Tips for implementing local SEO

Achieving top search rankings is what every business strives for. Unfortunately, the ever-changing world of SEO is still a mystery to many. There are numerous theories about local SEO and its implementation. Many local entrepreneurs simply choose the trial and error tactic and wait to see what produces the desired result. If your site is not optimized for local SEO, you are missing out on many potential customers, since four out of five consumers find information on local businesses through local searches. Successful SEO implementation, on the other hand, will bring you multiple benefits, such as recurring traffic, new clients, and branding opportunities. Luckily, there are many tricks you can implement immediately and with very little effort. If you follow our tips for implementing local SEO, you will see positive results and real progress in no time, no matter what type of business you’re in.

What is local SEO and why is it important?

Local SEO is done on your website in order to increase your business’ visibility in search engine results. Driving organic traffic and improving your conversion rate would be the ultimate goal.

Local SEO matters for several reasons. It helps you generate leads from search engines. It is a one-time investment that helps in generating “free” traffic. It also helps build a positive online reputation, improve your brand credibility, and gain trust.

However, you need to keep up with the latest changes, as local SEO strategies are constantly evolving.

Implementing local SEO — tips and tricks

Set Up GMB (Local Packs)

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool local businesses can use to control their online presence across Google. That includes Search and Google Maps. Setting up GMB is essential for local entrepreneurs. Having a good GMB profile will increase your chances of being listed for location-based searches. On your GMB profile, you can show your business contact details, opening hours for your physical location, as well as customer reviews.

Have a Consistent NAP

It is important to have the same information on your website, every local listing, and every place where your site is mentioned. The information should match your GMB listing. Maintaining a consistent NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) shows Google that your business is trustworthy. Bear in mind that Google is just a machine, though. It is important that the information you provide is 100% identical. So, if your company name in the GMB listing ends with “LTD”, it should be the same in every mention.

Improve Website Loading Speed

Improving website loading speed is one of the most important yet often neglected tips for implementing local SEO. Search engines try to deliver the best results to internet users, considering slow loading speed poor user experience. You must agree that waiting for pages to load is very frustrating. Most users leave slow websites immediately. Don’t let a slow loading speed ruin all your SEO efforts.

Optimize Content for Local Keywords

Your local website content will affect your search rankings when your site is searched locally. Local keywords are keywords that are related to your locality. There are two kinds of local keywords — “Near Me” keywords (your type of business + “near me”) and generic location keywords (keywords that contain the name of the location + your type of business). Once you determine what the most qualified keywords are, the next step is creating content around each of your chosen keywords. It is recommendable to pick one keyword per page or article and focus on it.

Create Local Pages

If you have multiple locations and your local business operates in different areas, you should have different location-specific pages that target those locations. To create content for these local pages, you should use the main keywords (your business keywords) + locations. Create similar pages for all the locations where you operate locally. If you copy and paste the exact same content on every local page on your website, you’ll have duplicate content, which is bad for your search rankings. Your local pages should be similar, not the same.

Start a Blog

A well-written blog is one of the best additions to your local search content marketing. People (and Google) trust experts in their field. To show that you are one, consider starting a blog on your website. In addition to proving your expertise, a good blog will help readers by providing useful information, drive website traffic, and convince Google that you are trustworthy. A quality blog post should provide how-to knowledge, inform your readers about your business achievements, relevant local news, etc.

Implement internal links

Good internal links help spread authority around your site, giving more power to individual pages. They also boost page views and improve time on site, among other things. Thanks to internal linking, the entire website will achieve a higher ranking. With the help of internal links to other powerful posts, a post placed on the second or third page of Google can get to the first page.

Get Customer Reviews

Despite being underrated, online customer reviews are one of the most important ranking factors for local SEO. It is estimated that more than 88% of consumers trust a business with genuine reviews. Therefore, make it a habit to ask customers to leave reviews after receiving your products or services. This is one of the best ways to get legit reviews. A good way to encourage people to leave reviews is by offering something for free in return. Moreover, you should politely reply to each review, even when it isn’t a favorable one. This way, you will show your customers how much you care and that you are interested in improving your service.

Optimize your site for mobile devices

These days, we all browse the internet on mobile devices. Google is starting to prioritize websites that are optimized for mobile devices. Therefore, every business should take this tip for implementing local SEO seriously. Your site should be able to support and adjust to different types and widths of mobile devices.

Whether you have the time, and skillsets to implement these SEO tips or not, it's always a good idea to touch base with an SEO Agency or SEO Expert. Best of all if you're in Seattle, WA our Seattle SEO services would be the perfect solution.