Local search marketing is one of the most effective ways for a small business to market itself online. Getting started comes down to a few core moves: building structured citations, publishing offsite content, claiming a Google My Business profile, and running an active social media presence.
How do structured citations improve local rankings?
Structured citations are a vital ranking factor for Google and help people find your business. They are like Yellow Pages listings for local businesses, listing important details about the company. These include the business name, address, and phone number. You can also add the website, logo, and industry.
Unstructured citations aren’t as visible to the search engines as structured citations, but they do provide valuable information. This can include mentions of the business in a blog post or news article. Also, unstructured citations can come from popular websites and online forums.
Adding a structured citation to your business profile is a quick and easy way to boost your ranking in the local search engines. Just make sure you include the appropriate category for your products or services.
What offsite content should you create?
A well-crafted onsite content strategy can help improve your ranking in the search engines. You should also include a strong social media presence to help spread the word about your business. This may include sharing a few of your blog posts on Facebook and Twitter.
The biggest question is, how do you get your site to show up in a Google search? Aside from creating a blog and incorporating social media into your overall marketing plan, you can boost your rankings by getting inbound links from credible and reputable sources. However, don’t go overboard and over optimize your website. Having a fast loading page is known to be a ranking factor in the search engines.
How do you set up Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free service offered by Google that allows businesses to have a profile. This is an extension of the business’s contact information and can be used to attract customers.
The profile may appear on Google Maps, and it will feed data to the Knowledge Box. It also includes an FAQ section that can answer common questions from customers.
Google My Business works best when paired with other local search efforts, including social media and other forms of online content. You should also fight spam in your community.
One of the most important aspects of your Google My Business profile is your business category. Google uses a taxonomy of several thousand categories to rank your business. You can claim your business for the category you wish, but not all of them are eligible for instant verification.
Post photos often to keep new content flowing on your profile. Photos can also be geotagged to enhance local discovery.
How should social media fit into your local search plan?
Social media is a powerful marketing tool that can help increase your local search presence. It can also increase brand awareness, attract the right people, and promote your business.
Creating and maintaining a consistent social profile can lead to more organic traffic and higher click-through rates. Keep your NAP (name, address, and phone number) and contact information the same across all profiles. This consistency helps your NAP and website’s authority with search engines.
Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Facebook page or on third-party sites. These reviews can boost your local SEO. Also, be sure to include your business hours on all relevant sites.
Make it easy for your customers to get to your site by including hashtags and location-based keywords in all of your social profiles.
Related coverage
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Related coverage
- What Is Local Search Marketing?
- Local Search Marketing Tactics to Boost Online Visibility and Drive Traffic