Local SEO Marketing involves optimizing both your website and Google My Business listings to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves claiming and updating both profiles, adding photos and managing reviews.
Conducting keyword research and creating high-quality content are both key elements of local SEO, since Google takes into account both traditional SEO elements as well as localized ones when ranking businesses either organically or within its local pack.
Keyword Research
Local SEO goes beyond simply finding keywords; it involves understanding how people search for the products and services you offer. Utilizing tools such as Ubersuggest and Google autocomplete can help identify implicit keywords with local intent.
Keep an eye on your competition to identify which keywords they’re targeting – look at page titles and meta descriptions as well as reviews they have earned on consumer directories, social networks such as Facebook or Yelp to detect specific words they are using in marketing their services or products.
Moz asserts that citation signals, the quality and quantity of a business’s citations, play an essential part in determining their rankings in local searches and snack pack results. Make sure all citation sources use consistent names, addresses and phone numbers (NAP), eliminating any discrepancies across them all; additionally it would be wise to list your business on popular listings directories such as Bing Maps or Yelp as well as social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram for maximum exposure.
On-Page Optimization
Local SEO should be an essential element of online marketing for any business that operates physically in multiple geographic areas or offers services across several geographical regions. According to research conducted by Google and Ipsos, four out of five people use search engines like Google or Bing to look up information about local businesses they want to visit within 24 hours. Of those using these search engines to research local businesses, 72 percent visited that business within that day after doing a search on it!
Optimizing on-page content is one of the cornerstones of local SEO, including adding the business location into its title tag to match Google My Business listings, as well as including Schema markup on your website to rank higher in SERPs. If your business is located in Harrisburg, make sure your title tag reflects this fact; reviews and testimonials provide valuable signals to search engines that help to boost SEO rankings.
Off-Page Optimization
Off-page optimization entails actions outside your domain to increase search engine rankings, such as link building, content marketing and local SEO.
Installing structured data markup, known as schema, on pages on your website can assist search engines in quickly finding what they need more quickly. There are specific forms of schema relevant for local SEO such as business schema and geo-contextual markup.
NAP Citations, in which your name, address and phone number (NAP) appear elsewhere online such as business directories, review sites or social media profiles are an effective off-page SEO tactic that Google takes into consideration when ranking local search results.
Social Media Marketing
Social media channels are an integral component of local SEO marketing, providing businesses with direct access to their target audiences and helping them rank higher in search results.
Establishing the correct NAP information (name, address and phone number) on social media websites is essential to running a business successfully. Google uses these details to determine whether a site is legitimate and in its proper location.
Quality content is crucial to any website, as it draws users in and can lead to conversions. An excellent way of doing this is through posting informative blogs – they also serve as backlinks which play an integral part in SEO.
Reputation Management
Positive reviews are an integral component of any business, and that holds true for local companies as well. Search engines take into account both quantity, quality and recency when ranking local SEO results.
Most businesses are listed in multiple online business directories such as MapQuest, Yelp and YellowPages with information about them in these directories known as “citations.” Maintaining a consistent NAP across the web is key for Local SEO success.
Local search marketing has become an essential strategy for businesses that serve a specific geographical audience or want their services found by potential customers nearby. By taking time and using these techniques to market your local business on Google Search, you can ensure it receives adequate exposure.