In order to get the best results from your local search engine optimization efforts, you need to be sure to focus on a few key areas. These include Structured and unstructured citations, distance, online reviews, and mobile optimization. By using these tools and strategies, you can improve your rankings, attract more visitors, and boost your business’s revenue.
Relevance
One of the most important things a business can do to boost their presence online is optimize for local search engine optimization (SEO). This can help your site rank better in Google’s unpaid results. With 72% of all searches involving a local destination, businesses need to be optimized for local SEO in order to be found by prospective customers.
In addition to boosting local visibility, local SEO also helps to increase brand awareness. Getting your business on the map pack of Google’s organic SERPs can help you get noticed by prospective customers. Plus, with a high ranking on the first page of local search results, you can convert those visitors into customers.
The most obvious reason for this is that people trust a business on the first page of local search results. If your website isn’t on the first page, you’re not likely to get much traffic, which means that your conversions will be minimal.
Distance
If you are looking to improve your local search engine optimization efforts, you may want to focus on distance. This is one of the biggest factors Google considers when it comes to local search.
It’s not as easy to change the actual physical distance between you and a particular business, but you can adjust the amount of information you provide. Keeping your location information updated is important if you own a business with multiple locations.
You can also improve your chances of catching the eye of a Google user with the proper use of Schema rich markup. In addition to helping search engines identify your content, it also tells the user that you are local.
As with any SEO, you can improve your local search rankings with the use of relevant keywords and queries. However, the simplest way to boost your chances of being found by a Google user is to have a Google My Business listing.
Online reviews
Online reviews have become a critical piece of any digital marketing strategy. Not only do they help build brand reputation, they can also increase conversion rates and drive sales.
Consumers are actively seeking online reviews to validate their purchase decisions. According to the Bright Local study, almost ninety percent of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2017.
In addition, Google considers customer reviews a factor in local search rankings. When a consumer searches for a business, they usually see a Google Business profile with a description and star rating. It’s important to make it easy for customers to leave a review. Positive reviews can help attract new customers, while negative reviews can turn potential customers away.
While Google’s reviews play an important role in your local search ranking, there are a few other factors to consider.
Structured and unstructured citations
A local SEO citation is an important element of an effective SEO strategy. Citations help Google and other search engines to understand a business’s location and service area. It’s also a great way to boost search engine rankings and get more searchers engaged in your site. Getting a good citation is not impossible, but it does require some work.
Structured and unstructured citations are two different types of citations. Structured citations are company listings on third-party directories. The listings include information about the business, such as the name, address, and phone number. Some structured citations even allow you to add an email address and a website link.
Unstructured citations are mentions of a business on various websites and blogs. They can appear on a blog post, review website, social media profile, or forum. While they don’t contain complete NAP information, they can still be helpful.
Mobile optimization
Mobile SEO is one of the more important elements of an overall SEO strategy. It can improve your website’s performance and lead generation. Plus, it can help you convert your users.
Almost half of Internet users are now mobile. This means that your site has to be optimized to provide a good user experience. If your site fails to deliver, you could lose business.
Google has given a lot of attention to mobile optimization. They have introduced the Mobile-First Index and are pushing page speed. In fact, the Mobile-Friendly Test tool from Google is a free service that analyzes your site and identifies elements that need to be mobile optimized.
A mobile-friendly website is one that is optimized for mobile and voice search. These two are important for local search engine optimization, since more and more people are using their mobile devices to look for places nearby.