How to Use Local SEO Marketing to Promote Your Business
May 21, 2023
Local SEO Marketing is a way of increasing customer growth for your business through strategic digital efforts. This could involve creating content featuring local keywords, amassing reviews and business citations, as well as engaging in reputation management to foster customer trust while simultaneously increasing relevance signals on your site.
Begin your search using nonlocal keywords, then expand it by identifying local terms used to describe your products or services.
Keyword Research
Keyword research should always be the starting point when it comes to local SEO for yourself or clients. Begin by listing all of your services, then searching Google to see what results come up; this could provide inspiration for new keywords to target.
Doing a competitive analysis can also give you some great ideas for local keywords to target as well as gaps that you could fill with paid search ads.
Focus on explicit local keywords (keywords that include location-related terms such as “plumber” or “boiler repair”) as well as service-based terms with intent (for instance “what makes a good plumber”, or “how much does boiler installation cost”). Use Semrush or another free or paid keyword research tool to analyze any search queries with local intent before saving relevant terms to your keyword manager.
On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization is one of the key elements for local SEO, helping search engines determine its relevancy to a particular geographic region. This involves optimising URLs, title tags and meta descriptions with keywords relevant to a business’s location and product offerings.
Citations, or online mentions of your company name, address and phone number, play an integral role in local search rankings. Businesses should ensure their information is correct on major citation websites like Google My Business and Bing Maps as well as actively solicit reviews from customers in their area – both good and bad – in order to increase visibility within local packs. Responding appropriately can increase local ranking visibility.
Another on-page ranking factor is mobile responsiveness of a website. As more searchers turn to their smartphones to locate products and services locally, those that are mobile-friendly will rank higher in local pack searches than sites which do not comply.
Link Building
Local SEO can be a highly effective strategy to increase organic local search results and draw in new customers, while at the same time strengthening your link profile by adding local-relevant links that support your business’s location.
If your company is located within an arts district, for instance, you could create a blog section detailing events taking place nearby such as gallery crawls or garage sales – sharing this information will attract links from influential people in the area as well as businesses.
Submission to trusted directories and review sites such as Yelp, Thumbtack and Foursquare can help your citation volume and NAP consistency, both essential elements in organic local search rankings and snack pack listings. Submitting guest posts or partnering with local organizations – like alumni associations or chambers of commerce – could also increase exposure of your business online.
Social Media Marketing
Content creation is a core element of local SEO. This could include blog posts, videos, podcasts or any other relevant material relevant to your target audience that can generate inbound links that boost local rankings for your business.
Acquiring new reviews regularly is another crucial aspect of local SEO, as studies have demonstrated their influence in consumer decision making processes.
As well as increasing website visibility, local SEO can also enhance your business’s reputation. This can be achieved by monitoring social media for mentions of your company or reaching out to local businesses to promote and exchange links or simply creating positive PR. These efforts could ultimately result in more people discovering your business website and visiting it or making phone calls – regardless of what industry it may serve or service provided; all businesses operating within a geographical region could gain from local SEO.