Are you a small business? Do you operate in the B2C segment? Are you a franchise for a larger brand? Local business can be vital for you. According to research, 97% of customers search to find information locally.
Furthermore, research also shows
that 46% of all searches on Google are local. (Source: GoGulf)
Your website design needs change to accommodate the additional requirements to
cater to local SEO. It helps businesses promote their portfolio online to their
prospects who are specifically looking for that service. We will now discuss a
few tips to improve local SEO.
Know the target market
Be a small business or a large
retail chain; if you are targeting the local market, you must understand the
market. What is the buyer persona? What are the problems that you must solve?
How can a new business add value to their lives? Once you can answer these
queries, you will be able to serve the local population better. The content
needs to be changed accordingly. If you have a clear sense of the local
populace, the customisation of content is more straightforward.
Location pages can be added
Location pages cover a
significant portion of the local SEO services. When the search engines crawl
the website for a local search, it should find a match from one of the webpages
in the site. You need to structure the location page correctly. Take advantage
of local keyword research and create relevant content. The services offered
must be included along with the contact information specific for the location. Also,
optimise the page title and the meta tags in line with SEO best practices.
Local keyword research
As part of the local seo
services, web designers must put on the shoes of the prospects and predict the
possible search queries. It will help you to be on the first page for the most
searched keywords and ensure that no prospects slip out. You must cover
keywords for the entire stretch of the prospect’s buyer journey. The Google
AdWords Keyword Planner is an excellent free option to establish local
keywords.
Create local content
Search engines are smarter and
can quickly comprehend whether the page has been written to improve SERP rank.
Such activities are heavily penalised. You need to write content that connects
with the internet users. It is needed as part of local SEO services. Content
writers are tempted to write about general topics, but if you are targeting the
local market, you must write about the local audience. Innovative thinking
needs to go into the content that you create and think beyond what the business
sells.
Optimise for local SEO
Once you have selected the local
keywords and created the content, you need to optimise the website. It will
involve optimising the metadata and the page title for local SEO. Also, check
the image optimisation levels and site speed. The site must also have the local
business schema added to it. Google's research shows that it draws more
visitors to your website.
Utilise local videos
According to 99firms, having a
video on the homepage boosts your chances of being on the first page of a
search by 53%. And 70% of consumers prefer to see a video than go through
written content. (Source: Retail
Dive) The need for an integrated approach to content increases manifold.
You need to reserve some space on the homepage for local videos. Carefully
created videos are a creative way to increase enthusiasm on your site. It will
lead to more business.
Mobile responsiveness
More and more people are using
their mobile devices to do an online search. As a result, search engines have
considered mobile responsiveness a significant factor to decide SERP rank. It
has also led to an increase in the importance of user experience. Users must
have a seamless experience of the website in their mobile devices too. Website
designers must keep this in mind and come up with a responsive design that
works for mobile as well. Local SEO services for mobile include an easy
call-to-action button, legible font, smooth scroll down and move up capabilities.
NAP consistency
If you are a local business, you
must ensure that your contact coordinates are consistent wherever you have
decided to put them. The full details of the company and the address must be
provided. If you have the contact number on the website, it must be the same at
all places.
Additionally, you must create
your profile on Google My Business (GMB). After creating the profile, you need
to confirm it and ensure that the details are the same as that provided on your
website. The listing should be made appealing, and high-quality photos can be
uploaded.
Allow customers to post reviews
We like to go through reviews
before making our buying decision. According to Brightlocal,
around 68% of buyers are encouraged by positive reviews about a local business.
As a result, it becomes crucial to include a portion to allow customers to
provide reviews. The site administrator can approve the reviews. Having
positive reviews will lead to more customers. You can also link social media
reviews on your website.
Set up social media signals
As part of their local seo
services, web designers must set up social media signals. A Facebook business
page will work wonders for the business. You may post high-quality pictures and
allow reviews on the business page. An Instagram page can also be set up to
post pictures. The website can be connected to the social media pages too.
Get noticed in your target market
An optimised website design
should be an integral part of the local SEO strategy. Ranking first on the
Google SERP is a sure shot way to get noticed. You can take the help of an
expert to work on inbound links with proper authority and relevance. Writing
relevant blogs is another way to get noticed.
We have discussed a few tips
about how to improve your SEO strategy for the local market. It will help to
get the ball rolling and initiate you to the online marketing world.
Comments
Post a Comment