Local SEO is a powerful marketing technique that targets local consumers both on desktops and mobile devices. According to Google, 76% of smartphone users perform local searches. Of these, 28% make a purchase. This means local SEO optimization is especially valuable for brick-and-mortar businesses. It helps customers find your business easily and quickly. Optimizing your website for local searches helps your website rank higher on search engines and attract more customers.
By adding relevant cities to your website, you can improve your local SEO rankings. Consumers want to know which cities are serviced by your company. It also helps to add zip codes. While Google penalizes sites for including zip codes that aren’t relevant to the website’s content, zip codes are helpful when they are relevant. For example, when people search for a business in a particular area, they will often enter the zip code in the search bar. When this happens, Google will pick up on the information and increase your local visibility.
Creating good quality content and engaging with local businesses are essential to improving your local search visibility. To build links, write informative content and submit citations on popular directories. Be wary of spamming, however. Some local businesses use spammy tactics to boost their local visibility, such as keyword stuffing in the business name, listing inaccurate location information, and creating fake accounts. Although fighting spam can be a time-consuming process, it can be worth it if it pushes your profile higher in the rankings.
Another important local SEO strategy is guest blogging. Guest bloggers and local influencers may be willing to write articles or offer discounts in return for links and features. Additionally, your business should be listed in local directories, like YellowPages, and use other tools to attract local traffic. Local SEO marketing is all about link building, so make sure your site is SEO-optimized. Posting optimized content regularly will also help your website gain backlinks.
Another effective local SEO strategy is customer reviews. Google has stated that 72% of online users trust reviews. Positive reviews increase a business’s credibility. This means that it will appear higher in search results if there are more positive reviews. Local SEO marketing campaigns must be integrated with social media marketing. Your online presence should reflect the reality of your business, so make sure to build the best business possible.
Another local SEO marketing tactic is video content. Putting up videos on YouTube or blogs will increase your online visibility. Also, consider expanding FAQ pages into longer content pieces. Videos can expand on customer case studies and provide proof of success. Video content can also be used to build backlinks to your website. It will also help your business get more local traffic. This tactic is also beneficial for those who do not have much time to do their own marketing.
A local coffee shop runs out of a tiny storefront in Kansas City. It wants to appear in local search results, including Google’s local pack. Similarly, it wants to show up on popular business listing websites. This is the goal of local SEO. You want to be seen by those people looking for the best coffee in town. By optimizing for local searches, you’ll be more likely to increase your customers’ local traffic and build a loyal client base.
Adding geo-specific keywords to your meta description and title tag will boost local SEO. These meta tags are not visible on your website, but search engine algorithms parse them to determine the content’s relevance to your local audience. In some cases, general subjects can be profitable, but for the most part, you need local content to get noticed.
