An effective local seo strategy can bring targeted local traffic directly to your business and raise its rank on Google search results pages.
Content is one of the cornerstones of local SEO and must be of high-quality and shareable nature. To enhance it, compile a list of target keywords that you will include in your copy.
Keyword research
Conducting local keyword research is a vital element of local SEO, enabling you to pinpoint relevant search terms related to your business and its location. Furthermore, conducting local keyword research enables you to ascertain whether searchers have local intent when conducting their searches – essential when trying to capture traffic from local packs.
To perform local keyword research, consider your business offerings. For instance, an event planner might consider words such as “event planning Los Angeles,” “party planning” and “LA wedding planner.” Use tools like Ubersuggest to identify related search terms with high search volumes.
After creating the initial keywords list, search for more relevant variations that relate specifically to your business. For instance, if you operate a dental practice in Portland, search for “portland dentist.” These keywords tend to have lower search volume but will more easily attract potential buyers who may already have purchasing intentions.
Competitor analysis
An organic competitive analysis is an integral component of improving local SEO. It allows you to identify best practices in your market, while offering insights into which tactics are likely to bring results. Furthermore, an analysis allows you to ascertain whether competitors use similar strategies as you – if not, which strategies could they possibly be missing out on?
Start by running a keyword gap tool like SEMRush or Ahrefs to see which keywords your competitors rank for and how much traffic they receive from these. Armed with this knowledge, create content and links designed to boost their ranking for those keywords.
At the core of competitive analysis lies noting the types of local content your competitors are producing. This could involve creating city-specific pages for each location or topical pages centered around search intent; Airbnb created a Miami webpage specifically targeting this search intention.
On-page optimization
An effective website is key to increasing local visibility and driving traffic. To do this effectively, keywords that have high search volumes related to your business should be prioritized for optimization as well as easy navigation and accurate NAP details. In addition, fast loading times should be ensured; Google PageSpeed Insights can assist in this effort.
Although there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for optimizing your website for local SEO, certain tactics can help increase its visibility in both Map Pack and organic search results. These include local schema implementation and including relevant local keywords in content writing. While local SEO may seem challenging at first, its results could help grow your business and serve more customers in your service area.
To effectively optimize your site, the key lies in developing a strong strategy and selecting suitable tools. This may involve prioritizing local search intent while integrating it with both your website and Google Business Profile.
Link building
As consumers search for businesses near them online, having an effective local SEO link building strategy is an invaluable way to expand your business. By outstripping competitors and reaching more potential consumers in person or via local ads, a successful local SEO plan can also increase foot traffic, leads, and sales from a local audience.
To maximize your local SEO efforts, it’s essential that you focus on building high-quality links from relevant websites or articles relating to your industry. Links form part of Google’s algorithm and are essential in raising rankings on Google search.
Ubersuggest can help you quickly identify local backlink opportunities, or simply reach out to business partners directly. For example, a storage company in Dublin could pitch its services to local news publications; in return they might link back naturally from one of their blog posts to its site.