To improve your local search visibility, identify your keywords. Then, use the Google AdWords keyword tool or web analytics to determine the most common local search terms. These terms are generally the location and type of service you offer. Once identified your keywords, optimize your website for local searches:
Link building
While traditional SEO practices are essential, link building is crucial for local search optimization. The best ways to improve your local rankings are inbound links from relevant websites such as this https://victoriousseo.com/markets/local-services/, blogs, and other local resources. You’ll attract backlinks and nurture prospects by engaging in local activities. Encourage customers to write reviews.
The site WP Dev Shed reports that investing in local content and link building will establish your business as an expert in your area. The digital age empowers consumers, and one-third of them search for smartphones before visiting a store. Therefore, your Google My Business profile must be optimized, and you should actively create local citations and reviews. By using keywords, you can increase the relevance of your website to local consumers.
Schema
Schema markup is the key to local search success. With hundreds of markups for various information, deciding which ones to use can be confusing. For your business, you can use informational markups to display important information about your business.
The main benefit of schema markup for local searches is that it helps match your business to local searchers. Because schema markup does not affect your ranking, it simply helps search engines organize your data to display relevant results. Make sure to add it to company descriptions and city pages, and if you have more than one location, you should add it to every city page. Schema is an essential part of your business website for a local SEO strategy.
Google My Business
There is no one magic formula for optimizing Google My Business for local searches. Instead, you must monitor results and try new marketing strategies until you find one that works for your business. The features of your Google My Business listing may change with time, but keeping your profile updated is essential for building trust with customers. Google allows you to make changes to your profile but may not automatically apply them. Here are some tips on optimizing Google My Business for local searches.
Review your products and services in Google My Business regularly. The local pack is different from organic results because it shows competitors. Customer reviews help you build trust and brand recognition. If you don’t have reviews, your competitors may take them and steal your potential customers. A Google My Business listing with reviews will help you gain customers in your local area while also helping you get higher rankings for specific keywords. Moreover, 93% of customers say that studies on websites affect their purchase decision.
Dedicated contact page
Creating a dedicated contact page for your company is a great way to get more traffic from local searches. A dedicated page should contain all the vital information customers need to contact you. For example, a good contact page will always include a link to Google Maps so people can get directions to your business. You can also use SEO to spruce up your contact page.
Ensure that the URL includes page titles, meta descriptions, and other pertinent information. Your copy should consist of keywords and be readable. For best results, use a maximum character count for the meta description. This way, search engines can determine whether the copy is helpful. Then, it will be a good sign if your visitors want to continue reading. And don’t forget to include the phone number. Once a visitor clicks through your contact page, they should be able to reach the right business by phone.
Customer reviews
Boosting your SEO with positive customer reviews will help your business rank higher on Google. These reviews can help your local search results by signaling to Google that you care about the quality of your business. Moreover, by responding to a review, you’ll show Google that you’re an active business that responds to customer feedback. Your reviews are a valuable asset in local search optimization.
In addition to boosting your local search rankings, positive customer reviews can help improve your business reputation. Studies show that 84% of customers trust reviews more than personal recommendations, so gaining positive reviews will boost your business reputation online. In addition, positive reviews on customer review sites like Google My Business carry significant weight. This is because local searches often favor businesses with the highest number of stars. So, it’s essential to solicit reviews and respond to them actively.
