How to Optimize Your Website for Local Search Engine Optimization
Local SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website in a given region or city. Like standard SEO, local search engine optimization affects how your site appears in unpaid search results, sometimes called “organic,” “natural,” or “earned” results. By optimizing your website, you can dramatically improve your chances of getting noticed by potential customers in your area, though it does require some knowledge and effort.
Why Local SEO Matters for Small Businesses
Most local businesses rely on the public’s perception and reviews for their rankings. One out of every two people searching for a restaurant in Northern Virginia is looking for a place to eat that evening, so a strong local ranking puts your business in front of ready-to-buy customers. Because those local customers are often searching on phones or computers, investing in local SEO directly affects your bottom line.
Publish Content in Your Audience’s Language
To make your website more visible to local users, publish content in the target language of your audience. For instance, a restaurant in Los Angeles might create an Italian-language site, and a shoe seller could write a review in Spanish instead of English. That way, people from other parts of the world can see your company’s reviews and decide whether to come back again. Offering compensation for reviews can also help.
Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
A mobile-friendly website improves your local SERP. The Barrio Restaurant, for example, makes its phone number clickable on mobile devices, prompting users to call. In addition to being mobile-friendly, your local SEO strategy must include a strong mobile presence. More than half of people who use their smartphone to search for local businesses prefer a local business over a national one, so this step is not optional.
Use Schema Markup to Signal Local Intent
Using schema markup on your website tells Google that your business is a local business, which is especially important for service industries. It narrows down your competition and helps you reach your target audience. The two most common steps in optimizing for local intent are making your site mobile-friendly and using structured data. You can also apply the same markup on social media and in your blog.
Write Relevant, Locally Focused Content
Well-written, relevant content helps your website get noticed among competitors and increases the chances of attracting local customers. By creating content relevant to the area in which your business operates, you make sure your site is found by the right customers. The primary objective of local SEO is to match nearby searchers with your business, and the right keywords will boost traffic and sales even if your overall search volume stays modest.
FAQ
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website in unpaid search results for a given region or city, the same as standard SEO but scoped to a geographic area.
Why is mobile-friendliness important for local search?
More than half of people who use their smartphone to search for local businesses prefer a local business over a national one, so a mobile-friendly site with clickable contact details directly drives calls and visits.
How does schema markup help local SEO?
Schema markup tells Google that your website is a local business, which is especially useful for service industries. It narrows competition and helps your site reach the right local audience when combined with a mobile-friendly design.
Related coverage
- The Business Case for Investing in Search Engine Optimization
- Increase Your Business’s Online Visibility with Effective SEO Strategies