7 Ways Improve Your Local SEO Right Now
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Optimizing your local SEO is key for web health, especially for small businesses that operate exclusively within a specific region. Local SEO focuses on appearing on SERPs in a specific location. A local SEO strategy aids in marketing your brand, products, and services to potential customers.
Once you optimize your local SEO, this will result in more website traffic, leads and conversions because the strategy targets your local customers. If you don’t take advantage of local SEO, your business stands to lose a substantial amount of potential traffic and leads.
Here is Our List of the Top 8 Ways You Can Step Up Your Local SEO.
1. List Your Business on ‘Google My Business’
Create and optimize your Google My Business Profile. The first step is to claim your business on Google My Business, which you can do for free! The benefit of claiming your business is that you will establish a presence on the search engine, so your business will also appear on Google Maps. Once you apply for a verification on your Google My Business profile, you will start to appear in Google Searches.
When creating your Google My Business profile, you'll want to make sure that you verify your listing, provide accurate information, include your logo, hours of operation, acceptable payment methods, your products or services and images. As you establish your Google profile, you can even start encouraging your customers to review your business online, and as a business owner, you can reply to all of these reviews and queries. This engagement will continually enhance your profile. Lastly, Google even gives you the ability to create posts, such as a new offer or announcement, which can get plenty of views and attention as your profile grows.
2. One Word… Reviews.
Aim to get regular, positive reviews from your customers. This will optimize your Google My Business presence and will also build your credibility. The more positive reviews your local customers see, the more encouraged they will purchase products or services from your business, especially if you’re able to attract more endorsements than your competitors.
“72% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from real people.”
There are different ways you can approach your customer to write a review. You can ask them to write one in person, after closing a sale. You can even send them a text message or email prompting them to write a review. Lastly, you can respond to existing reviews in a professional way by thanking your reviewer.
On a side note, sometimes you may get a negative review. When this happens, we always encourage our clients to reply in a professional, positive manner, to showcase your businesses' professionalism, when future customers visit your Google Profile. You can also use this as an opportunity to improve your customer experience by addressing potential gaps in your current practices.
3. Optimize Your Website for Mobile
Mobile is the "new normal." Every major brand is prioritizing mobile optimization, and we encourage every business owner to do it. More than half of all search volume results come from smart phones, according to Google.
“50% of mobile search is aimed at local businesses”
There are many ways to optimize your website for mobile. Firstly, you can ensure your website loads very quickly on mobile. This means taking no more than three seconds to load. Second, you can use larger fonts (not too large) that are easier for your user to read when they are on your mobile website. Next, you can use strategically selected images and copy when necessary so as to not oversaturate the homepage with irrelevant information. In the digital age, people have a short attention span and prefer everything to be straight to the point, so this is something you should focus on. Additionally, people will only scroll for so much time on mobile, so you want to provide a time-efficient experience.
Google offers a free mobile optimization test tool which you can check out here.
4. Local Keywords on Your Website
When running a small business, your keywords should be relevant to your local customers. These keywords should be inserted in your website's meta content, copy and URL's throughout the site. The best way to find the right keywords based on location-specific searches is through a professional SEO tool. This helps you create a list of the most relevant, local keywords to use.
In fact, Google offers a keyword planner tool, which you can try, here.
Also, when adding these keywords into your copy, you want to be strategic with your phrasing. For example, if you own a local yoga studio in Toronto, Ontario, you want to include certain sentences, such as, "located in the core of the City of Toronto" or "located just steps from the CN Tower."
5. Using a Location Page on Your Website
This is a must for local SEO, especially if your business has a physical location(s). This list includes the location name, address, and phone number, as well as parking availability and a Google Map attached to the page. Ensure to include your hours of operation as well. Another thing we recommend, depending on your industry, is adding testimonials. These will lend your business credibility.
6. Online Business Directories are Available Everywhere
There are tons of online business directories you can use, such as Yelp, YellowPages, and Foursquare, to list your business in a directory. These business directories enable you to boost your local SEO and capture more leads. On these directories, you can include your business name, address, phone number and a thorough description of your website and products or services you offer. Additionally, you will also get a quality backlink, which we explain in the next section.
7. Link Signals are Key
It’s important to get high quality backlinks. For localized organic results, you'll want link signals that are backlinks directing users to your site. When it comes to backlinks, quality is more important than quantity. You won't just want a ton of random backlinks, but rather, quality backlinks which will help with local organic search results and bring new users to your website.
There are different ways to get high-quality backlinks. Firstly, you can create quality content for your website that people will want to share or link back to your site, such as blog posts or videos. Secondly, guest blogging on reputable sites that have a high domain authority will help with backlink building. Another great tactic is engaging with local influencers on social media that can use their platform to link back to you.
Conclusion
Local SEO helps potential customers in your community discover your business. With the right local SEO strategy, your business can capture the audiences within your region that are looking for a product or service they need and that you can provide. Local SEO provides potential customers the information they are looking for, when they need it.
To get started on your local SEO strategy, contact The Bold x Collective team at our Toronto digital agency.