Oct 07, 2019
Casey Bjorkdahl is one of the pioneering thought leaders in the SEO community. In 2010, Casey co-founded Vazoola after working for a Digital Marketing Agency for five years in New York City. Vazoola is now one of the fastest growing and most widely recognized SEO marketing firms in the country.
Running a business takes hard work, dedication, and forward-thinking. It also needs a steady stream of customers.
You can keep people coming through the door with a strong SEO strategy that includes elements to help you rank higher in local listings.
While focusing on global SEO is a top priority for long-term success, you cannot ignore local rankings.
In fact, a study shows 43 percent of Google search queries are focused on local businesses. Your small or large can benefit from drawing in local people.
Try some specific strategies to improve your local SEO and entice potential customers to visit your business.
Use Smart Keywords
The right keywords go a long way toward attracting local customers. Do some research and pay attention to the terms and phrases your competitors are using.
Relevant keywords and phrases can help you rank higher in local searches.
If you need help in this area, there are internet tools available. Try Google’s own free Keyword Planner, Keyword Tool that has a free service, or a paid service such as SEMScoop.
You can use relevant keywords to earn valuable backlinks, which help raise your universal and local search ranking.
Get Listed Locally
List your business with local search engines such Bing, Yellow Pages, and Yelp.
Many mobile searches are done while people are out and about, so make sure your contact information is easily found.
Your address and phone number should be prominent. Google Maps makes finding you even easier.
An excellent way to attract residents is with a Google My Business page. Encourage people to leave customer reviews, as this gains you increased exposure.
Use Social Media
Social media networks are a great way to interact with the public and get the word out about sales, promotions, and special events.
When people comment on, like, or re-post your content in all forms, your higher visibility across all channels gains you a larger audience and potential customers.
Answer people’s questions, offer advice on how to use your products and services and give local residents discounts.
Get the word out about all your local community involvement using your social media channels.
You can also feature contests and games. This gets users involved with your brand and improves consumer awareness.
Build Better Internal Links
Focus on improving your website’s structure and design. Build a robust infrastructure that is a network of quality internal links.
You should link across multiple types of pages within your site, including blog posts, informational pages, landing pages, and service and contact pages.
Include Important Elements
Meta descriptions and title tags are vital elements for good search engine rankings. Title tags are shown to readers on search engine results pages.
By including relevant local keywords within your title tag such as a city or neighborhood name, you connect yourself to a specific area.
Busy searchers appreciate this clarity and succinctness, as it makes your business easier for them to find.
Focus on Customer Needs
Local searches often revolve around specific needs such as “glass repair” or “carpet cleaning”. Pinpoint up to five regular customer needs and problems you regularly see.
Use your web page content to address and solve those problems and offers solutions.
Specific terms can be part of your keyword plan. This content strategy makes your business relevant to potential clients when they need your product or service.
Publish Quality Content
No matter what digital tactics you use, nothing will help your local search rankings if you do not have good content.
Publish high-quality blog posts filled with valuable, unique information on your web site. This is an excellent way to set yourself up as an authority in your niche.
Include local content to set your business apart from competitors and stand out to residents searching for local companies.
Build a locally focused landing page that includes your contact information and your brand specialty. Keep content updated and fresh.
For long-term business success, you need to keep customers coming through the door. You also must offer excellent customer service and value to them afterwards by answering questions and staying engaged.
Specific SEO strategies can help you attract local customers in multiple ways. Through skilled use of social media channels, powerful keywords, and localized content, you can put yourself in front of local searchers’ eyes at the moment they need your product or service, creating a win-win situation.
