The importance of local SEO, how to do it and some recommended resources
It’s no secret that SEO is important for businesses large and small, but what about local SEO? In this blog post, we’re going to explore the importance of local SEO and how you can go about optimizing your website for it.
We’ll also share some recommended resources so that you can further your understanding of the topic and continue improving your local SEO long after you finish reading this post.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online content and presence to make sure you're appearing as a top result for customers in your service area. It's an important part of any business' digital marketing strategy, particularly for businesses with brick-and-mortar locations.
There are a number of things you can do to optimize your local SEO, including claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing, adding location pages to your website, and building local citations.
If you're not sure where to start, there are some great resources out there to help you get started with local SEO. The Moz blog has a great guide on the basics of local SEO, while Search Engine Land has an extensive list of things you can do to optimize your local SEO. You can also find lots of helpful tips and advice from other businesses on forums like Local Search Forum and BrightLocal's Local Marketing Stack Exchange.
Why is local SEO important?
As a small business, you may be thinking that you don’t need to worry about SEO because you’re not trying to rank on a national scale. But if you’re only focused on local customers, you could be missing out on a lot of business. Here’s why local SEO is so important and some tips on how to do it.
Local SEO is important because it allows you to show up in search results for people who are searching for businesses like yours in your area. If you’re not doing local SEO, your competitors are likely to show up ahead of you in the search results, which means you could be losing out on potential customers.
Doing local SEO doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. There are a few simple things you can do to improve your ranking in the local search results.
First, make sure your website is optimized for local keywords. Include your city or region in your titles and tags, and make sure your NAP (name, address, and phone number) is consistent across all of your online listings.
Next, claim and optimize your Google My Business listing. This is a free listing that appears in thelocal search results, and it allows you to control what information shows up about your business. Make sure to include accurate and up-to-date information, as well as some photos and reviews.
Finally, get active on all major social media, because these social signals are also important part of the local SEO results.
How to do local SEO
As a small business, it’s essential that you do everything you can to ensure your website is ranking high in local searches specific to your geographic location.
There are a few key things you can do to optimize your website for local SEO:
1. Make sure your NAP (name, address, and phone number) is consistent across all of your online listings. This includes your website, social media profiles, and any directories or review sites you may be listed on.
2. Claim and verify your Google My Business listing. This is a free listing that allows you to control how your business appears in Google Maps and Google Search results.
3. Build up positive reviews on popular review sites like Yelp and Google My Business. Studies have shown that nearly 80% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
4. Optimize your website content for local keywords. Use the city or region name in titles, Meta descriptions, headings, and throughout the body of your content to signal to search engines that your site is relevant for these searches.
5. Add photos and videos to your listings and website. People are visual creatures, so adding images and videos can help capture their attention and interest.
By following these tips, you can improve your website's local SEO ranking.
Recommended resources for local SEO
Local SEO is important for any business that wants to be found online by customers in their service area. There are a few key things to do to make sure your website appears in local search results, and there are a number of great resources to help you get started.
One of the most important things you can do for local SEO is to make sure your website is listed on Google My Business. This will help your business show up in Google Maps and local search results. You can also add photos, videos, and descriptions to your listing to help it stand out.
Another great resource for local SEO is Moz Local. Moz offers a free listing service that helps you get your business listed on major directories and maps. They also offer paid plans that include additional features like monthly reporting and keyword research.
Finally, Yext is another great tool for local businesses looking to improve their SEO. Yext offers a listing service as well as tools to help you manage your online reputation and track your results over time.
Conclusion
Local SEO is becoming increasingly important as more and more businesses move online. If you want to ensure that your business is visible to local customers, then you need to make sure that you are doing local SEO. Luckily, it's not too difficult to do — simply claimed and verify your business listings on major directories (like Google My Business), optimize your website for local keywords, and create localized content (like blog posts).
