Local SEO is the process of optimizing your website for local search results. It is an important part of any digital marketing strategy, especially if you have a brick-and-mortar business.
There are a few things you need to do in order to optimize your website for local SEO.
Here’s what you can do to make your website more local SEO friendly.
Gain Authority On Google
If you have a business that offers service to a limited area or region, then you’ll want to focus on local SEO. This includes optimizing your website and also making sure that your business is listed in local directories and online maps.
One of the best things you can do for your local SEO is to create a Google My Business page. This will help to ensure that your business listing appears prominently in Google searches, both locally and nationally. You can also improve your local ranking by using keywords related to your service area in your website content and by getting positive reviews from customers.
You can also use Google AdWords to get an idea of what people are searching for in your area.. Start by creating a list of relevant keywords and then bid on those keywords as ads. This will help you get your website ranked higher in the search results when people search for those terms.
Finally, make sure that you include your location prominently on your website. Include it in the title tag, the meta description, and on every page of your website.
Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
Mobile devices now account for more than half of all internet traffic. Therefore, it is essential that your website is compatible with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets if you want to maintain good relations with search engines and potential clients.
The responsive layout of your site will automatically adjust to the screen size of the user’s device. In order to keep visitors from leaving your site in frustration, it’s crucial that your pages load quickly.
As a rule of thumb, try to avoid overcomplicating matters. Users are less likely to complete a task if they have to go through too many steps to reach the ultimate goal.
Localize Your Content
One of the effective ways to optimize your business website for local SEO is to create localized content. They are easy to rank for and people searching for businesses that provide services like yours can find you more often.
Derek Bruce from Skills Training Group says “It’s possible you’ve heard that publishing articles about wide topics are ideal because they attract more readers. However, creating material centered around local industry news and other locally helpful and informative content that is broader than just the products or industry services your company offers will indicate to Google and other search engines that what is on your website pages is relevant to your intended geographical location and audience. In that way, your website will be found more easily by customers.”
Do Your Research And Use Appropriate Keywords
Perform keyword research to learn what people are looking for. Tools like Ahrefs (our personal favorite) and Semrush are accessible online to help you determine which keywords are best for your business.
You can also use this to gauge the difficulty of ranking for specific keywords. Doing some keyword research might lead you to terms that get a lot of searches but aren’t too difficult to rank for. This is how you may increase your SEO and climb the search engine rankings.
Get Listed On Business Directories
A great way to get your site ranking on SERPs is by getting listed in relevant directories. This means places like Google Business, Yellow Pages, Yelp, and Merchant Circle (just to name a few).
If you’re looking for a directory listing, then a smaller site that’s specific to your region/industry is always a good option. If you want free listings and don’t mind not starting with the biggest sites, then it’s advisable to first contact your local chamber of commerce.
Optimize Your Site For Voice Search
Voice search is on the rise and if your website or business isn’t ready for it, you may lose out on potential customers. Websites optimized for voice search can swiftly and easily provide information to their visitors.
Optimize your website for mobile-first since most voice searches occur on mobile devices with various voice assistants. In order for voice assistants to read it simply, it must load quickly, be compatible with all devices, and use text content rather than Flash.