local seo

How to do Local SEO

You need to show up on the first page of a search page or at the most, on the second page. Let’s face it, no one really goes past the second page.

Many people who have websites get quite frustrated when even after searching for the exact thing, people are not able to find them online. More visibility equals more visitors, and in extension, more revenue.

Who though are the people you are targeting?

For most businesses, the main target is their local communities, localities, and city. If you are just getting started, you might want to concentrate your efforts to the immediate neighborhood. Local Search Engine Optimization is different from your ordinary SEO. Mostly because your local search results keep changing, rapidly.

 

  • Google my business

    It is a service by Google aimed at getting your business visibility on the open net. It has a bunch of information that you need to keep on updating. Google will then get an idea about your business and point searchers toward your site if they type in the right search terms. Google my business also contains location tags, user reviews and a number of important information that will let people know exactly where to find your business and what to expect when they find it.
  • Contact us

    You site should have a ‘contact us’ page. That seems obvious, but not many sites keep the details filled in. Make sure all the details are complete. It should include a map, address, phone number, and an email id that is not handled by a bot. Also, make sure that all links for your social media are included.
  • Local reviews

    Reviews have a great impact on the way your business in seen. Make sure your star rating is seen in the meta description. The higher the ranking, the better it is for your business. The thing about reviews is that you have little control over what is written, so be sure you always respond to the reviewers.
  • Tags are important

    Your tags should contain information regarding city, locality, type of business, and as much information that you can stuff into that little space. Add a bit of text with a catchy sentence to make it attractive. That space in Google search is based on pixels and not characters, so make the most of it. H1 tags, Title tags, and Google maps tags, all of them are equally important, so make sure they are all put to the best possible.  

 

  • Link building and citations

    Link building within SEO campaigns should never be overlooked. Try getting citations and links from other local websites and blogs. While it is highly valuable to have a citation from an authoritative site, it just makes more sense to get one from a local site that is close to the people who can actually make a difference to your site.

If you are trying to promote a business, make sure that you employ all of the above pointers mentioned here.

Photo from: teamorganic.co.uk