What is Local Search Engine Optimization?
Having a strong local search engine optimization strategy can be a game changer for your business. It can help you attract more visitors and boost your conversions. Having a local SEO strategy is important for any business, whether it is online or offline. It helps you to gain the visibility and trust of your local customers.
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Google’s local search algorithm takes three main factors into account to determine local search results. These factors include citations, reviews and geographic proximity to the searcher. Having a strong citation and reviews can help your business surface in local searches.
In addition, having a Google Business Profile can also increase your visibility in local searches. This can be used to show your website and provide contact information to your customers. A good profile will also feature responses to negative reviews. It will also show changes and suggestions from users and aggregators. If your business doesn’t have a strong profile, it can’t attract the best customers.
Having a physical address on your website can also improve your local search rankings. This allows for you to create a local landing page for your customers. You should also make sure your business’ NAP (name, address and phone number) is accurate. This should be included on all content pages, in the header and in the footer. It is also a good idea to make sure your contact information is listed on your social media profiles.
Another area that can impact your local search results is the quality of your links. You should strive to have a variety of inbound links, but the most important is that they are relevant to your target location. These can be from relevant domains and from other local sites. Having a high-quality link to your site is important for any type of local SEO.
Google also uses a structured data mark-up to relay important business information in the SERP. These can be for your product or service, as well as organization and product/service schema.
Having a large number of customer reviews can also have a positive impact on your local search results. These can be found on Yelp and other major citation websites. It is a good idea to encourage your customers to leave reviews about your business. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by BrightLocal, 85% of customers believe that online reviews are more helpful than personal recommendations.
If you have a business that caters to a specific area, such as a restaurant or a plumbing service, you may need to optimize your website for local search queries. This can be done by using high-volume keywords, which are usually located in the title, meta description and URL. However, it’s a good idea to avoid stuffing your content with local phrases. This can be detrimental to your local search rankings. It’s better to write localized content that is both informative and interesting to your local audience.
You should also use the Google Keyword Planner to determine your target keywords. You can then use these keywords in your local search content and answer the questions in an engaging and useful manner.