According to reports, 46% of all Google searches are local. Moreover, 30% of all Google mobile searches are also related to location. Therefore, optimizing your website for local search is a rule. To do so, learning every aspect of a local SEO marketing strategy is important. Before we proceed, let us take a look at its definition.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a type of search engine optimization strategy that helps you improve your rankings in local search results on Google. It revolves around targeting an audience in a particular neighborhood, city, or region. Interestingly, 28% of local searches result in purchases most of the time.
Every business that offers a physical location or owns a geographic area can practice local SEO. Also, you can optimize a website for this type of marketing strategy. Let us take a look at some astounding ways to do so.
Tips To Optimize a Website for Local SEO
Local SEO can be a little confusing sometimes. Henceforth, we have discussed the best ways to help beginners optimize their websites easily.
Add Your Website to Local Directories
Local business directories are also known as listing websites. These are platforms that list down basic details of businesses within a particular niche, industry, and town. Yelp and Facebook are the two most popular examples of such listings.
To optimize your venture for local SEO, Get your business registered under these listings. Make sure to copy and paste the exact details of your company mentioned on the GMB page.
Optimize the Meta Data
Often website owners debate the importance of meta titles, descriptions, and tags. One must know their effect on the ranking factor for business growth. However, reports explain their role in earning potential visitors.
Hence, when you opt for local SEO, give attention to meta data first. Make sure your website’s meta title tags include your location. Try to mention your city and services in the meta title for boosting availability in local search results.
Create Particular Pages for Location and Amenities
Applying product/service schema is helpful for speeding business growth. Henceforth, each of your products and services must own an individual page. It results in boosting the search engine ranking of these pages. Also, it is a recommended strategy to build a strong sitemap for your website.
Similar is the case with locations. If you have a website that caters to more than one city, make sure to highlight it. Create a specific page for every location and let people find you. For instance, your business will appear in the ‘near me’ searches only if it owns a particular page for this mentioned area.
Optimize the Homepage
The homepage is the most crucial of all pages on a website. It must provide accurate details about your company's introduction, services, products, and location. Every business owner must collaborate with Google to share these information elements.
It is why most website design services put their focus on the meta description, title tag, and header tag when working. WordPress developers are well aware of updating these details whenever required.
Claim Your Google My Business Page
More than 50% of local retailers do not understand the importance of the Google My Business page. However, it is the first and foremost step while applying local SEO. Claiming your business listing and adding your details helps your company to appear in local searches.
Also, it helps to boost your SERP results, especially the Google Local Pack. Keep in mind that Google My Business offers more than two thousand business categories. Henceforth, register your company in the most relatable of all niches.
Give Attention to Customer Reviews
Customer reviews always play an important role in business growth. Interestingly, when your business starts to grow, these reviews act as the ‘votes of validation.’ It means they prove your company to be authentic in terms of location, products, and services.
When gathering results for local searches, search engines always consider customer reviews on Facebook, Google, and Yelp accounts. Undoubtedly, Google reviews will always help you rank on the first page. Besides, Yelp and Facebook reviews also help you appear on top of SERP results.
Final Thoughts
That’s not all! There are several more ways through which you can optimize your website for local SEO. However, the above-discussed strategies and efficient enough to provide positive results.
By applying each of these steps, your website will most likely appear in local searches. Keep in mind that the results of an SEO strategy are not always instant. Sometimes you may have to wait to see the difference.
Nevertheless, search engine optimization has proven to impact business growth positively. Therefore, focus on creating a strong strategy and let the results stun you in the end!