How to Build an Effective Local SEO Strategy

How to Build an Effective Local SEO Strategy Instead of selecting a broad SEO marketing plan, choosing to pursue local SEO may be even more satisfying. If a business is one that depends on local customers and reaching local customers online, pursuing local SEO is one of the more effective tools one may employ to accomplish these goals.

 

For companies struggling to rank effectively in their localized marketplace, local search engine optimization can help rank one higher in Google Maps listings, location-related keyword searches, and more.

 

Local SEO is search engine optimization specifically targeting location-based searching. In building short- and long-tail keywords, including a location can help take an SEO plan further in reaching customers.

 

To learn how to do search engine optimization successfully, local SEO results ultimately come down to three factors. The first is relevance. Search engines like to build results based off the most qualified, high quality web pages possible. Therefore, you need to provide them with relevant, high quality content. Then, there’s proximity. Though not every search result will contain a location, Google attempts to determine location based on the user. The third and final factor is the reputation that a website carries online, such as in reviews and ratings. The higher that your business ranks locally is dependent on these three things, among many other aspects of search engine optimization that play into it.

 

The process of building location-specific SEO begins by optimizing title tags and headers first. Include your location in the title tags and headers. This lets search engines identify a specific location which means a higher likelihood that your site will appear to individuals searching in that region. The same approach should be taken on the main headers of a page. If you find that it’s getting in the way of delivering quality content though, use them sparingly.

 

Next, you want to make the name of your business, address, and phone number clear on your site as well as in the Google My Business listing. Name, address, and phone number should be included regularly in any business listings you maintain online. Including business hours is also an excellent idea. You may choose to do these things on a separate ‘Contact’ page. If so, embed a Google map on your Contact page for any users in need of directions or who want a better idea of where your location is. Another way to heighten your Contact page is by including reviews and testimonials. All of this is designed to help establish trustworthiness and authority.

 

The last thing that bears mentioning when discussing how to build an effective local SEO strategy is to ensure your page is mobile responsive. More than 60 percent of searches are now done on mobile devices, most of these equipped with location. For anyone searching on their smartphone while they are out on the go, location plays a big role in what results come up. Also, more users are turning to Google Maps for their mobile searches, putting even more emphasis on location. Here exists a great opportunity to pull in some walk-in traffic, sometimes already ready buy.

 

There are only a few key differences between local SEO and more generalized SEO however these strategies are important. Local search results are a challenging beast and if you don’t know where to start, we hope that this talk helped to shed some light. By pursuing these tips and tricks, you can rank higher in local search results and reach customers you may not have even known were there.