Best Local Seo Practices That Stood The Test Of Time

The art of local SEO is constantly progressing with new tactics and techniques spawning every year. And yet, there are certain processes and platforms that remain relevant in optimizing a business’s local search presence. The best local SEO services strategies outlined below have been considered local SEO best practices for last 5+ years, and you can expect them to remain that way for many years to come.

Establish Your Company’s “Google My Business”

Aside from having a well-optimized website, the most important web property for local SEO is its Google My Business page. Once called Google Places pages and later Google+ Local pages, Google My Business pages are the listings that appear in the local 3-pack search results shown with the map. 

These coveted listings are reserved to only three businesses in which Google views to be the most authoritative and relevant. As a result, these search results provide exclusive marketing real estate for any local business trying to optimize its web presence.

Implement Local SEO Best Practices On Your Site

The next best local seo services include simply using the right words on your site, and in the right places. You’re geographic keyword target should be a given. However, you may want to do some research if you don’t know your primary keyword target. Visit the Google Keyword Planner to find the keywords that best match your business and SEO goals.

Once you’ve defined your keywords, you’ll want to be sure to include them in specific areas of your site. Using an example, let’s pretend you a litigation attorney that practices In Orange County, California. 

After researching keywords, you’ve pinpointed “personal injury lawyer” to be the primary keyword target the best reflects your firm. When optimizing your homepage, you include these keywords in the page’s:

• Page Title – (Example: Joe Donner, PLC | Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer)

• Meta Description – (Example: Consult Nashville personal injury lawyer, Joe Donner, PLC, for over 15 years experience serving as leading litigation attorney in Orange County, CA.)

• Page Copy – (Mention both the primary and geographic keywords in the page copy and in close proximity. Doing so in headers can also help be advantageous for local SEO.)

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to on-site best local SEO services.

Get Listed On Directories, Social Media, & Other Sites

While the last best practice is focal to on-site SEO, this next vital strategy centers on cultivating a presence on other websites. It’s the ongoing practice of getting listing on reputable directories, social media networks, and other related sites (particularly those with local relevancy.)

The process focuses building citations, which are signals Google uses to evaluate businesses and determine its local search results. 

Citations are simply mentions of a business’ name, address, and phone number, and this information is the criteria Google uses to assess a business’ credibility and worthiness to rank. 

Ensuring your citations are accurate and consistently referenced will increase your businesses ranking capabilities in the Google local 3-pack.

There are several of other variables that Google uses to determine its local 3-pack listings.