Local SEO can provide businesses with more visibility in the market and increase sales, while building trust among potential customers and thus lowering marketing expenses.
An SEO strategy targeting local search results might include content that provides top-of-funnel information about local industry events, news stories and employees; reviews/ratings from customers can even help build credibility on the Internet.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is an integral component of local SEO. You can conduct it manually or hire an SEO partner who can perform this service for you.
Start by identifying keywords people might use to search for your product or service, then add location terms that reflect explicit local intent (e.g. “near me” or “in my area”). Furthermore, location modifiers like landmarks, ZIP codes, or street names could also help target specific searches in an effective manner.
Once you’ve identified local keywords, incorporate them into your website content and other online assets – like social media posts and blog articles – before tracking their effects by looking at increased organic traffic to your website and other SEO metrics.
On-Page Optimization
Local SEO refers to optimizing your website for local audiences in order to attract more customers in that geographic region. It differs from regular SEO which targets multiple locations simultaneously.
One of the key elements of local SEO is ensuring your name, address and phone number (NAP) remain consistent across your business listings online – Google My Business, third-party apps or any other websites listing your information. Incentivise customers to leave reviews through signage or timely emails follow-up – both strategies can encourage customers to leave reviews that boost local search.
An important component of local seo is making sure your website is structured effectively. This involves assigning keywords to relevant pages, using logical page titles, and having high-quality, relevant content – this will allow search engines to understand your content better and determine its relevancy to searches made on that particular topic.
Off-Page Optimization
Off-page SEO in local seo differs significantly from regular SEO in that it involves multiple activities that expand beyond your website and affect its visibility, such as claiming and optimizing Google My Business listings, building consistent citations (mentions of your name, address and phone number across directories), encouraging reviews on sites like Yelp and industry-specific review platforms as well as social media marketing activities.
Linking may be the primary form of off-page optimization, but branded mentions also play a vital role in local rankings. When someone mentions your business or product without linking back to it directly, Google gains valuable information about relationships between businesses. One effective strategy for increasing branded mentions is through crafting and executing a strong social media plan.
Link Building
Link building refers to the practice of getting other websites to link back to yours, which helps improve rankings and drive more visitors. Local SEO emphasizes creating relevant links within a specified geographical area or service offering.
One way of doing this is by creating a page on your website with recommended local businesses, then reaching out to them and asking them to link back.
Guest blogging for local blogs is another effective way of building links, especially if it enables you to attract high-quality links. But be wary when selecting guest post sites – be sure that any writing opportunities relevant to your business and niche. Subtle requests for links could harm credibility.
Reputation Management
Local SEO is an efficient way for customers to connect with businesses. By optimizing a business’s on-page content and verifying that their name, address and phone number (NAP) appear correctly across the internet, businesses can increase visibility while improving search engine ranking.
Online reputation management (ORM) is a holistic practice designed to build positive images for businesses by cultivating reviews, endorsements, media coverage, and targeted tactics like responding to journalist requests on platforms like ResponseSource and HARO for clients in order to generate positive press coverage and drive new local business opportunities. Save your agency time with AgencyAnalytics by connecting all review platforms in one central place – begin your free trial now.