What is Local SEO?
Have you ever searched for something like “auto repair shops” or “mechanic” when you’re at home? And several listings appear on your search results mostly which are in a 5-6 km radius. Now, assume you get a flat tire on a road trip, miles away from home. If you go search something like this, the search results would be entirely different. That’s local SEO at work.
The main target of local SEO is to hyper-focus on your target audience which mainly resides in close proximity to your area of service. So, when you locally optimize a site, you are optimizing it for a very specific area. This means that ultimately more qualified customers will end up at your site who have an increased chance of actually buying your products or services.
This clearly illustrates the importance of having a robust local SEO strategy. Also, you must hire local SEO expert for this purpose. There are some steps that you can take to strengthen your local SEO strategy. In this guide, we have mentioned the ones that you’ll find the most effective, and the easiest.
1. Claim your Listings
For starters, claim your Google My Business listing before you move on to any major directory. Google My Business is essentially a free tool that allows local businesses to manage their listings on Google. This listing is the one that shows up in a user’s search results, with all the information about the business, contact info, location, photos, videos, website, etc.
If you haven’t already, create an account and try to put in as much information about your business there is. Add photos, videos, business hours, and also respond to reviews and queries to appear active and authentic.
Apart from Google, add your listings to other major directories that are related to your industry. Some of the directories that you might consider are:
- Bing Places
- Yelp
- TripAdvisor
- Apple Maps
- HomeAdvisor
2. Update your Keywords
Keywords are essentially phrases associated with your brand that you want your business to show up for whenever a potential user searches in your locality. Right now you might have more generic terms as your target keywords but altering them to something more explicit will greatly impact your local SEO strategy.
Try incorporating something like “pizza places in Chicago ” or “best resorts on rent in St County”. Try to strike a balance between the keywords that you think people are searching for and the ones you have a chance of getting ranked.
3. Strengthen your Links Profile
Whether it’s SEO or Local SEO, strengthening your links profile is one of your best shots. When it comes to local SEO, try to incorporate local links into your site. Instead of looking for high-quality links to generic sites, like you do for SEO, find websites that hold authority in your specific target area.
You can simply google to find sites like such in your area and try to then feature on your blog, and do it in a way that is beneficial to both parties. You can generate links by:
- Writing a guest post for a local blogger.
- Taking part in local events.
- Being featured in city or county directories.
- Sponsoring a local charity.
- Featuring in a local newspaper or magazine story.
4. Write Content Specific to Your Area
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. When it comes to SEO, content is king. But, when it comes to local SEO, you might want to consider writing content that is relevant to your area. For example, if your brand sells gardening products, you could write a blog about plants that are grown in your region. Or, if you’re selling pet products or offering services related to them, you could write a guide in which you share the best dog parks in the city. And now, is exactly the time to use those specific local keywords we talked about, in a way that seems natural and inflow.
5. Focus on Reviews
Search engines love reviews, so, try getting as much as you can. Not only are they an indication of your business and product quality, but also encourage potential customers to choose you. But, never pay for them.
Not only will search engines figure out this tactic of yours but, you’ll also end up losing customer trust. Instead, ask for reviews by putting out notices, sending out emails, or simply extracting them from all the directories you listed for before.
Tips and strategies work exceptionally well if done right, but it is important to remember that it all takes plenty of time and effort. This is why hiring local SEO experts, such as Mapit Marketing Group. can help you a great deal in saving time and effort.
