Tips for an Effective Local SEO Strategy

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local SEO strategy
local SEO strategy

Local SEO is a strategy that makes your business more visible in Google’s local search results. 

As a matter of fact, 46% of Google searches are local. 

The companies that serve a certain geographic area or have a physical location get immense benefits from local SEO services. To believe:

  • 29% of every Google SERPs has a local pack within the results. 
  • 76% of searches are for those who search for local products on their mobile phones and visit the store on the same day.
  • 50% of searches are meant for those who search for the local business address on their mobile phones. 
  • 78% of local searches on mobile devices end up with offline purchases.

From the above statistics, it is evident that local searches play an essential part in the SEO world.

What Exactly is Local SEO and Why is it Needed?

Before understanding the definition of local SEO, it is important to know the meaning of local SEO. 

It defines the searches of services, products, and businesses associated with one particular location. Or, local search is more about specific location than usual google searches. It is the process of optimizing the online visibility to appear in those local search results. The aim of local SEO is to:

  • Improve the online visibility
  • Get more footfall to your brick-and-mortar location
  • Achieve more targeted traffic to grow the conversion chances
  • Build trust and improve the credibility

If all these facts and figures have inspired you, then, read on to know about the effective local SEO strategies that can be implemented now to gain fruitful results:

How Local SEO Strategy Could be Beneficial?

Build and Optimize the Google My Business Account

The fact is that the Google My Business (GMB)  account improves the online visibility of a business and appears on lists. Google’s instructions can be followed to create an account; however, do not forget to follow the below steps:

  • While giving the business information, add the main keywords and the location you are operating in.
  • Select only the best category for GMB subcategories or GMB listing and search the general search queries suitable for the business.
  • Start the profile verification process by matching the details, such as name, contact details, or address in GMB available in location citations or websites. 

Carry out Local Keyword Research and Optimize the Content

Use Semrush’s Keyword Overview Tool to get a comprehensive local keyword search. It will give you the needed insights, such as the related keywords of your business, the current competition, and the expected value for ranking. Though, some steps are there that need to be followed for keyword targeting. 

  • Conduct a local keyword search and select the related keywords for targeting. Include in the metadata of the website, either in the related web pages or body text or in the URL only.
  • Perform the optimization of your area content. Show the region-specific hotspots and landmarks. Give attention to the “About Us” web page, prioritize the locally important information like your engagement and commitment in the local community, events, and local news. 
  • Create backlinks to the most suitable pages. It needs a two-fold strategy that involves submitting to directories and community engagement. 

Community Engagement or Local Link Building?

Both can be used! You can get benefits from the geographical familiarity and proximity you are sharing with different businesses in the area. Community engagement is a synonym of Local local building.

Connect with them and make relationships with others in your region and ask them directly for website linking. It is a simple yet quick way to collect several high-quality backlinks and give the strongest link signals to Google. After setting up Link Building Tool and searching for prospects, you will get a list of additional businesses you can approach to get new links.

Consider Geofencing Advertising

Geofencing is an ultra-efficient and hyper-local advertising method that forms a virtual boundary nearby your business to initiate advertisement on mobile phones that leaves or enters the area.

This excellent marketing method is efficient only when the content is optimized with terms that are local-specific. Though, it can bring you more revenue, taking into consideration that the ads will be visible to the visitors and they are likely to click on them. 

Assure Citation/NAP Consistency

Google recognizes the citation signals like Name, Address, Phone number (NAP), and citation volume constancy in local searching results. This only implies that the details must be on the important citation sites, other than Facebook, Yelp, think Bing Maps, and GMB. Give attention to the directories which have high Domain Authority (DA) rather than directories with less DA. 

Significantly, assure that the Business name, address, and phone number are constant on every website and platform. Check out if there are any duplicate listings, misspellings, phone numbers, and address discrepancies. If there is any then, solve them to grow the local SEO. 

Manage Customer Reviews to give local SEO Boost

Customer reviews or online reviews work the same as a personal reference. Definitely, you must ask the customer to give their feedback or rate their experience with you. 

But, it is also important to examine and give a reply to every review, particularly when you are working in a local area. The reviews and how you are managing them affect the brand image.  

Inspire your happy customers to give feedback with post-purchase emails or by giving recognition actively by replying quickly for positive reviews. Analyze and resolve problems that end up in negative reviews. Know if the customer’s statement is untruth, or other ways can be followed. While replying, consider the below-mentioned steps:

  • All can see your review, do not write anything that can endanger your relationship with other clients.
  • If you find that client is unfair to you, then, let professionalism and diplomacy play the game. Approach them in private to solve the problems in particular. 
  • If there is any mistake you have made, then, apologize for the communication with them. 

Get benefit from Listing Management Tool to monitor the online feedback in the Reviews tab.

Use Social Listening for Advantage

Primarily, the aim of social listening is to remain as a marketing insight source, however, it has several benefits. If you know what insights to count for and how to take advantage of them, it can even help drive your local SEO approach.

Consider social listening to understand people’s opinions in your location -if it’s about your business or the universal situation. You can also use it to gather information regarding audience priorities, interests, etc. Then use the insights the most to figure out how to develop strategies and even services and products. 

For example, you may have seen that people complain regarding the lack of open-air seating in the cafe. Perhaps it’s time to introduce it to attract more audiences. For example, you can also optimize the GMB SEO by sharing updates regarding new accommodations.

Or, you might have regarded that people expect your hair salon to also offer manicure services. You can grow your service offerings and share the update regarding the Google My Business Account profile. Moreover, the social listening efforts also assists in understanding the type of local content the viewers are searching for.  Then, you can then develop a strong local content strategy to meet these requirements. In addition, you can even find long-tail keywords to include in the content optimization approach.

Consider Local Citations and Directories

When your website gets optimized for local search, you must grow your local online business.  Adding to the local business directory and raising the number of citations will also increase your local visibility significantly.

A local directory or citation is any online specifying the name, phone number, and address of the local business. Citations can appear on local corporate directories, applications, websites, and social platforms. The prime objective of Internet users is to find local businesses and can also influence search engine ranking.  

Particularly, the correct necessary citations assist you to rank perfectly on Google Maps. Local companies can actively manage many citations to assure the accuracy of the data.

Wrapping  Up

There are misconceptions that local SEO is only Google my Business and Google Search. It is important not to neglect the various surfaces to get the information related to local businesses.

Remain in touch with the areas customers mostly interact with; thus ensuring your business information is up to the mark and helps optimize local SEO.

We are wrapping up by stating that if your business is not able to rank well in your location, and you are losing your potential customers, then, get beneficial results from local SEO and outrank your rivals. 

Always remember that the local SEO can span different locations. The tips mentioned above can be applied when your aim is to target a number of areas. Use them to the best to get the most out of them or simply, to improve online visibility in search engines.  Otherwise, you can take assistance from a professional SEO company. The choice is yours!

Let us know if there are some queries related. Share your views regarding this article. We are here to help! Suggestions are also welcome. Thanks for reading!

 

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