address their pain points and concerns. By doing this, you gain a competitive advantage in your local market as well as on search engine result pages.
How often should you update your local SEO strategy?
With new algorithm updates and changes in customer behaviour, refreshing your SEO strategy every 3-6 months is a must. As Google rolls out updates, some ranking factors or practices become obsolete. What worked exactly a year ago might not work today. Regularly updating your strategy helps you stay at the top of your competition.
Don’t forget existing content. You need to refresh the older blog posts, service pages, and website content, infuse new keywords while incorporating new insights, and make it all SEO-friendly. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to get deeper insights into your website’s performance and identify areas for improvement. Get to know what interests your audience and refresh your content accordingly.