How BrightLocal Can Help Your Website Marketing

April 24, 2022

BrightLocal is a toolset built for local SEO, helping agencies and brands track citations, reviews, backlinks, and competitor activity across local search. Local SEO is what gets your business into the Map Pack when someone searches in your area, and local searches make up a significant portion of Google traffic.

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What is local SEO and why does it matter?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your website so it ranks higher in map listings and local results for searches performed in the area you serve. Local searches on mobile devices convert at a high rate: 80% of local mobile searches result in a purchase. That puts your business in front of a customer who is actively looking for a product or service in your area, and increases the chances they will return or refer others.

How does the Google Map Pack work?

When people search on Google, they typically see three local business listings in the Map Pack. Several factors influence whether your business shows up there:

Distance from the searcher’s location
Relevant keywords and business categories in your content
A consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) across the web
Link signals such as domain authority and the quantity of inbound links
Reviews collected from social media and consumer directories in your area

Your brand name and location should appear in your page titles and within your content, and your site should link out to your social profiles so Google bots can crawl and track everything consistently.

What does BrightLocal do?

BrightLocal offers white-label reporting for agencies and brands, and it helps you build citations that spread your NAP across niche directories and review sites. It also lets you monitor competitor keywords, citations, backlinks, and review profiles so you can adjust as Google changes its algorithms. Industry surveys show that the quality of links you build affects local search rankings, so BrightLocal helps you pursue links from relevant domains rather than low-quality sources or schemes that inflate link counts.

Why does NAP consistency matter?

Inconsistency in your NAP makes it hard for Google to determine the accuracy of your business information, especially when multiple listings exist for the same company across different directories. A local SEO service provider will double-check that your information is consistent and accurate across the web, and make sure the details on your website match.

What should you look for in an SEO company?

If you hire an outside SEO company, look for certifications from bodies such as the National Search Engine Association (NSI) and Google. Read client testimonials and case studies, and check reviews on local search engines along with feedback posted by their customers. A company without third-party certification is one you should pass on. Certifications, testimonials, and case studies give you a clear read on the expertise of the company before you sign.

FAQ

What is the Map Pack on Google?

The Map Pack is the block of three local business listings that Google typically shows when someone performs a search with local intent. Appearing there is the main goal of local SEO.

How does BrightLocal help with local SEO?

BrightLocal helps you build citations across niche directories and review sites, monitor competitor keywords, citations, backlinks, and review profiles, and produce white-label reports for agencies and brands.

Why does NAP consistency matter for local SEO?

If your business name, address, and phone number are inconsistent across directories, Google has a harder time confirming the accuracy of your information, which can hurt your visibility in local results.