SEO strategies aren’t just reserved for global giants. Anyone can take advantage of them, precisely because they are characterized by high flexibility. When running a local business, you must enter into a dialogue not only with the inhabitants of your city, but also with tourists and visitors. Did you know that nearly 50% of searches across the entire Google network are for local services? Considering the dynamic development of technology, it is extremely important. So find out how to connect your offline activities with the online world.
Why does local SEO matter?
Local SEO is important because it allows businesses to be found by people in their area who are looking for what they have to offer. By optimizing your website and business listings for local search, you can reach new customers and grow your business.
It is worth knowing that 1 in 3 people check their website or social media account before going to the premises. Almost 70% of people then convert and you can enjoy the profits. The pandemic and the long time of lockdowns have shown that we are interested in local communities. Why should this change now?
Checklist in eight steps
Target your audience
Before you start, you need to set your goals and model audience. Who should your offer go to? Who will read your texts? Try to describe the inhabitants of your city – so determine their gender, age, education, occupation, interests. The part of the city in which they live is also important – districts have their own rules. Thanks to this information, you will have a chance to define the so-called search intent and keywords.
Know your competition
One of the first steps to optimize your local SEO is to know who your competition is. Conduct a competitive analysis to see what they are doing and where they are showing up in search results. This will give you a good starting point for where you need to be.
Find your keywords
Before you can optimize your website for local search, you need to figure out which keywords you want to target. Try to think like a customer who would be searching for your business and come up with a list of keywords that are relevant to your business and your location. Once you have your list, use a keyword research tool to find out which of those keywords are most popular among searchers. You can also use Google Trends to see how often each keyword is searched on over time. Remember to naturally (if possible) include keywords in your domain name, meta tags, url, content, links.
Create high-quality content for your local area
When it comes to local positioning, one of the most important things you can do is create high-quality content that is relevant to your area. This means writing blog posts, articles, and even creating local landing pages that are keyword-rich and informative. Plus, be sure to include your city and state in your title tags and meta descriptions to signal to search engines that your content is relevant to a specific location. You should also use images with geo-targeted information like maps or landmarks on them.
Use Google My Business and Google Maps
Google My Business is a great way to get your business information in front of potential customers. You can list your business hours, contact information, and even post photos and videos. It’s free and easy to do! Once you’re on the site, add or edit a listing and fill out the required fields. Use Google Maps. It has more than just satellite images – it also has local search results with reviews about businesses near you. Make sure that the search result listings are accurate by updating your location settings on the app’s My Places tab.
Use Schema’s geographic markup
Using Schema’s geographic markup can help improve your website’s visibility in search engines, especially for local searches. By including information such as your address, phone number, and business hours, you can make it easier for potential customers to find you. In addition, adding photos and videos can also help your website stand out in the search results.
Connect with social platforms
By having links to your website on social media sites, you increase the chances that potential customers will find your business online. Plus, connecting with social media can help build brand awareness and improve your search engine ranking. This will allow you to stay up to date with a different type of audience. Tell your story, share news, and create a personal relationship. You want people to be able to get to know you better.
Be mobile and be fast
With mobile usage continuing to grow, it’s more important than ever to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. But that’s not enough – you also need to make sure your site loads quickly, since users are likely to abandon a slow-loading site. So take care of responsiveness and Core Web Vitals.
Wrapping up
It is not worth running away from local, on the contrary, it can be a path to business development. You will need to go through all of these steps in order to start making your mark with local searches. The best way to know if you are doing well or if you need to take more action is by performing a search locally and monitoring the SERPs. If you don’t feel up to it, find the best Limerick SEO in your area and put yourself in the hands of experts.
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