Local SEO is one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your business. According to Milestone research, local searches constitute 22.6% of the total digital traffic, only second to organic searches, which stand at 46.5%. Hence, you can attract a lot of potential leads to your website with local SEO.
To rank high in search results for local keywords, it’s essential to know how Google and other search engines use location data. Additionally, you must use strategies like optimizing Google My Business listing, creating local content, performing keyword research, etc. However, this can be challenging. If you don’t have the right expertise or in-house SEO team, you can hire a local SEO company to do the job for you.
A local SEO company will have a profound knowledge of search engine algorithms and how they operate. Hence, they can help you get more traffic through local SEO campaigns. They can also do keyword research, content creation, and other local SEO tasks for you so that you can focus on sales and business development.
This guide will show you how to optimize your website and content, so they appear higher in search results and get more customers.
Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
Optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing is a must, as this will give you more control over your business’s appearance on the map. You’ll also be able to respond to reviews and manage your information in one central location.
To set up a Google My Business listing:
- Go to https://www.google.com/business/ and click Create Your Free GMB Account at the top of the page.
- Enter all your business information, including name, address, phone numbers, categories, website URLs, etc., then click Save Changes at the bottom right corner of your screen.
Most customers research on the internet to find a local business. Moreover, 90% of the people who look for local companies on the internet purchase within a week of the search. With a GMB listing, you can appear in their searches and attract more foot traffic to your store.
Create Local Content
Local content is a great way to bring people to your door. Not only does it allow you to rank higher in local search results, but it also helps you attract more customers and increase brand awareness.
Your content must be relevant to your business and its location. This will help ensure that the target audience sees it when searching for businesses like yours. You can also use this information about your business when creating your content.
Content creation doesn’t have to mean writing long rambling articles about how great everything about this specific product or service is. It could just be something short like:
- “How Artificial Intelligence Works”
- “How to Optimize Supply Chains”
Focus on Local Link Building
Links are the most critical ranking factor, and they’re also the hardest to get. However, it is possible if you have a strong link-building strategy.
You should look for relevant links to your business and its products or services. You can use tools like Moz Link Explorer or Ahrefs Site Explorer to see who is linking to your site. The sites that link back to you will often be competitors, customers, and influencers within the industry, so focus on those first.
If there aren’t any sites linking back directly from your website, do some outreach with local businesses through email or phone calls, asking them if they would consider adding one. It could take weeks or even months before someone decides whether or not they want a link from their site on yours, but persistence pays off in local SEO tactics.
Join Local Marketplaces and Forums
In addition to joining local marketplaces and forums, you should also try to get the maximum exposure on these platforms. This can be done by joining groups that discuss things relevant to your business. For example, suppose you run a flower shop in Chicago. In that case, you must join groups dedicated to Chicago businesses so that people looking for floral arrangements know where they can go.
Additionally, once you have joined these groups or forums, you must engage with other users by commenting on their posts or creating threads related to your industry and location.
Keep an Eye on Your Brand’s Reputation
Businesses need to be aware of their brand’s reputation to improve their local SEO and drive more traffic to their business. Keeping an eye on your brand’s reputation is essential to ensure that potential customers see your business as trustworthy and reliable. This can be done by monitoring reviews, responding to customer feedback, and staying active on social media.
Additionally, businesses should be aware of how their brand is represented in the local community, which can directly impact their local SEO rankings. By monitoring and managing your brand’s reputation, businesses can improve their local SEO and drive more traffic to their business.
Produce More Online Video Content
There are many benefits to producing quality online video content, including the following:
- It is more engaging than other types of content. Users are more likely to watch videos, which means they will stay on your site longer and might even share it with their friends. This can lead to increased search engine rankings for your business and increased traffic from social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
- Higher click-through rates from search results. Video is also a powerful way to increase conversion rates because users who watch videos are more likely to engage with the advertised product or service than those who simply read about it in text format alone.
Video content can attract more visitors to your website. Hence, many brands create video content and upload them on YouTube and other hosting platforms. According to HubSpot, around 31% of brands create 2 to 4 videos monthly.
Conclusion
Local SEO is one of the best ways to ensure your business appears in relevant search results. If you’re looking to grow your local business, you must optimize all aspects of your online presence so people can find you when they search for something nearby. Implementing these strategies and tactics will help increase your organic traffic, which could lead to more conversions consistently.