Local Search Engine Optimization (LSEO) is a relatively new concept and is still evolving. Local Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, can be thought of as the building blocks of effective local search engine optimization. Local SEO is like global SEO, but the intent is to optimize a business for a specific geographic area. It can encompass traditional search engines like Google and Yahoo! Local and more recently, social networking sites like Facebook.
Organic, or natural, search results are what most local businesses think of when they hear the term “SEO”. Organic search results are what appear on the right side of the SERPs. This means that, unlike with paid listings, there are no paid links, paid ads, or paid keywords being used in order to gain high rankings. Organic, or natural, results are what most local customers think of when they hear the term Local Search Engine Optimization (LSEO).
Social media has created a new concept in local search engine optimization known as social marketing. Social marketing is the process of using various social media outlets to promote your business. The idea behind social marketing is that people want to connect with businesses they already know. Many businesses use Facebook and Twitter, but there are a number of other social avenues that you should utilize to promote your business. If your business does not currently utilize social media, now is the time to get started.
Once you have implemented the concept of organic search results and social media, you should consider using pay per click campaigns. PPC is an effective local SEO solution that is not right for all businesses. If your business fits the profile of a small or medium-sized business, PPC may not be the best local search engine optimization solution. Medium-sized and larger companies typically utilize PPC to attract visitors. PPC is very cost effective for those businesses that do not generate a substantial amount of traffic to their website.
Your web pages must be focused on one objective. If you want to rank highly for local search engine optimization in Google, then focus on one phrase and build your website around that. For example, if you are building a website that promotes dog training, then you want to choose keywords like dog training, dog obedience, training and dog psychology. Then build your site around those key phrases.
Local Search Engine Optimization is not the same as search engine marketing or backlinks. Backlinks are incoming links from other websites. These are valuable and can increase your ranking in the organic results page. Social media engagement is creating a buzz about your business using social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. You can also use blogs to boost your social media rankings.
The challenge for most small or medium sized businesses is how to optimize for both organic search engines as well as social media. Small or medium sized businesses often do not have the budget for SEO consultants and hiring a firm can be expensive. If you cannot afford a local search engine optimization expert, there are other ways you can optimize your website. There are plenty of free resources online to help with local search engine optimization.
The key to local search engine optimization in Google and other search engines is to use the correct keywords. It is important to remember to optimize for the keywords and key phrases as many people will type those words in the search engines. The goal is to get your website to show up on the first page or first result of a search query. Digital marketing is the key to getting your website to show up on more Google searches.