Takeaways
- Importance of Local SEO
- Local SEO Overview
- Factors Influencing Local SEO
- On-Page Optimization for Local SEO
- Digital Kjoo’s Local SEO Expertise
Local SEO is a powerful tool for reaching customers in your area and driving traffic to your website and physical location. If your competitors appear at the top of Google Maps listings when you search for relevant keywords, it’s crucial to invest in local SEO solutions.
When someone searches for a local business, Google displays a selection of nearby businesses based on their local SEO. If you don’t invest in local SEO, it’s unlikely that your business will appear in local search results. This is particularly important for businesses that primarily sell locally.
Ranking well in local searches involves several factors. In this article, we’ll discuss the major influences on local SEO, how to optimize your website for local searches, and why local SEO is essential for your business. If you’d like to speak with one of our 500+ experts, feel free to contact us online.
What is local SEO?
To effectively implement local SEO, it’s important to first understand what it entails. Local SEO involves optimizing your website to appear in search results for location-based or “near me” queries. For instance, if you run an auto body shop in Harrisburg, you would want your business to appear in search results for phrases like “cake and bakery near me”
Appearing in search results for service or product-related queries is beneficial, but local SEO takes it to the next level by allowing you to reach customers searching for those same services or products in your specific city or region.
What influences local SEO?
When it comes to successfully implementing local SEO, there are several factors that influence and contribute to your ranking. While some factors may carry more weight than others, it’s the combination of all of them that helps your business stand out and rank highly in local SEO results.
- Relevance: Google strives to provide the most user-friendly and helpful experience possible. As such, it displays local SEO results that it believes best match the user’s search query in order to provide the most value. By providing complete and detailed business information, you can help Google better understand your listing and improve your ranking in local SEO results.
- Proximity: Not all users specify a location in their search queries, so Google determines the distance based on what it knows about the user’s current location. For example, if a user searches for “Italian restaurant” or “Italian restaurant near me,” Google will calculate the proximity based on the searcher’s known location.
- Reputation: Businesses with a well-established online reputation are more likely to appear in local search results. The more familiar a company is to searchers, the more favorably Google views its listing. Google also takes other factors into account when determining your business’s prominence, such as the number of reviews and positive ratings your company has.
How to do local SEO on-page optimization
Local SEO is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and updating of your on-page optimization strategy. Here are some key factors to focus on for local SEO:
- Optimize title tags and headers: One simple way to improve your ranking in local search results is to optimize your title tags by including your location. For example, instead of using the title tag “The Cake Bake,” consider adding your location to make it “The Cake Bake | Gurugram, IN.” This will help search engines associate your cake shop with Gurugram, increasing the likelihood that your listing will appear in searches for cake shops in Gurugram. You should also include relevant keywords and phrases in the main headers of your page, using synonyms and variations to avoid repetition.
- Format your NAP: NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. These details should be displayed on your website and in your Google Business Profile listing, and kept up-to-date. If you’re not sure if your business appears in local searches, you can use Google’s “Get Your Business Online” tool to check. Make sure your NAP is consistent across all business listings and don’t forget to include your business hours.
- Embed a map: Embedding a Google map on your website makes it easier for users to find your location. A live map is more appealing to local users than a list of directions or no map at all. By including a Google map on your page, users can see where your business is located in relation to them and get directions directly to your business.
- Include clear calls to action: When a user visits your page, you want them to take action. The best way to achieve this is by including clear calls to action that stand out, provide a way to contact you, and tell the visitor exactly what you want them to do next. Using buttons on your page can help make your calls to action more prominent. If your business has multiple locations, customize your calls to action to be relevant to each location.
- Publish reviews and testimonials: Online reviews are crucial for helping users decide whether to choose your local business over a competitor’s. In fact, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Responding to online reviews in a timely and professional manner can help demonstrate the relevance of your reviews and build trust with users. If you don’t have any customer reviews or testimonials, encourage current customers to leave feedback about your products, services, and location.
- Make your website mobile-responsive: Providing a good user experience on mobile devices can improve how Google views your site. Imagine searching for a nearby cake shop on your smartphone and clicking on the first result, only to find that the images are distorted and the text is too small to read. If a user encounters a website that is not optimized for mobile devices, they are likely to return to the search results and choose another option. It’s important to ensure that your website is optimized for tablets and smartphones to avoid losing potential sales. If your website cuts off images or requires users to scroll horizontally to read content, you risk driving potential customers to your competitors. Creating a mobile-friendly website doesn’t have to be difficult. There are web design agencies across the country, from Pittsburgh to Orlando, that can help your business launch a responsive website. In some cases, they can even optimize your site for SEO, saving your team time and effort.
Digital Kjoo knows how to do local SEO
At Digital Kjoo, we have been in the SEO business for nearly five years and have a deep understanding of how Google operates, including its constantly evolving algorithms and various aspects of digital marketing. Our process begins with researching your company and industry to gain a thorough understanding of your business.
We then identify your competitors, evaluate your current strategy, and tailor our local SEO approach to meet your company’s specific goals. Additionally, we conduct a comprehensive audit of your website to determine where our efforts will be most effective. Our local SEO process is divided into three stages: Execution, Reporting, and Improvement.
- Execution: We implement your local SEO strategy.
- Reporting: We collect data to determine what is working and what needs improvement.
- Improvement: We revise your strategy based on our findings.
By working with one of our 10+ experts to carry out these three steps, you can have a robust local SEO strategy in no time!
Digital Kjoo is your local SEO partner
Achieving a high ranking in local search results can be a challenging task, especially if you’re not familiar with the process. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! Our team of experts will work with you to improve your local search ranking and increase your ROI in no time.
By partnering with one of our specialists, you can establish a strong presence in local search results. Contact us today to learn more about our local SEO services, the specifics of local SEO, and how to get started on your journey to success!
