High rankings on Google’s local results come down to local SEO. That means earning quality links from relevant sites, listing your business in the right places, and keeping your business information consistent across the web. This guide covers five practical tips to help your business show up in local search.
What does local SEO actually involve?
Local SEO is about getting high-quality links to your website from relevant sites. Beyond content, attracting links increases your online authority. To attract them, submit your business listing on review sites, directories, and high-authority websites. Reputation management can also increase brand awareness and attract new business opportunities. Done right, local SEO can drum up great PR for your business.
How long does it take to rank locally?
Positive rankings take time. It takes at least three months for your website to reach first page rankings, and up to six to eight months in highly competitive markets. A local SEO agency can help your site get discovered faster and earn higher search engine rankings. According to Google, more than 50% of people who conducted local searches visited a physical location within a day, and 18% of local searches conducted on mobile devices resulted in a sale within a day.
How do you build citations and on-page signals for local search?
Google understands the location of the customer and shows the results nearest to them based on their position in the SERP. SEO Local includes adding common citations to reputable websites and implementing schema markup. When building your website, take into account how many locations you have. If you have multiple locations, consider using local links and a consistent NAP (name, address, phone number). Each location should appear in your website’s description.
Your website should also have an index-style navigation menu and premium content. The name, address, and phone number must match the information listed on other platforms. You can hire a local SEO company to design premium content for your site. Keep your local SEO strategy consistent and unique to your business.
Why target local terms and phrases?
Using unique local terms and phrases matters. Optimizing your website for these terms ensures your site gets more local traffic because Google recognizes users are looking for local results based on their IP address and Google account. The search engine ranks your website higher when you target local users, which increases traffic and builds brand awareness. Make your website mobile-friendly too, since responsive design supports SEO.
How do reviews and link building fit in?
Link building is the most important part of SEO Local and the most expensive. If you get everything else right, you can reduce the need for link building, but it remains the key to higher rankings on Google’s Local Rank. To get quality backlinks, join industry-relevant associations and build links from high-authority sites.
List your company on Apple Maps and Microsoft’s Bing Places for Business as well. Authentic reviews and personal recommendations help potential customers decide. Whether they are looking for a holiday destination, a hotel, or a real estate property, online reviews play an important role in purchasing decisions, so base your company’s ratings on honest reviews.
Where can you find local link opportunities?
Research your competitors’ local search results and their backlinks. Studying their backlinks can help you find forums in your industry, which gives your name and brand exposure. You can find these forums by conducting a Google search. Look for new media outlets that focus on your industry, since they offer brand awareness and the chance to acquire links. Participating in a local forum and sharing your content with other businesses also helps.
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