Local SEO Strategies That Bring in More Customers Online and in-Person
August 6, 2023
Local SEO strategies bring more customers both online and in person, ultimately leading to business expansion. Local seo is all about this self-sustaining cycle.
Local SEO involves optimizing your website and content using keyphrase analysis, managing Google my Business profiles and listing in local directories as well as creating a landing page on your website to facilitate local searches.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is an integral component of any marketing campaign; however, local SEO requires even deeper investigation to pinpoint keywords that meet user intent and match your products or services.
Ubersuggest can assist in the discovery of local keywords by offering suggestions based on your search query, with results including search volume and SEO difficulty for each term. With these insights you can identify terms with high potential for local SEO purposes and create a list of potential keywords.
Another way to identify potential local keywords is by reviewing your website analytics and search engine optimization reports, giving you a better idea of which keywords are performing well and driving qualified traffic. Furthermore, monitoring user-generated content such as forums, communities and social media for signs that relevant searches could be taking place that you could incorporate into your keyword strategy plan.
Local Business Listings
Local business listings are online platforms that enable businesses to list their products, services, and contact details in order to drive local SEO and generate foot traffic, revenue growth, and reviews for businesses. They serve as an integral component of local SEO strategy as they help attract foot traffic, revenue growth, reviews from customers and revenue for operations.
Consistency should always be top of mind when creating your business listing, since inconsistent information can have a devastating impact on search engine rankings. Make sure all listings include your name, address and phone number (commonly known as NAP citations), as this plays a pivotal role in local search.
Optimizing your Google Business Profile can also help to strengthen local SEO. This free service enables businesses to upload photos, videos, hours of operation information and respond to reviews or answer frequently asked questions. In turn, Google Guaranteed listings appear at the top of SERPs as verified businesses – offering businesses another method for improving local search.
Local Backlinks
Local backlinks are similar to regular backlinks, except they come from sources within your service area. As such, they’re an essential element of local SEO strategies.
Establishing local links can be challenging, but there are ways you can increase them. One such tactic is getting listed in local business directories; another approach could be sponsoring local events.
Create local backlinks by forming relationships with businesses within your industry. For instance, if you’re an attorney in your region, reach out to other attorneys and request link exchange.
Finally, local backlinks can be created through press coverage of your business. Although this requires manual outreach efforts on your part, this is a fantastic way of increasing brand recognition in the community. Pitch local newspapers or forums about your services; if they find them relevant they may feature you with a link back to your site.
Local Content
Local SEO is an invaluable strategy for businesses that operate within a particular geographical area. By targeting local keywords and user intent, local SEO allows your target audience to be narrowed while simultaneously optimizing content to appear in Google’s local snack pack results.
Your website’s local content includes landing pages, evergreen articles and news pieces related to your location. Furthermore, it is beneficial to link out to websites offering valuable local information, such as wikis and forums; additionally including parking/transit options and promotions can all add depth.
Citations, reviews and prominence are other essential components of local content. Citations is key to ranking higher in local search results, so make sure that your name, address and phone number (NAP) remain consistent across citations. You should also search out high-quality reviews from reliable sites like Yelp, Thumbtack and Angie’s List; encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews using signage or timely email follow up is helpful as well.