In today’s digital marketing landscape, having a local SEO strategy is essential. Not only does it boost your visibility online, but it can also attract new customers to your business.
Local SEO offers the greatest advantages, as it allows your business to appear among the top five results on search engine result pages. This ensures high-quality traffic that converts into sales without needing to spend money on pay per click (PPC) ads.
Location-Based Keywords
Location-based keywords are essential for local SEO, as they enable search engines to display your website and marketing material to people in your vicinity who need the solutions you provide.
These keywords are composed of core terms (like “dog grooming” or “auto repair”) that often also include a modifier and location. Utilizing local keywords allows you to target consumers who are actively looking for your services or products; they’re more likely to stop by your door in person and convert.
To identify potential location-based keywords, utilize Google’s Autosuggest feature to get a sense of what users are typing in. It can be an effective way to uncover new optimization opportunities and uncover keywords you may have otherwise overlooked.
Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that enables businesses to promote themselves online and connect with local customers.
Acquiring Google My Business (GMB) correctly can be a challenge for business owners, and it is essential to adhere to their guidelines. This involves verifying the address, selecting the correct category, crafting an ideal business description and adding all pertinent attributes.
You can also include different variations of local keywords on your GMB listing to boost its ranking in searches. For instance, instead of simply typing “hotels,” use “California hotels.”
An additional way to boost your visibility on GMB is by encouraging customers to leave reviews. Doing so gives potential customers a better insight into your company’s dependability and quality, which could attract new clients and boost sales at the same time.
Local Listings
Local SEO is an effective way to draw quality traffic to your business that’s already searching for what you offer. For instance, if a user searches for “best CPA in Sacramento,” you could rank for that phrase and connect with clients eager to invest in what you offer.
To maximize local SEO success, it’s essential that your business’ name, address and phone number (NAP) appear consistently across online directories and social media. Doing this makes it easy for people to locate you and helps Google determine how best to rank your business in search results.
Another essential aspect of local SEO is creating high-quality content tailored to your target audience. This could include blog posts, videos, podcasts and more. Collecting reviews from customers is essential as these can improve your ranking in local map packs and snack packs as well as improve the reputation of your business.
Reviews
Reviews are essential components for local SEO as they’re one of the first things consumers see when searching for a business. Reviews help customers decide if an establishment is trustworthy, so it’s no shock that Google uses them when ranking businesses.
Moz notes that review diversity is an important factor for local rankings. Therefore, you should aim to collect reviews on multiple high-authority sites within your industry.
Maintaining a positive reputation management strategy is essential, including reaching out to people who have posted negative reviews and asking them to move the discussion offline. This is an effective way to address the issue and boost your rating.
Finally, it’s your responsibility to inform your clients that collecting reviews for their business and managing them requires effort. While this task can take some time, having an active review strategy in place is critical for maintaining their reputation and online visibility. A successful review strategy will enhance visibility, boost conversion rates, and drive new traffic towards their site.
