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In today’s digital world, nearly everyone with a phone has a map and a directory of businesses right at their fingertips. As a business owner, it’s more important than ever to focus on local SEO so that you can easily be found. If you’re not taking advantage of local SEO, your competitors are likely capturing your potential customers.
Over the years, local SEO has become increasingly complex, and it demands expertise and attention more than ever. We’ve put together a list of the most important optimizations you can make to take full advantage of local SEO.
1. Optimize Meta Titles, Descriptions, and Content
Although meta titles and descriptions seem like old-school, regular SEO, these can have a significant impact on your local standing. To refresh your memory, meta titles and descriptions are HTML elements added to your website’s pages that are displayed in search results.
Meta Titles
The meta title is an important place to be adding your service/product keywords as well as your local keywords, such as your city or province/state. Striking the right balance is the key; you could overstuff your title making it untrustworthy to both the search algorithm and searchers, and on the other hand, you can do too little which will result in little to no benefit.
A good rule of thumb for your meta titles is to place your priority keyword at the beginning, add your local keyword in the middle, and end with your business name. But be warned, there is no cookie cutter for meta titles; you will need proper keyword research and a writer’s touch to get the most out of your meta title.
Meta Descriptions
Unlike meta titles, the meta description does not have as much pull in affecting your ranking. However, it does impact enticing users to click as it offers more details about your offerings and the page they are about to click. Conducting thorough meta research while being creative and inserting the correct local keywords will attract your target audience and eventually result in more traffic.
Content
As for the content on your site, it should include local information and local keywords where relevant. I cannot stress enough not to keyword stuff your content with your services and location (be it city or province/state). It won’t help you rank—thanks to the Panda update—and it won’t aid visitors on your site because they can see you’re trying to game the system.
To help boost your local information, make sure your contact page (and any location pages) is easily accessible, have your accurate business information listed there, and include an embedded Google map that points to your business. This not only boosts local rankings but also provides the correct information to users.
2. Leverage Google My Business
Your Google My Business (GMB) listing is another important aspect of local SEO. These listings can show up on the right-hand side of a regular Google search, and show various information about your business.
To maximize visibility for Google business listing, make sure to include accurate information which includes, optimized images, precise location details, maintaining the ratings by encouraging satisfied customers to leave a review and more. For more information on how to create and claim your listing, check out this helpful article from Google.
Source: Screenshot By User
Above is an example of a GMB listing that shows pictures, the business name, overall rating and number of reviews, the business category, and the business’s location information. All of these individual parts are extremely important in ensuring your listing is properly optimized.
Pictures
Humans are curious by nature and want to know more about something before making any decisions. Pictures on your GMB listing give potential customers a better feel for your business; it’s a personal touch that shouldn’t be skipped. Adding pictures on a regular basis is also a great way to stay relevant and showcase your business.
Your Business Name
When optimizing your GMB listing, you want to make sure your business name is accurate to your marketing materials. This goes for anywhere your business is located online—consistency is key!
Keeping your business name consistent is also important because, without your accurate name, you’d be breaking Google’s guidelines for proper listing management. It’s very common to see listings include keywords in their business name, and this has helped people rank in the past, and currently—but it is against Google’s guidelines.
This listing is free and hosted by Google, so you should be playing by their rules. If you don’t, your valuable listing could be suspended, and can cause you to lose any reviews left by customers. Google has written an article on representing your business on their platform that is very helpful. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Reviews and Rating
Having a strong number of reviews is essential; it demonstrates to potential customers that others have had positive experiences with your business. While the number of reviews can vary, more is always better, especially if you surpass your competitors.
Aiming for a high rating—ideally five stars—is important, but don’t worry if you receive a few less-than-perfect reviews. This is normal and not a deal-breaker for your local SEO. The key is how you handle these reviews. Responding thoughtfully and professionally demonstrates that you value customer feedback. Ignoring negative reviews can suggest guilt, while attempting to remove them may lead to further issues. By addressing concerns openly and providing top-notch support, you can improve your local SEO and strengthen relationships with your customers.
Business Category
Your business category, positioned just below the Rating, is essential for Google to grasp the services you provide. Your primary category should be the one most relevant to both you and your customers. You can include secondary categories for additional services, but avoid excessive categorization, as this can dilute your ranking and spread your focus too wide. Select the categories that best fit your business.
Location Information
Accurate location information on your listing is crucial for ranking and helping customers find your business. This section should be consistent across all online platforms where your business is mentioned, just like your business name.
Monitor your listing regularly, as competitors and users (like Google Local Guides) can suggest edits. These suggestions are reviewed by Google, which may approve changes even if they contain incorrect information based on other sources such as your website, social media, and directories.
Other Areas
There are additional sections of your Google My Business listing that need optimization, and they’re comparatively easier to manage. Review the Info section and complete all applicable fields to enhance your local SEO. If a field isn’t relevant to your business, simply skip it to keep your listing focused and accurate.
3. Google Posts
Within your Google My Business (GMB) listing is a section called Google Posts. Google Posts were created back in 2016 and have grown over time to become much more relevant in marketing strategies, especially for local SEO. These posts function like social media updates but appear directly in your Google listing, making them an excellent avenue to promote new products, sales, discounts, or any business updates, thereby enhancing your local SEO efforts.
Google Posts provide potential customers with valuable information before they even click on your link, improving your visibility. While Google hasn’t officially confirmed a direct link between these posts and local ranking, it’s reasonable to assume they influence your local SEO credibility.
Each post lasts 7 days, but multiple posts can be active simultaneously. For longer events, you can extend the visibility of a single post throughout the month. Including effective calls-to-action can also increase click-throughs to your website. If these posts align with your business goals, consider experimenting with them to optimize your local SEO strategy.
4. Build Online Directories and Citations
A directory is a website that hosts numerous business listings, known as citations. Think of it as a digital phone book—similar to Facebook but with less social interaction.
These citations are crucial for showcasing accurate business information and enhancing local SEO. They represent valuable online real estate that helps more people discover your business and allows search engines to trust and understand you better. Many directories also include review sections, which Google can analyze to determine your search rankings, thereby impacting your local SEO efforts. Consistency is vital; ensuring that your information is accurate and uniform across all directories is essential for effective local SEO.
You might wonder how many directories you should be listed on for optimal local SEO. My rule of thumb is to aim for the top 50 directories. These can vary by location and industry, but WhiteSpark provides an excellent resource for finding the top directories in various countries. Diversify your directory management by adding your business to these top directories, as well as industry-specific ones, like a directory for Self Storage Units. Try searching for “[industry] directory” (e.g., “Self-storage directory”) to uncover niche directories that can further boost your local SEO.
Source: Shutterstock
5. Focus on Online Reputation and Reviews
Building a strong reputation organically is key. Here’s a concise recap of the main points discussed thus far, along with some additional tips:
- Quality over Quantity: Focus on providing exceptional services that will lead to positive reviews.
- Encourage Feedback: Politely remind satisfied customers that reviews help your business. Simple follow-ups or thank-you emails can be effective.
- What to Avoid:
- Buying fake reviews
- Asking friends, family, coworkers, and other people who have not used your services to leave reviews
- Bribing customers for reviews with discounts or freebies
- Having a device in your business for customers to leave reviews (these reviews come from the same IP address and can be flagged as fake reviews)
- Conducting review gating by emailing customers and only asking the positive responses to leave an online review
It is not worth your time and effort to create a fraudulent image of your business online. Just be the best business you can be and have excellent customer service.
What We Learned Today
Local SEO encompasses many elements, and what we’ve discussed is just the tip of the iceberg. To truly excel in local SEO for your business, it’s essential to maintain consistent location information across various platforms while fostering trust with both customers and search engines. This involves optimizing your website, your Google My Business (GMB) listing, and your citations, as well as gathering positive reviews on these platforms.
Always remember the golden rule: provide exceptional service and excel in your field.
If this all feels a bit overwhelming, don’t worry! We’re here to help. If you don’t have the time or expertise to navigate local SEO on your own, we’ve got you covered. For more details about our local SEO services, give us a call at 866-208-3095 or contact us here.