For small businesses with local locations, ranking high on Google search results can be a crucial factor for generating leads and sales. Being visible on the first page of local results can make all the difference when it comes to getting noticed by potential customers.
One of the most efficient ways to increase visibility for your business is by optimizing its profile on sites such as Google and Bing. Doing this will enable it to appear in local map packs as well as organic blue link results.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of identifying words people are likely to use when looking for products and services like yours online. Ranking for these keyphrases drives highly-targeted local traffic to your website and brings in additional customers.
Local search queries often contain purchase intent. That means a potential customer is searching for something they can purchase immediately.
When researching keywords, start with broad terms and then narrow them down as you go. Doing this guarantees your SEO efforts will reach the widest audience possible.
On-Page Optimization
Local SEO aims to optimize a website so it appears for relevant search queries and keywords localized to your location. This can help boost organic traffic, boost brand awareness, and ultimately drive revenue.
On-page optimization is an integral component of local SEO, as it helps search engines comprehend a website’s content and make recommendations to users based on their requirements. It also incorporates techniques designed to enhance the user experience, such as making pages easy-to-read.
For instance, on-page SEO includes the use of title tags and meta description tags that give search engine robots additional details about a webpage. Therefore, it’s beneficial to optimize these elements as early in the page development process as possible.
Local SEO requires different strategies and tactics than traditional SEO. Google’s algorithm takes into account proximity when searching for a business by city or state.
Link Building
Link building is an essential element of any local SEO strategy. Not only will it help boost your ranking on Google Maps, but it can also boost your overall search engine visibility.
Building links is essential when targeting industry-specific websites that offer useful information to your users. Furthermore, select sites with high domain authority relative to your local market for maximum benefit.
Gaining backlinks from these websites can help you establish credibility and legitimacy. They may also increase your local search visibility, leading to more traffic and conversions.
One way to increase your local link profile is by creating content about events taking place in your city or other pertinent topics. Writing blogs or posts about these occasions and sharing them on social media platforms are great ways to attract backlinks and drive traffic.
Reputation Management
A positive reputation encourages customers to trust your business, builds brand value and drives sales. On the contrary, a bad reputation can be devastating for any business.
Online reviews are essential in building a solid reputation for your local business. Not only do these reviews boost the visibility of your listing in search results, but they also give an indication of the quality of service and products provided by your company.
To effectively manage customer reviews, utilize a customer feedback management tool. This will enable you to compile reviews from various review sites and display them centrally.
Reputation management can be a challenging task, yet it’s essential for any company’s success. To maintain your company’s good name, it is essential that you address negative reviews promptly and take necessary measures.
Reputation management is often handled by public relations specialists or agencies rather than by a local SEO specialist. Vendasta offers white-label reputation management software that consolidates all elements of reputation management into one user-friendly dashboard for in-house or small business clients.