Local search engine optimization is not a one-size-fits-all strategy that you implement to propel your website to the top of the search engine rankings. Its powerful digital marketing strategy for business owners who want to sell to local clients that combines a variety of best practices for SEO. That is, if you are going to increase your local ranking and make sure you don’t lose your customer to your competitor, implement local SEO strategies. Local SEO is no different from normal SEO. It’s just that we use keywords that are more relevant to the local audience.
Your SEO Checklist for Your Small Business Website
Content rules
Search engines love cool, engaging content. If you want to rank well in local search results, you need to post new, high-quality content to the website as often as possible. Having a local SEO strategy is essential early in your planning process. Plan your content strategy based on keyword research. The content of your website must be attractive and useful to your audience. Think of it this way: when many people visit your website using a particular search term, search engines monitor it; it is likely to improve your search ranking. Include your keywords in the title tags and meta descriptions of your web pages. It is observed that people tend to click on the links that have a keyword instead of the one that does not.
Optimize NAP information
After creating content optimized for your local search results, optimizing your NAP (name, address, and phone number) across your entire web presence is the most crucial factor. Wondering why? Well, search engines can collect your NAP information from anywhere on the web. Therefore, if you have different data on multiple sites, Google may not consider it as a single entity. Other than that, the consistency and quantity of NAP is a ranking factor for local search. Also, think of it this way: If people see different business details on the web, they can get confused about which one is correct. Also, they may end up contacting your competitor who has more consistent business information. A consistent NAP can give you greater visibility in local search.
Go mobile
Do you log into your laptop every time you search for something? No right? Instead, you’d take out your phone or tablet and go online to find what you need. That’s what your customers would do too. Also, if your website offers a bad mobile user experience, they will get frustrated. In April 2015, Google implemented a mobile-friendly algorithm, and a website that does not meet Google’s mobile-friendly guidelines will result in the loss of mobile search traffic. Not only that, Google penalizes sites that are not optimized for mobile devices. It can drastically hamper your mobile search results ranking. Google even provides tools to determine if your website is mobile friendly. Optimize your site for mobile and take advantage of the traffic of those small screens that exist. A mobile friendly website is also SEO friendly.
Provide simple and easy-to-use navigation
Website navigation is like a roadmap to your site. It is a factor that will decide how quickly a visitor finds what they are looking for. If people get frustrated leaving your website, the bounce rate will increase. Not only will it affect user engagement, but it will also lead to the loss of a potential customer. Take the time to think and design your website navigation that is easy to use so that visitors find what they are looking for. Plan your website architecture and build your website navigation based on it. It will help you be clear about what should go where and which pages should be interconnected.
Link building is a must
Search engines count a link to your site as a “vote of credibility.” It means that there is a possibility that search engines will show your site to searches for the particular keyword. Links are like trust and authority. Naturally, you will have few links, but the link building activity can increase the number of websites that link to your site and also the ranking of your website. You can broadcast websites with high quality and relevant content that have good authority to link to your website. It will help your small business build exposure online, attract more customers, and increase your website ranking. Link building requires regular outreach and monitoring. It can be overwhelming, but in the process, you are acquiring quality links for your website and fostering new relationships.
Last but not least …
Local SEO is often tricky. An effective local SEO strategy is never really complete. In addition to optimizing your website, social media can also help you improve your search engine rankings. Search engine optimization and your website ranking are interrelated. Following these basic best practices will establish a solid foundation from which to build.