If you own a local business, your marketing budget should include strategies for driving search traffic online. According to Acquisio’s 2017 research on this matter, 75% of searches with “local intent” result in in-store visits within 24 hours – leaving potential revenue untapped for local companies! So it makes sense to prioritize strategies focused on this type of search query.
Local SEO involves both optimizing your website with relevant local keywords and making sure that it can be seen on Google Maps (known as the Map Pack or Local Organic Search). Here are some effective strategies for doing local seo.
Keyword research is an integral component of SEO for any business, but especially essential when marketing locally. Use Google Keyword Planner to filter search by location and find long-tail keywords you can include into your on-site content – these should appear as title tags, meta descriptions, URLs and throughout copy. Inclusion should also include references to landmarks or hotspots specific to that region.
Schemas for products and services are another effective way of increasing SEO on a website. By showing that your products and services are taken seriously, as well as helping rank higher in Map Pack and organic search results.
Studies have proven that building reviews on Yelp and Google is an excellent way to boost local SEO rankings, so encouraging your customers to leave feedback via these platforms should pay dividends in search rankings.
An effective local SEO strategy must include social media management. Make sure you have dedicated pages on all major networks (including Facebook and Instagram) with regular posts highlighting local events, industry trends, or popular attractions to reach a more targeted audience and position yourself as an authority in your field.
Don’t forget to claim and optimize your Google Business Manager (formerly Google My Business) profile, a free tool which enables you to manage all your listings across various channels such as Search and Maps. Claiming and optimizing this profile will be essential in getting into The Map Pack as well as increasing organic rankings.
These tips are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to local SEO, but should provide you with an excellent starting point. Once implemented, it’s important to monitor and analyze results using tools like Sprout’s SEO Analyzer; here you can quickly see your on-site SEO score as well as identify areas for improvement and increase traffic by tracking keyword positions with local keyword tracking tools – to get started click below and register a free account today!