Getting ahead in the highly competitive digital world businesses operate in today can be a real challenge. Luckily, local SEO is a goldmine for small businesses. Instead of having to compete against every other business with an online presence globally, they can make their mark in their local area.
It works by potential customers using Google search to find a certain type of business in their area. Then Google shows local search results of businesses in the specified location. It can be a lot easier for small businesses to show up on local search rankings because there is less competition but still a lot of users looking for businesses like theirs.
If you’re worried that using a local SEO strategy will narrow down the number of visitors to your website, don’t be. Local search queries have a high search volume. 97% of users search online to find a local business.
Essentially, small businesses can work smarter instead of harder to stand out and grow their customer base. Local businesses can attract organic traffic to their website and consequently more visitors to their physical location or online store. Here’s how to make the most of local SEO.
How to Improve Local SEO: 11 Tips for Success
There are various ranking factors that search engine algorithms use to determine whether a website is ranked on the first page of results or the last. Here are some local SEO best practices to help you get as high up local search results as possible.
1. Create and optimize your Google Business profile.
It’s no secret that Google is the biggest search engine out there so ranking on Google SERPs would trigger a massive website traffic boost. It helps if you have a Google Business profile (this is the new name for Google My Business). It’s essentially Google’s directory of online businesses. Your business location will be visible on Google Maps and the Google algorithm will be more likely to rank your website, especially if your profile is optimized with up-to-date information.
As well as using this as a business listing to explain what your business does, you can post content to your Google Business profile, sharing key updates and useful insights. It’s also a good place to collect customer reviews as social proof of just how amazing your business is.
2. Get positive customer reviews.
Creating a stream of regular positive customer reviews will do your business a world of good. It provides social proof of the impact your business has on customers, building trust and improving conversion rates. It also adds to the strength of your profiles on business directories such as Google Business Profile and Yelp. Essentially it’s good for potential customers and search engine optimization.
Make sure you have a process for asking for positive reviews from customers to keep your online reviews consistent and up to date. We make this easy with our online review management tool. Then respond to any reviews you get, good or bad, to demonstrate a willingness to take feedback and make improvements.
3. Optimize for mobile and voice search.
We are becoming increasingly reliant on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and often prefer them over desktop or even laptop devices. That means there’s a good chance that local searchers are going to be using their phones to find your business, especially if they’re on the go and looking for a physical location nearby.
Make sure your website design, layout, and navigation are mobile-friendly. A high bounce rate due to a poor user experience will put off search engines from ranking your site. Additionally, voice search is on the rise. When on the go it can be easier to use voice search than type out a search query. So consider local keywords for mobile searches and voice searches alike. Rank for the right keywords and you’ll attract local customers.
4. Create hyper-local content.
Knowing what content to post on your website can be a challenge. Businesses often end up creating general and vague blogs that aren’t particularly helpful to anyone. By focusing on local SEO, you can create content that your local customers want to see. This is much more effective for generating and converting leads.
What are the local trends in your area? Is there something that is particularly popular in your community? For example, if your local area is by the coast, popular hobbies are more likely to center around beach and water activities than compared to an inner city area. Link local trends to your business. That’s the quality content your local customers are going to be looking for when they Google for a business like yours.
5. Manage and improve your online reputation.
Businesses should implement a strategy for monitoring their online reputation. You could have loads of website traffic gained from local SEO but if something is putting off potential customers, you won’t get the conversions you’re looking to get from all your digital marketing efforts.
If you see negative comments online, whether on social media or review sites, respond to them. That’s the only way to combat the impact of negative comments. It gives you the chance to show the kind of business you are. Be respectful and professional. Demonstrate that you’re willing to act on feedback and make improvements to meet the needs of your customers. Do what you can for your customers, especially when they’re not happy.
6. Get the most out of local listings.
While Google has a large market share of the business listing and review sites, it’s not the only one. It’s still worth creating a profile on Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other local listings. It creates more opportunities for your ideal client to find you when looking for a business like yours. It also establishes backlinks on reputable sites which is something search engine algorithms rate highly.
You may find that your area has specific business listings that local customers will look at to find local businesses to support. This could be a website or a local business community. See what you can find and get involved with the community to get your business name out there.
7. Get high-quality backlinks.
Building backlinks is a key search engine optimization strategy. By getting other websites to link to yours, search engines rate your website as more reputable. However, this only works if the websites linking to yours are high-quality. Backlinks from any old site won’t help your cause.
Find related and authoritative websites you can collaborate with through some kind of partnership, guest blogging, or even sponsorship. It gets you local citations and supports your SEO efforts especially if the website belongs to another local business that your potential customers will be interested in. Local link building supports local SEO ranking.
8. Research and rank for local keywords.
The keywords you decide to focus on in your local SEO strategy will make or break your SEO success. You need to be including local keywords your customers are searching for or you won’t rank on local search results. Long-tail keywords work particularly well for local SEO because these are keywords that include three or more words, for example, “Plumber near me”.
Find these keywords by using keyword research tools. There are a variety of paid and free tools such as Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Moz’s Keyword Explorer. It’s also worth checking out local SEO tools such as Whitespark or BrightLocal for the keywords that are ranking in your area.
Once you’ve found the local keywords that work for your business and target audience, rank for them by using them across your website including in title tags, meta descriptions, and within the copy of webpages.
9. Create content based on local events.
Keep an eye on local news as events can present local SEO opportunities. Local searchers may be Googling search queries related to that event so by creating content around the event and including relevant keywords you can make the most of that traffic. If there are local business events, get involved. As the event is promoted, your business is also promoted through backlinks on the landing page for the event or promotional material on social media.
10. Consider always-on communication solutions.
In the digital age, consumers expect to be able to contact businesses at any given time. So while they may not be able to visit your physical location at a certain time, they expect some kind of communication to be available. This has a positive effect on your SEO because a good customer experience leads to good customer reviews and repeated meaningful interactions on your website. Using messaging can work well as an always-on communication solution, especially as you can turn on messaging as a way to contact you on the Google Business profile app.
Always-on communication solutions like messaging prevent frustratingly lengthy delays as customers wait for the business to be open again or on hold during a phone call. Customers can send their messages over webchat, text messaging, social media, or another app and get on with their day as they wait for a response. See what it would be like to turn your website into a conversation starter by trying out the Podium webchat tool on your site.
11. Different web pages for different products.
With SEO, the more relevant keywords you can rank for, the better. This gives you more keywords you could show up on SERPs when potential clients are looking for you. It’s much easier to rank for a multitude of keywords when you have different pages for different subsections.
That’s why having separate product pages is so useful. You can focus on optimizing the relevant keywords for each product instead of trying to do it all in one. You can still have a product suite overview page that links to the different product pages, informing customers about their options. Just go into detail using keywords separately.
Dominate Your Local Market
Ready to make the most of local SEO to dominate your market and grow your small business? Podium has already helped thousands on their journey. With the tools provided as part of the Podium platform, you can manage your online reviews, whether asking for positive reviews or responding to negative ones, using our review management tool. Provide always-on communication with your customers using our omnichannel inbox for text messaging, social media, web chat, and more.
Here are just a few examples of how the Podium platform has boosted local businesses:
- Valley Roofing gathered 182 positive reviews over 24 months and has averaged a 4.9-star rating
- Mattress Firm got 148,383 new leads through webchat and achieved a 23.5% website chat conversion rate
- S&R Insurance boosted their Google Business Profile views by 72% and website traffic from their Google Business Profile by 120%
See just how much Podium tools could optimize your Google My Business listing ROI with our free calculator.
Local SEO FAQs
1. How can I do local SEO effectively?
The key is to focus on what local searchers are looking for on search engines. Research what local keywords customers in your area are using when looking for businesses like yours or associated businesses. Then optimize your website for those keywords. Make sure you have a strong Google Business Profile as well as a presence on other local directories, updating them regularly with informative content and a stream of good reviews. Finally, create content that local customers want to read. Write blogs that encompass local trends, interests, and events, collaborating with other local businesses for increased awareness and quality backlinks when possible.
2. How to do local SEO for small businesses?
Small businesses can struggle to get to the top of search engine results pages because the big-name brands have the budget and resources to dominate in SEO and paid ads. That being said, small businesses can thrive with local SEO because there’s less competition and a high traffic volume for specific keywords.
If you are a small business owner that wants to monopolize the opportunity of local SEO, do your research into local keywords, optimize your website and ongoing content, build your Google Business Profile, and get involved with your local business community for high-quality backlinks and increased name recognition.
3. What is a local SEO checklist?
When putting together a local SEO strategy for your small business. Make sure you:
- Research relevant local keywords.
- Optimize each webpage for a subset of connected keywords.
- Update your website regularly with local content such as trends, interests, and events.
- Update your Google Business Profile with your contact information, opening hours, products, and services as well as limited-time specials.
- Have an online review routine of asking customers for positive reviews and responding to any reviews you receive with professionalism and care.
- Make the most of local listing websites and the business community in your area for greater brand awareness and quality backlinks.
- Optimize your website for mobile and voice search to meet customer preferences and reduce any friction in the customer journey.
- Review your progress and make adjustments as needed.
