How SEO Local Can Help You Stand Out From the Crowd

Local SEO allows your business to capture the attention of nearby shoppers who are ready to buy. No matter if it is dentistry, plumbing, real estate agency or another local business; local SEO will set you apart from competitors and increase foot traffic into your store or practice.

Proximity is the single most significant local search ranking factor. Learn how to optimize for proximity in this article:

Keyword Research

Keyword research is a cornerstone of SEO strategies, but local keyword research adds unique benefits. Notably, local keyword research allows businesses to target keywords with local intent – helping connect more closely with searchers while increasing organic search visibility.

There are a variety of third-party tools designed specifically for local keyword research, such as KWFinder and Moz Local Market Analytics. Furthermore, Google Keyword Planner allows you to search for keywords with both local intent and high volume.

Once you’ve identified some potential keywords, it’s essential to assess their competition. If one keyword is dominated by industry heavyweights with marketing budgets that dwarf your annual revenue, competing will likely prove challenging. Utilizing competitor analysis tools such as Ahrefs or SEMrush can provide insight into which terms your competitors rank for; using this knowledge you can begin optimizing your website for these specific terms.

On-Page Optimization

Traditional SEO emphasizes link building; local SEO differs by ranking businesses based on their physical location and optimizing websites to increase visibility in search results.

This includes making sure all website pages contain relevant keywords and follow SEO best practices, while optimizing content to match user intent.

On-page optimization is an integral component of local SEO as it helps Google understand what your page is all about. This involves including keywords in title tags, meta descriptions and headings; however, excessive use may compromise rankings.

Maintaining an optimized listing on Google My Business (GMB) is also key. This involves claiming and updating the listing to reflect your company information; monitoring GMB listings to respond to reviews using tools like Semrush’s Listing Management tool; as well as monitoring them consistently to improve results over time.

Local Business Listings

Local business listings are vital components of an SEO strategy. Search engines use them to assess whether websites meet the needs of local searchers based on keywords used within content as well as physical location data.

Created through Google My Business (previously Google Places), a Google Business Profile listing allows brick-and-mortar businesses to manage their company data and appear in both Google Maps and the Local 3-pack SERP search results. Listings may contain store details, reviews, photos, operating hours and even operating schedules if relevant. In addition, Google offers guaranteed listings for businesses who go through a verification process.

Citing your client in popular business directories such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and BBB can be an effective way of improving their SEO performance and increasing visibility in search results. Tracking these listings via one convenient dashboard enables you to monitor customer reviews quickly.

Reviews

Local SEO offers businesses an efficient means of targeting prospective customers in specific geographical regions, while being more cost-effective and building trust among customers.

Reviews play a vital part in local SEO. Google and other search engines consider the quantity, quality and recency of reviews when ranking businesses as they use this as an indication as to whether a business can be trusted and valued by their target customers.

Reviews can also serve as a means of showing customers that you value them. A business that shows appreciation for its customers will more likely attract repeat business and referrals; so it is imperative that businesses respond both positively and negatively to both reviews. By actively listening and improving upon what customers have already provided feedback for, reviews demonstrate to your audience that you care. In turn this increases customer loyalty while growing sales.