Local businesses are at the heart of every community, but they can no longer thrive off traditional marketing strategies alone. To uplift these businesses in an increasingly digital world requires that business owners place equal focus upon their digital marketing strategy.
This is where local SEO comes in. Local SEO is an essential tool for local businesses seeking to optimise their digital presence and drive organic traffic from local customers.
Due to the rise in geo-specific searches, with a high volume of customers seeking services in their local area, local SEO is fundamental for any business situated in, or primarily serving, a particular location.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the strategy of optimising your website for local search, so you can connect with customers near you. Increasing online visibility in local search results involves enhancing your Google My Business profile, crafting locally relevant content with the inclusion of NAP citations, as well as detecting and employing local keywords.
Effective local SEO has the potential to generate local traffic, spread brand awareness and bump your website up in the local search rankings, allowing you to find leads and drive sales.
How to get started with Local SEO
This comprehensive guide will cover all the steps you need to take to develop and refine your local SEO strategy:
- Local SEO Keyword Research
- On-Page SEO
- Local Link Building
- Google My Business
- Online Reviews
Local SEO Keyword Research
Local SEO Keyword Research is the process of identifying and leveraging the most commonly inputted keywords in local searches for relevant businesses and services. Incorporating these local keywords into your web content leads to increased visibility in local search results, bringing organic, local traffic to your website.
When conducting any SEO keyword research, a fundamental metric to consider is the search volume, which refers to how often a keyword is searched for. To select optimal keywords for local searches specifically, it’s important to assess search volume data based on location. One handy tool which allows you to do this is Google Keyword Planner (GKP). GKP offers valuable, location-specific metrics for local SEO keyword research, so you can determine which are the best keywords to target.
GKP also allows you to discover new keywords with their “Start with a website” feature. By entering the domains of your top competitors on GKP, you can find relevant keywords which are based on similar content to yours.
Another resourceful way to find keywords is by analysing Google’s suggested searches. Simply type some of your chosen keywords and location terms into Google’s search bar and note the suggested searches that pop up. This will give you a clear understanding of what people in your local area are searching for, so you can include keywords based on popular searches and, in doing so, reach more customers.
On-Page SEO
In the SEO world, content is king. Your content is integral to the success of your marketing strategy, as well as your ranking in organic search results, so learning how to optimise your on-page SEO for local business is vital.
There are certain on-page SEO best practices to adhere to. Firstly, now that you’ve identified some useful, locally targeted keywords, it’s crucial to include these in both the page titles and meta descriptions, as well as dispersing them throughout your content. Keyword-rich content with internal links and some relevant images is a reliable foundation.
Optimising your content for local SEO specifically, however, requires a few additional steps. The first measure you should take is to include a detailed contact page highlighting your location. Your contact page should include your business name, hours, contact information and the address of your business. To spotlight your location, we recommend writing directions and/or embedding a map. This way, both potential customers and Google’s algorithm can locate your establishment easily.
To widen your reach within your local market, centre your content around local topics, trends and events, particularly those relating to your industry. Consider writing insightful blog posts about local market trends, promotional content for industry events, or guides for your local area.
To tailor your content to your target local demographic, you’ll need relevant topics to write about, so it’s wise to attend local conferences, shows, openings, networking events etc. By keeping updated with the local buzz, you can produce related content that your local customers will identify with.
Local Link Building
Link building for local SEO is the strategy of securing backlinks from other websites (referring domains). These backlinks will send other customers in your area to your website.
Local link building allows you to boost brand visibility in local search results and drive targeted traffic from local customers. Google also takes backlinks into account when ranking your business in the SERPs, so if you want to increase your chances of making the first page, local link building is worth your attention.
To build links, send outreach emails to relevant, preferably local businesses requesting backlinks. If your referring domains are relevant to your products or services, you’ll be more likely to rank higher for relevant keywords. It’s mutually beneficial, in any case, to build relationships with other local businesses in your area.
We also suggest searching the web for mentions of your business to find companies that are familiar with your brand. If you find that your business has been mentioned but not linked on any websites, then reach out to these companies, requesting that they add a link.
Another way to build up your backlinks is by getting involved in your local community. We recommend sponsoring local events and contributing to local newspapers. These local charity organisations and news sources will then display your business (and website link) on their online platforms, which will drive local traffic to your website. You can also feature your event participation in your own web content.
Google My Business
87% of consumers used Google to evaluate local businesses in 2022 (source: Bright Local), so optimising your Google business profile should be your top priority.
Google My Business (GMB) is a free and essential tool for any business owners looking to perfect their business profiles and listings on Google in order to rank highly in local search results and appear on Google Maps. As your website gains traction and Google verifies its authenticity, your business might even be highlighted in the sidebar of Google’s local search page.
With GMB, you can establish a verified business profile with which you can post updates, promote your products and services, upload photos and engage with your customers.
Begin by creating and verifying a page on Google My Business.
The website will prompt you to fill in basic information about your business to get started, but we encourage you to be as thorough as possible. Take the time to fill in your business hours, specific products and services you offer, as well as any secondary categories about your business. The more information and keywords you include, the higher you’ll rank in the search results.
Importantly, ensure to regularly update your GMB data and keep it consistent with your website. If there are any changes to your business name, address or phone number (NAP), don’t neglect to update your data. Inconsistencies might confuse and deter customers and make your business seem less authentic by Google’s standards. If you want happy customers and for your business to be verified and boosted in the algorithm, you must present accurate and consistent information across your website, your GMB, and any other platforms.
Online Reviews
Online reviews cultivate customer trust and have a huge impact on your local search rankings, so you want to collect as many positive reviews as possible. Now you’ve set up your GMB listing, we advise you to point your reviewing customers there so that any potential future customers can access their feedback easily.
There are a number of ways to prompt customers to leave reviews. While simply asking them face-to-face is a reliable method, online review links make their process much simpler. Google review link shortcuts can be sent to customers via email, posted on social media and/or embedded into your website so that customers can access your reviews page at the click of a button. You can access Google review link shortcuts via GMB’s “get more reviews” section. This provides you with a custom link directing customers to the reviews page.
We urge you to respond to all of your reviews, even those that are neutral or negative. 45% of consumers report that they are more likely to visit a business if it responds to negative reviews (source: Review Trackers). By publicly acknowledging the complaints of dissatisfied customers, as well as compliments from your happy customers, you demonstrate an admirable level of care and respect towards all of your customers and their needs.
Ideally, your review responses will display an earnest recognition of and appreciation for your customers’ feedback. It is also recommended that you specify your business name and location in your response, so potential customers browsing your goods/services and reading your reviews will remember key information about your business.
Local SEO for your business
Local SEO plays an instrumental role in the success of local businesses. With the tactics outlined in this blogpost, you’ll be on the right path to refining your local SEO strategy to drive business growth.
At Clarus Digital, we specialise in crafting tailored, local SEO strategies to help business owners attain an elevated online presence, engage with local leads and, ultimately, score a flourishing local business.
Reach out to the team today on our contact page or click here to find out more about what we can offer your local business.
