Local SEO is a great way to increase your brand’s visibility locally, and helps you reach customers who live near your business or shop at stores nearby. This type of marketing is especially useful for brick-and-mortar retailers because they often don’t appear on major search engines.
There are several ways to optimise your site for local searches. For example, you can add location information to your page titles and meta descriptions, add your address, and make sure that you have a map on your website, showing exactly where your business is based.
To help your business thrive, we have put together everything you need to know about creating a
local SEO strategy, as well as everything you need to know to improve business ranking. Read on for your ultimate local SEO checklist!
What is a local SEO strategy?
A local SEO strategy is an online marketing plan designed specifically to attract potential customers in the geographical area around your business. It focuses on optimising your website so that it ranks higher in search results when people use specific keywords related to where you operate.
How does local SEO work?
The first step to building a successful local SEO strategy is to determine which areas of your business will be most important to rank highly for local search terms. Once you’ve identified these keywords, you’ll want to research them thoroughly.
You will also want to find out how many times those keywords are searched for per month. If there’s
not enough demand for what you sell, then you may not see much benefit from investing time into local SEO.
Once you have determined the best keywords to target, you’ll want to create content that answers questions and solves problems for searchers. The more relevant and helpful your content is, the better chance you have of being found by Google.
In addition, you should start collecting reviews for your business. These reviews can help with rankings if they’re written positively and include details like the store name, phone number, hours of operation, and other pertinent information.
Why should I use local SEO?
If you want to grow your business, using local SEO is one of the best things you can do. By targeting local search queries, you can get new customers through organic means.
This means you won’t need to pay for ads or pay for paid links to boost your rankings. Instead, you’ll be able to rely on natural traffic from people searching for products and services close to their home.
This form of marketing is also cost effective. Because you’re only paying for clicks, you’ll save money over time. Plus, since you’re reaching customers who are already looking for your product or service, you’ll likely convert more sales than you would if you were spending money on advertising.
Certain industries, such as estate agencies, are also dependent on SEO; there is no sense in having customers find you from the other side of the country. Local SEO for estate agents is crucial to ensure that your potential customers can find you quickly and easily.
How can I create a successful local SEO strategy?
Here are some tips to help you create a successful local SEO strategy:
- Start with keywords
Before you begin any kind of local SEO campaign, you need to identify your main keywords. These are the phrases people typically use when searching for businesses in your area.
For example, if you own a restaurant, you might look up “restaurants near me” or “best restaurants near me.”
- Research your competition
After you’ve selected your keywords, you’ll want to perform keyword research. This involves finding out how often your competitors’ websites appear for searches related to your chosen keywords.
It’s also important to understand how competitive each term is. For instance, if you’re selling shoes, you could choose “shoes stores near me,” but if your competition has a strong presence in that market, you might consider “shoe shops in Peckham” instead.
- Build quality content and build links
When creating quality content, make sure it includes your targeted keywords. In addition, make sure your content provides value to readers.
Link building is another great way to improve your local search engine optimisation. If you have relevant sites linking back to yours, this will help increase your page rank.
- Optimise your website
Once you’ve created content, you’ll want to optimise your site for local search engines. This involves making sure your website appears as high as possible in search results for your keywords.
To increase your chances of ranking well, you’ll want to focus on optimising the following aspects of your site: the title tags, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
- Submit your site to Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile – formerly known as Google Places – is a free online directory where users can find local businesses. It’s a good place to submit your business listing so people can easily find you. You should also aim to get reviews here, as this is an excellent way to make the most of local SEO services. A profile here will provide valuable information about your business and allow potential customers to learn more about you.
- Use social media
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be used to generate leads and drive traffic to your website and can be very useful when you are targeting a smaller, specific area or group of people.
- Be active on forums
If you belong to a forum, make sure you post regularly. This increases your visibility and gives relevant people a reason to visit your site. Local forums can be a great place to advertise, and to find and connect with local people who are keen to use your service or invest in your products.
Final thoughts
Building a local SEO strategy doesn’t have to be stressful, and this is a crucial element of ensuring your site is seen by the right people and allowing you to connect with your customers.
