Local SEO marketing is the practice of optimizing your online presence so your business appears in search results when nearby customers look for products or services like yours. A Google Business Profile is the fastest starting point, since it places your business into Google’s local listings, maps, and search features. From there, keyword targeting, third-party listings, and consistent citations across the web reinforce your visibility and drive more traffic to your site.
Why focus on local SEO?
Local SEO promotes your business online so you attract more visitors to your website and increase your chance of converting them into sales. It involves many elements that work together to help you rank better in local search results, and it can also improve the user experience on your site.
The best way to understand local SEO is to look at how consumers search for information. These searches can include a new hair salon, a restaurant, or a retailer selling a specific item. 80% of consumers use a search engine to find local information. When a user types in a local search, the algorithm used by search engines determines which websites are the most relevant to the query. A business with a good ranking for a local search can reach the top of the search results.
How does keyword targeting fit in?
Keyword targeting sits at the center of any local SEO plan. The terms your customers type when they want a nearby hair salon, restaurant, or retailer should shape your page titles, body copy, headings, and meta descriptions. Pairing those keywords with a content marketing plan keeps each page relevant to your target market, and internal linking between related pages helps search engines understand how your site fits together.
How does Google Business Profile work?
Google Business Profile is a platform that helps businesses find new customers and stay on top of the local search results. It allows you to manage interactive features, publish different media, and verify your business. The service is free.
You need a Google account to get started. Once you have one, you can create a Business Profile. To verify your business, you will need to provide a physical address and a business phone number. Some businesses can also receive verification via email.
You can customize your profile to show your hours of operation, as well as your service area. If you run a home-based business, you may want to choose a location near your home. Your listing can also display offers and promote events.
What should you know about business listings on different sites and search engines?
A strong local SEO strategy can lead to additional revenue by helping your business get found by potential customers in your area. One of the best ways to boost your local SEO is by focusing on the Google My Business (GMB) directory. GMB lets you add photos, videos, and customer reviews to your listing. Another useful listing is the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a trusted resource for consumers where accreditation signals that your business is in good standing.
Maintaining and updating your listings is another important piece of a local SEO campaign. You can do this manually, or with the help of a tool like BrightLocal.
Why do citations matter?
Local citations are online references to your business’s NAP (name, address, phone number) information. Having consistent citations in a variety of locations can help you achieve higher search rankings and increased traffic to your website.
Yext is one tool that integrates with hundreds of sites, so you can add or edit listings in popular directories directly. It also works well with voice search tools like Alexa and Siri.
BrightLocal is another helpful resource. It lists citation opportunities in over 40 categories. To get the most from your citations, focus on sites that are relevant to your industry and are likely to be visited by a local audience.
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