Local Search Marketing is the practice of optimizing your business’s online presence so that it can be found by consumers in its locality. This may involve directory submissions, local citation creation and monitoring online reviews as methods.
Be wary of agencies making unwarranted claims or promises. Any agency which claims they can get you to the top of Google or SERPs overnight should be avoided, and try to find agencies with real people working on your marketing.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is a critical aspect of local search marketing. Your keywords could make or break your chances of ranking amongst local results and drawing customers through to your business.
To identify relevant local keywords for your business, start by brainstorming the services it offers – either yourself or consulting clients to gain ideas.
Next, use an Ubersuggest tool to generate related search terms and variations. It is also helpful to take a look at your competitors’ websites to gain an idea of the keywords they’re targeting; this will give you an idea of the types of content to create for your local search marketing campaign. Finally, save any keywords relevant to your business that emerge during this step, but remember to track results!
On-Page Optimization
One effective strategy for increasing local SEO is optimizing the content on your website, including adding NAP (name, address and phone number) information across every page and using localized keywords in your writing.
Implementing Schema markup on your website can also help boost local SEO; this simple method informs Google that you’re local business, potentially increasing rankings in SERPs and increasing revenue.
Final Note: Creating unique web pages for each of your locations can help rank for more targeted searches while also offering you the chance to highlight important information such as store hours, unique store descriptions, parking/transit options and promotions.
Local Listing Management
Administering local listings ensures that search engines have all of the information needed to present relevant businesses in search results, while building Google and other search engines’ trust in small business owners’ information.
Utilizing appropriate software or services can assist businesses in effectively managing multiple online directories such as Yelp, Foursquare, Google My Business and others that may influence SEO rankings – including claiming, verifying and updating listings.
Many local search marketing agencies offer white-label local listing management tools for resellers that integrate with over 90 top directory sites and deliver an all-in-one dashboard of search views, map views, review scores and more – Rio SEO and Chatmeter are two such software systems designed for multi-location brands.
Social Media Management
If your social media following is large enough, leverage its channels to promote your local business. Doing this helps build trust among potential customers while potentially leading to increased revenues in your community.
One way to enhance your SEO results is by building backlinks targeted towards local keywords. This can be accomplished by targeting niche websites relevant to your business and using the correct keyword phrases.
Manage local search marketing requires time and effort. If you don’t have the resources available to manage your own online presence and SEO, hiring an agency to do it for you may be your best solution. When hiring such an organization, watch out for any claims that make exaggerated promises or guarantee; these could be scams; instead hire one with real people on staff who can keep an eye on algorithm updates as well as create innovative strategies tailored to your business’s specific needs.
Monitoring Online Reviews
Review sites such as Google My Business, Yelp and Facebook can have an incredible effect on a local business’s bottom line. Reviews often determine whether consumers choose to call or visit.
Consistent information across the web helps search engines verify your identity and location, while simultaneously showing that you take pride in providing products or services to consumers.
Good Local SEO software should offer features like keyword research, geo-targeting capabilities, citation tracking (NAP consistency), competitor analysis and review monitoring. In addition to that, good software also features a position tracker that monitors local keywords down to ZIP code level while tracking SERP features – this allows for tracking rankings over time as well as staying away from agencies claiming they can take you straight to the top of Google overnight – these agencies should be avoided at all costs!