With the abundance of choices that we are offered today, most people, to some extent, leave their purchase decision up to Google. There is a high chance that at least once in your life, you’ve typed into the search bar the phrase “near me” preceded by the service you needed. As Sistrix reports, 28.5% of people will click on the first result on the Google listing.
The Internet has revolutionized marketing, as companies now focus their attention on building their online presence. One of the strategies consists of improving SEO to increase the visibility of your business in Google search results. However, not all companies will proceed in the same way, as the smaller businesses might instead focus on the local SEO before competing with the industry giants on the global level.
As a result of optimizing local SEO, your website traffic, leads, and conversion rate will increase as the strategy is aimed at your base of local customers. The solutions you need include updating your business listings, creating localized content, and choosing appropriate keywords. Additionally, you will have to work on your website’s structure, dwell time, and mobile optimization to encourage the purchase of your products or services.
The competition for the top position in Google listing is fierce; however, you might have a fair chance to become the front runner with the right strategy. Below, you’ll find several strategies that might help you.
Focus On Local Keywords
Every SEO content strategy relies on appropriate keywords which are used to look for your services, as Google determines your position on their basis. The more those keywords are searched, the higher your SERP (Search Engine Results Page) placement.
When it comes to creating content for your website, you will have to make sure that it is optimized for the local keywords that your customers are searching for. To accomplish that, one of the ways involves using Google Keyword Planner and finding phrases that are relevant to your company’s niche but are also used frequently by potential leads.
In addition to using keywords that are common in your industry, you need to tailor them to the local area. For example, if you’re located in Tampa, Florida, you would also need to incorporate the name of the city and state into your content.
Update Your Business Listings
Your next step will be creating a Google My Business account, so your company appears in the listings. The reason is simple – before Google ranks your business, it needs to know about its existence in the first place. Think about it as an online portfolio where people can find information about your company.
Having a presence in the listings will also help you by making your business more searchable, building a strong reputation, and establishing credibility. While creating your account, ensure that you’ve provided all the accurate and up-to-date information, including:
- Business name
- Address
- Phone number
- Tagline
- Logo
- Website URL
- Categories
- Service description
- Social profiles
- Images
- Certifications
Google has specific guidelines concerning the content you publish or the way it is presented, so make sure to follow it according to the information provided. You can also look for other online business directories such as Bing Places, Yahoo, or Yelp.
Create Content For Your Local Audience
In order to attract and hold the attention of the local audience, you have to focus on the content relevant to the area. Think about what’s differentiating your area from other places. Are there any events or holidays that are unique to your area? Are there any famous landmarks or attractions nearby? Do they offer any special deals or discounts that might be attractive to the visitors?
At this point, you should already have a few ideas in mind. You can use these ideas and create rich content, including images, videos, reviews, and other sources of information that will help you build a strong case for your business.
Do Local Link Building
Your SERP placement will depend on the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your website, as they are an indicator of your authority and credibility. With numerous high authority sites using your links in their content, your site will appear higher in SERPs.
But as you’re aiming at a local audience, you also need to narrow the scope of your links. Being linked by global sites won’t help you because Google doesn’t consider those for local rankings. Moreover, you won’t gain targeted traffic nor will your brand awareness improve. As a result, your efforts will be wasted.
You first need a list of your local competitors and sites that link to them. You can find it with the help of a tool like Open Site Explorer and other backlink checkers. Then, you could reach out to these websites and ask them if they would be willing to cooperate with you. Moreover, you could guest post on high-authority sites if you feel comfortable creating content.
Encourage Customers To Leave Reviews
The process of ranking higher in Google search results is considerably affected by the reviews you get from customers. While your SEO strategy should be focused on bringing in new clients, you also need to encourage them to leave a review on your website.
While looking for the services they need, people often take online reviews as a personal recommendation. They are more likely to trust other customers who have experience with your business, and they will use the reviews to erase any doubts and confusion they may have. Hence, a great number of great reviews will increase your CTR (click-through rate).
This in turn will further improve your SEO because Google considers CTR in its rankings as it indicates that your website matches the search intent behind a certain query. Google’s aim is to deliver the best experience to its users, so it will monitor which sites match particular keywords the best and place them higher.
With the increasing popularity of your website because of the reviews, the search engine will determine that you match the search intent and boost your SERP placing. This improves your visibility, and you can reach a wider audience that may make a purchase. It’s a chain reaction that starts with a positive word from your customers.
Work On Your Website’s Design
Google can track your website’s dwell time and user experience. The longer potential customers spend on your website, the better it is for your ranking. However, the design plays a great role in encouraging visitors to stay and explore more. The design does matter, and you should pay special attention to this aspect of your SEO strategy.
You have to focus on the design of your landing page as it is directly related to your conversion rate. With a great layout, the customer will feel comfortable browsing through the site, leaving fewer doubts about the quality of your services or products. A well-structured website will encourage them to spend more time on your website and leave a review.
As a result, you will boost your SERP positioning, and Google will rank you higher as it wants to deliver the best user experience.
Remember About Mobile Optimization
This strategy is closely related to your website design discussed above. Mobile optimization is not a choice but a necessity since more than 60% of total online searches are made through mobile devices. With such numbers, Google has implemented mobile-first indexing, which means that the mobile version of your site will be used to evaluate your performance and relevance.
You need to make sure that your website is responsive so that it can be viewed on all popular devices. This will also improve your conversion rate because people who have a positive experience on their smartphones are more likely to choose your services and products.
In Conclusion
Being visible in Google search results is crucial for your business because it means more visits, leads, and sales. It also represents a great opportunity for you to stand out from the competition and be on top of the SERP.
The local SEO strategy will help you increase your conversion rate by using appropriate keywords and rich content aimed at your local customers. By localizing your efforts, you will have a better chance of getting high CTR and building links that are relevant to your specific area. Moreover, you’ll increase the efficiency of your strategy and save resources that you would spend otherwise on improving your global ranking.
This strategy is especially important for small businesses because they can make the most of their limited marketing budget. You might not compete with the industry giants on the global level, but in your local area, you might be the leader.
