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A good SEO strategy is imperative for any business striving to stand out in search engines. But for the brick-and-mortar store that depends on local customers to survive, it’s local SEO that makes all the difference.
Because? Because effective local SEO efforts are essential to dominate local search rankings and outperform competitors in your area. They provide the visibility boost your small business needs to reach a motivated local audience, potential buyers who are eager and ready to spend their money now.
If you’re investing time and money in local search optimization but still having trouble getting your brand above the fold, it might be time to make some changes. Here are some local SEO tips to boost your local business marketing strategy and put your small business on the map.
Claim and control your Google My Business listing
Want to get Google’s attention? If your goal is to gain traction on “near me” and other local Google searches, claiming your Google My Business listing is often the best place to start.
As a search engine’s own local business tool, Google My Business (or Google Business Profile as it’s now known) offers a distinct advantage over other local search features: automatic authenticity.
Once you’ve verified your business and claimed your Google My Business page, you have an online profile that Google instantly recognizes as authentic, providing a foundation of credibility that is likely to increase your profile’s visibility in Google’s local search results.
Claim Your Google My Business also gives you basic administrative control of your profile, allowing you to upload photos; update your contact information, company description and hours of operation; and manage online ratings and reviews across the platform.
Not only does this support your local SEO ranking efforts, but it also helps you improve your customer experience and drive more traffic to your website.
For brick-and-mortar businesses, managing the GMB can also have a significant local SEO advantage when it comes to Google Maps. A property of Google and a popular local business search tool, Google Maps gives potential customers an engaging, in-depth view of your business pulled directly from your GMB profile. At the very least, optimizing your GMB profile is sure to have a positive impact on your Google Maps display, making it easier for potential customers to locate and contact your business quickly.
Related: How to set up ‘Google My Business’ for your small business
Update your business listings information
Inconsistent information in online business directories can be a killer for your local search presence. This is because incorrect and incomplete NAP details (name, address and phone number), profile misspellings, and even minor typos make it difficult for Google to know what information to trust. When Google can’t verify which information is correct, it’s likely to affect your local rankings, hurting your online visibility for valuable local keywords.
It can be a tedious process at times, but claiming and updating your business name, location, and contact details on online business directories and review sites is crucial to creating the brand alignment that the local algorithm does. Google is looking. Ensuring accurate and consistent listings on online directories and major platforms like Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor (if applicable), BBB and others is critical to improving your position in organic search results.
Updating your information on niche analytics platforms and local directories can also help improve your local SEO, increasing your ranking and credibility on critical local search pages. Often appearing among the major platforms and just below Google’s coveted three-pack, these local listings offer a great opportunity to increase visibility across the local community. Optimizing your business listing on local sites helps strengthen your authority with search engines and certainly doesn’t hurt your position for locally relevant keywords.
Optimize your content for local search
Optimized content is the heart and soul of any SEO strategy. Quality blogs, articles and landing pages are what drive engagement and drive traffic to your website, signaling to search engines that your brand is relevant and providing information people want to see.
But if you are a local business owner and you want to reach customers in your area, creating a local content strategy is essential. Local businesses that create local content, creating blogs and landing pages that target the interests and needs of local customers, not only improve their relevance to “near me” and hyperlocal search queries, but also reinforce and strengthen their position among competitors. by the local package and precious local search space.
In other words, the more authentic and high-quality local SEO content your business targets local audiences, the more opportunities you create to link and drive users to your site. And those higher traffic rates often translate to greater domain authority, better rankings, and a more dominant business presence in searches with local intent.
No matter your business category, it’s vital to infuse your local SEO strategies with content created with location research in mind. Creating content based on local keyword research and centered around local news, events and profiles provides an excellent opportunity to get your foot in the door and build a presence that targets more local searchers (and local leads) to important keywords. of the sector.
Related: 10 Fundamentals to Understand SEO
Create location pages on your website
For local businesses with multiple physical locations, creating unique location pages can be an effective way to boost local SEO. Original and detailed pages dedicated to multiple locations and including accurate NAP and location information are powerful local SEO tools, helping you to signal to the Google search engine that you belong in local results.
With every new location page comes a new online asset to rank on local pages and connect customers to your website. Combining these location-specific pages with a broader contact page — complete with a Google map of each store location — can provide an even greater local SEO boost that turns your site into a local search magnet.
If you choose to add unique location pages to your website, please ensure that the contact and location details for each unique storefront are accurate and in line with other listings on the web. It also helps to make each unique phone number clickable on mobile devices. Not only does this improve the customer experience, it also makes it easier for them to reach your business at a critical point in the buyer’s journey.
Related: How to make your small business website really, really effective
Incorporating a few local SEO tips into your larger digital marketing strategy can sometimes make a big difference, putting your business at the fingertips of a highly motivated local market. But as with anything SEO, it’s important to keep an eye out for new developments and be ready to adjust your strategy when the time is right.
What are the most common SEO mistakes?
Common SEO Mistakes
- Slow website speed. …
- Bad reviews on Google. …
- Defective Google My Business verification code. …
- Lack of site-specific pages. …
- Duplicate content. …
- Broken images and missing alt texts. …
- Outdated content and information on the website. …
- Not optimizing your site for mobile devices.
What are common on-page SEO mistakes in 2021? Focusing only on On-Site SEO. Neglecting page titles and meta descriptions. Not performing regular site audits. Leaving old URL structures in place when redesigning a website.
Why is SEO not dead?
SEO isn’t dead, it’s just changing. Sure, click-through rates are dropping and Google keeps tweaking its algorithm, but that’s to be expected. Google made this so you can easily target your ideal customer through SEO or paid ads. It used to be a lot harder before they came along.
Is SEO a waste of money?
SEO is not dead. It’s not a waste of money if and when it’s done correctly. The grass is no longer green on the other side; it’s greener where it’s been watered. If you take care of your website, it will take care of you!
Can you still make money from SEO? The simple answer is that SEO can be a great way to earn a decent living, and as long as you have the skills to scale an SEO practice, the sky is the limit. These days, there are many ways to make money online: from building an e-commerce website to creating a blog to promote products and services.
Is SEO worth it in 2020?
While some traditional marketing methods may be becoming obsolete, SEO is here to stay in 2020. Whether you invested in SEO early on or are just starting out, it can still be a huge traffic and leads booster for your website.
Is SEO a good career in 2020?
So yes, SEO can be an amazing career choice today, especially if you are passionate about all things internet. Remember that you will need to keep learning and mastering your skills all the time as search engines keep improving their algorithms all the time.
Is SEO worth having?
SEO is worth it if you have the right strategy and work with a partner who knows how to get results. About 93% of online experiences start with a search engine, and the lead closing rate of SEO is much higher than that of traditional marketing. Therefore, SEO offers an impressive return on investment (ROI).
Is it worth paying for SEO?
SEO is worth it if you have the right strategy and work with a partner who knows how to get results. About 93% of online experiences start with a search engine, and the lead closing rate of SEO is much higher than that of traditional marketing. Therefore, SEO offers an impressive return on investment (ROI).
Is SEO still relevant in 2021?
Make no mistake: SEO is not dying, but it is evolving much more than it was years ago. If you’re debating whether or not to invest in SEO for your business, read on to learn why SEO isn’t dying – but actually thriving – in 2021.
Is SEO really necessary?
SEO is made up of several elements, and knowing what they are and how they work is key to understanding why SEO is so important. In short, SEO is crucial because it makes your website more visible, and that means more traffic and more opportunities to convert prospects into customers.
Is SEO still worth it in 2021?
The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not just for generating traffic, but also for leads and sales. Do not worry. The long answer includes search and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs get very stuck on specific search metrics like SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
Is SEO worth it 2022?
Local SEO will thrive in search results: Local SEO will be effective in online marketing in 2022 and even if the pandemic is gone, studies and research say that people prefer to work and study from home and will likely do so even after the pandemic.
Is SEO dead in 2021?
Make no mistake: SEO is not dying, but it is evolving much more than it was years ago. If you’re debating whether or not to invest in SEO for your business, read on to learn why SEO isn’t dying – but actually thriving – in 2021.
How is local SEO different from SEO?
Here’s the difference. While traditional SEO focuses on improving your site’s visibility on a national or global scale, local SEO allows you to capture local search territory to connect with searchers in your area. SEO and local SEO use many of the same strategies.
Does the site do SEO? Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving search engine visibility for local businesses, particularly those with physical locations. By following local SEO best practices, companies can improve organic traffic from searches performed by customers in nearby areas.
Is local SEO easier?
Local SEO is almost always cheaper than national SEO because there is less competition for local keywords and you will be targeting a smaller audience than if you were using a national keyword. In many ways, local SEO is easier to conceptualize, implement, and manage than national SEO.
Which is better local SEO or paid search?
SEO is also more effective for local searches and can increase your online presence longer. Pay per click (PPC), on the other hand, is an acquisition strategy that requires you to spend money on ads to get your content in front of an audience when they search for specific keywords online.
Is SEO the same as paid search?
Paid search targets those looking for keywords related to your business through ads on the search engine results page (SERP). SEO, on the other hand, ensures that your website, content, and social profiles are ready to rank well in organic search results.
Does paid search help SEO?
While PPC does not directly affect SEO, it does indirectly help you improve your SEO campaigns. By investing in PPC and SEO, you will help create a cohesive marketing campaign that will grow your business.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps your business to be more visible in local search results on Google. Any business that has a physical location or serves a geographic area can benefit from local SEO.
What is local SEO vs SEO?
While traditional SEO focuses on improving your site’s visibility on a national or global scale, local SEO allows you to capture local search territory to connect with searchers in your area. SEO and local SEO use many of the same strategies.
Why do I need local SEO?
Local SEO helps your business stand out – even if you don’t have a website – and helps drive more traffic to your premises through online leads. Since these leads are from people who are specifically researching products or services your business offers, they are likely to provide a high conversion rate as well.
Does SEO pay well?
Does SEO pay well? People who fall under the umbrella title of SEO Specialist can earn anywhere from $55,000 to $80,000. For more junior positions like SEO researchers, salary ranges from $30,000 to $60,000 and $35,000 to $75,000 for content writers.
How Much Money Can You Make on SEO? How much do SEOs earn? The average SEO professional earned $81,103 in 2018, which is an increase from 2017. Agencies and freelancers earn an average of $1,779 per client each month, an increase of $109 in a year. Freelance and agency SEOs charge their clients an average of $119 per hour.
Is SEO a good career?
SEO is an excellent career choice if you are passionate about digital marketing and ‘all things internet’. It is certainly a career of continuous learning and development, great potential for financial reward and appeal to those with a competitive bent.
Is SEO a good career in 2020?
So yes, SEO can be an amazing career choice today, especially if you are passionate about all things internet. Remember that you will need to keep learning and mastering your skills all the time as search engines keep improving their algorithms all the time.
Do SEO jobs pay well?
Most Common Benefits The average salary of an SEO specialist is $60,909 per year in California. 109 salaries reported, as of March 5, 2022.
Is SEO in high demand?
Is SEO a growing field? Yes, SEO is a growing field, with SEO and digital marketing skills still in great demand. According to LinkedIn, there were more than 47,000 job openings that matched the keyword “SEO” in 2019 alone, and with the rise of 2020 digitization, those numbers are likely to increase.
Are SEO jobs in demand?
SEO professionals are in high demand as companies need search optimization to compete in most niches.
Is SEO a good career in 2020?
So yes, SEO can be an amazing career choice today, especially if you are passionate about all things internet. Remember that you will need to keep learning and mastering your skills all the time as search engines keep improving their algorithms all the time.
Do SEO jobs pay well?
Most Common Benefits The average salary of an SEO specialist is $60,909 per year in California. 109 salaries reported, as of March 5, 2022.
Are SEO jobs in demand?
SEO professionals are in high demand as companies need search optimization to compete in most niches.
Is SEO a hard job?
SEO just isn’t as difficult as people pretend it is; you can get 95% of the effort with 5% of the work, and you absolutely do not need to hire an SEO professional to do this, nor will it be difficult to start ranking for well-chosen keyword terms.