In today’s world, when you have a question, you google it (you know you’ve made it when your company name is now a verb). But if you want your question to be the answer to someone’s question, you have to do more than just have a website. You need to use Local SEO, Search Engine Optimization.
There are specific and clear steps you can take to make sure your website shows up on the first page of results.
On-site Indicators
You need to improve the keyword usage on the actual web page you want to rank. Specifically, you want to improve your keywords placement, the frequency of your keywords, synonyms and supportive phrasing for your keywords, local address schema, proper phone number, and number format.
Internal Linking
By creating internal link, you provide visitors to your website a more valuable and manageable experience. Good internal linking allows search engines to travel deep into your website to index more of your content.
To improve your internal linking you need to improve your pillar posts, be consistent and use deep links.
Google Plus/Google Local
You need to be in both locations to increase the likelihood your business’ website shows up during the first search. Make sure your information is the same across the board.
Some of the information you want to make sure matches is your phone number, about page, and the format of your address.
Client Reviews
Client reviews are one of the most powerful factors in local SEO. Keep in mind, client reviews – both on your agency site and 3rd party review sites like Google and Yelp – provide new potential clients with social validation that your company is knowledgeable and trustworthy.
Focus on optimizing your Google reviews, Yelp reviews, reviews on your website, TrustedChoice.com reviews, Review Filters and your review acquisition strategy.
Social (Media) Butterfly
Now that you’ve optimized your website and a lot of the reviews, you need to be active on social media. Here’s a list of some of the platforms to be active on: YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter.
Post constantly. You want to make sure you have regular posts on each platform. Do not be fooled to think one post a day will be enough. Each platform has its own algorithm to decide when and where your post shows up in someone else’s feed. The more you post and the more your readers/clients engage with those posts, the greater the likelihood your posts will be in front of the eyes of more potential clients/customers.
Backlinks
Backlinks are links from other web sites to your web site. They are extremely important in ranking your website for local SEO. You want to make sure your backlinks look natural. The more natural looking your backlinks are, the higher your site will climb in the search.
Here are a few places you can go to secClient reviews are one of the most powerful and influentialure natural backlinks that will help improve your local SEO: Local publications, industry publications, client sites, local organizations, and TrustedChoice.com.
Keep in mind, more than 50 percent of small businesses have inaccurate local business directory listings. Make sure your company information is correct in business directories, event directories, chamber of commerce, non-profit websites, Trusted Choice Directory, etc.
Landing Pages
Some things are more important than others. So here’s what’s important for you to improve. Images, make sure they’re unique and relevant to your copy. Google Map inclusion, address accuracy, driving directions, video content and Schema markup.
Mobile Marketing
To have effective mobile marketing, you need to have a website that is formatted for mobile and is also responsive to mobile devices.
According to Google, one out of every 5 searches has a local intent.
As smartphones continue to be more common, and the preferred method for searches, creating a high quality mobile web presence is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Author Bio
Priya is a Technical SEO at Hopinfirst, a leading mobile app development company which provide best ios app development and Android app development Services.
