How to Use Local Search Engine Optimization to Enhance Your Online Business’ Reach
Local SEO is a concept that relates to the optimization of local search listings for the purpose of increasing business and reducing marketing costs. Local search engine optimization, in a nutshell, is like global SEO in that it involves the unpaid listings (sometimes referred to as the “no-follow” listings) of websites on the major search engines for the purpose of increasing web site visibility and boosting organic search traffic. Like global SEO, local SEO has evolved over the years as webmasters have sought to cater to more specific local customers and buyers. This new focus sparked local search marketing tools and applications that further localized search activities on the part of webmasters and businesses.
One of the first uses of local search engine optimization was when real estate websites started using “no-follow” tags to push up rankings in search engines. While this did boost rankings, these real estate websites were not truly localized in their appeal and as a result, many businesses found little to no benefit in engaging in this practice. As other companies entered the market, many felt that these sites had little bearing in the online marketplace and were largely unnecessary. Some even resorted to making money by posting fake reviews against competitors and businesses that had poor reviews.
The lack of original content on these Web pages created a negative reputation for local businesses. Because of this negative stigma, the no-follow tag was eventually banned by the major search engines, although some argue that this did not solve the problem. Another method used to boost rankings through local seo efforts was to submit content to directories, though this practice caused even more problems with duplicate content and was often removed by the search engines for submitting duplicate content. These methods also often resulted in a loss of rankings for the websites submitting the content.
Because of these problems, the major search engines are now working hard to provide an alternative system for ranking local searches. To solve the problems they were having in regards to original content and backlinks, Google has introduced two new methods. One is called Local Pagerank, and the other is known as local pack ranking.
Google uses Local Pagerank as its main way of determining ranking for local seo efforts. Local Pagerank is calculated by looking at the number of links a page has from other web pages in its own category. More links from other web pages means better local use. By using local searches as part of your marketing strategy, you will want to focus on local use strategies such as using local search engines to gain backlinks from high quality websites. In addition to gaining backlinks from quality websites, you should also engage in social media marketing to promote your local business directories.
Social media marketing is a term that encompasses several different online activities designed to promote a brand or promote a service. One of the most popular social media marketing strategies is connecting with customers on social media sites. Many businesses have created accounts on their social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. These accounts can be used to submit articles, press releases, videos, images and any other content related to their products or services and used to get the name of their local business directory listed higher on the search engine results page.
Meta description tags also play an important role in Google local SEO. These tags give Google an idea of what the page is about and how it will be found by a potential customer. A good example of a meta description tag is the one that states that the webpage is for “Announcements from XYZ”. Meta descriptions can be found on every webpage by double-clicking the page in the Google Chrome browser, then selecting “Tools” and choosing “Metatags”.
In conclusion, many online businesses focus on achieving higher rankings in the search engines using Local SEO techniques. While the process may be time-consuming and difficult to master for some businesses, it has the potential to bring significant benefits in the end. Online search engines are constantly changing and growing. As a result, the way how people and businesses are getting found is constantly changing as well. This has created a very competitive environment for all businesses seeking to remain in the top positions of the search results pages.
