Struggling in Local Search? Here’s What Your Local SEO Strategy Needs to Compete in 2022.
Any company that wants to stand out in search results must have a solid SEO plan. However, local SEO is crucial for brick and mortar stores that depend on regional customers to remain in business.
Why? because if you want to dominate local search rankings and outperform rivals in your area, you must make excellent local SEO efforts. They give your small business the visibility boost it needs to connect with an engaged local audience, possible customers who are willing and prepared to spend money right away.
It could be time to make some changes if you’re investing time and money in local search optimisation but are still having problems putting your brand above the fold. The following local SEO hints will help you build up your local business marketing plan and put your small business on the map.
Take ownership of and control of your Google My Business listing.
Want to catch Google’s eye? Claiming your Google My Business listing is typically the best place to start if your objective is to increase visibility in “near me” and other local searches on Google.
In comparison to other local search assets, Google My Business (or Google Business Profile, as it is now known) offers a definite advantage: automatic authenticity.
You have an online profile that Google instantly recognises as real after you authenticate your business and claim your Google My Business page. This establishes a foundation of credibility that is likely to increase profile visibility throughout Google local search results.
By claiming your Google My Business page, you also gain basic admin access to your profile. This provides you the ability to post images, change your contact information, business hours, and description, as well as govern online ratings and reviews across the platform.
This not only assists your local SEO ranking efforts, but it also enhances client satisfaction and increases website traffic.
Managing GMB can also have substantial local SEO benefits for offline businesses when it comes to Google Maps. Google Maps, a Google-owned website and well-known local business search tool, gives potential clients a captivating, in-depth representation of your company that is taken directly from your GMB profile. Optimising your GMB profile will at the very least have a beneficial effect on how your business appears on maps, making it simpler for customers to find you and get in touch with you right away.
Update the information on your business listings.
For your local search presence, inconsistent information across online business directories might be fatal. This is due to the difficulty Google has in determining which information it can trust due to inaccurate and missing NAP details (name, address, and phone number), profile misspellings, and even minor typos. Your local results may be impacted by inaccurate information, which will reduce your online visibility for important local keywords.2
Claiming and updating your company name, address, and contact information across online business directories and review sites can be a tedious procedure at times, but it’s essential to creating the brand alignment that the Google local algorithm seeks. To improve your position in organic search results, make sure your listings are correct and consistent on popular websites and online directories like Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor (if applicable), the BBB, and others.
Your local SEO can be enhanced by updating the information on specialty review sites and local directories, which will raise your standing and authority on important local search pages. These local listings, which typically feature among major platforms and are close to Google’s coveted three-pack, present a fantastic opportunity to enhance visibility inside the neighbourhood. It doesn’t affect your ranking for locally relevant keywords to optimise your business placement on local websites because it increases your authority with search engines.
Make your content local search-friendly
The core of every SEO strategy is optimised content. The interaction and traffic that quality blogs, articles, and landing pages generate for your website tell search engines that your brand is relevant and offers what readers want to read.
Building a local content strategy is crucial if you own a local business and want to connect with local clients. In addition to increasing their relevance for “near me” and hyperlocal search queries, local businesses that produce local content, such as blogs and landing pages that cater to the interests and needs of local customers, also solidify and strengthen their position among those vying for the local pack and valuable local search space.
In other words, the more genuine, excellent local SEO content your company produces for local audiences, the more possibilities you’ll have to link to and point people to your website. And those larger traffic volumes typically translate into better ranks, higher domain authorities, and a more pronounced business presence in searches with a local focus.
Whatever your business’s industry, it’s critical to incorporate content created with location search in mind into your local SEO strategy. A great way to get your foot in the door and establish a presence that targets more local searchers (and local leads) for crucial industry keywords is to create content that is based on local keyword research and focused on local news, events, and profiles.
