5 Ways to Improve Your Local SEO Right Now

by Emma L. Business consultant

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According to research studies, 46% of all Google users are looking for local businesses.

Moreover, 72% of customers that performed a local search visited a store within five miles.

To collect information for local search, Google relies on a wide range of signals, such as social media accounts, backlinks, citations, customer reviews, and local content. That way, it provides users with relevant local results.

To increase visibility in local search, businesses need to invest in local SEO.

Local SEO is the process of boosting visibility on Google for brick-and-mortar stores.

In this article, we cover several effective ways to boost brand visibility in local search.

Claim your Google My Business Listings

Google focuses on sharing content it can analyze, support, and verify. And, Google My Business is its starting point. That is why you need to optimize your GMB listings.

For starters, claim and verify Google My Business page. When entering data, make sure it is consistent. Everything you enter into your GMB listing should match your website, social networks, and other NAP citations around the web. That way, Google will perceive you as a legit business and boost your appearance in local searches.

Also, make sure you fill in every data point. Add your business name, address, phone number, accessibility, amenities, products/services, website, etc. That is the opportunity to optimize your GMB page for more keywords, too. You should also upload photos to build trust with your target audiences.

Finally, encourage customers to rate and review your business. Whether positive or negative, customer reviews indicate brand transparency. To improve customer experiences and help them solve problems, you can respond to their reviews from your GMB dashboard.

Search for Local Keywords

Apart from traditional keyword research tools, many alternative channels may help you identify the hottest local keywords.

One of them is Yelp. All you have to do is search for a keyword that customers in your area may use to find your physical store. Next, read through the suggested results. You will see a bunch of relevant keyword suggestions. The best thing about Yelp is that the platform often shows keywords that do not contain the term you searched for. For instance, if you look for “Chinese food,” it will also show results for “Asian food.”

Google Suggest is similar to Yelp. To get relevant results, you need to google phrases your local customers would use.

Another factor to keep in mind is local voice searches. With the number of wearable devices and voice assistants, this type of search is growing at an astonishing pace. According to Google, 20% of all Google searches done on mobile are voice-driven.

The main difference between text-based and voice searches is that the latter ones are more natural. As such, they tend to be longer. Users can now communicate with voice assistants by using sentences and asking questions. For example, instead of “shoe store Sydney,” they will google something like “find me shoe stores in Sydney that are open right now.”

You also need to optimize your website for phrases voice searchers use. Some of them are “near me” or “open right now.” If you are not sure where to start, consider hiring a local agency. For example, Australian organizations such as Green Square Health or the City of Sydney choose to hire an SEO agency from Sydney that understands their local audiences.

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Build Links on Local Websites

Link building is one of the most significant SEO tactics. Just like it works for non-local companies, it also benefits local businesses, such as dentists, sports stores, and pizza shops. Given that, it is not surprising that 89% of local SEO professionals prioritize link building for their local business clients.

Most importantly, as a local business, you have many link-building opportunities non-local businesses cannot tap into.

For starters, find relevant and authoritative local websites that accept blog posts. These could be local community sites, industry news sites, and event sites. Write quality, informative, and data-backed articles that will grab local audiences’ attention and improve their perception of your brand.

Another effective link-building tactic is sponsoring local events to get links from their websites. That also helps you increase brand awareness, gain customer trust, and earn press.

By offering scholarships to local students, you may gain high-authority backlinks from websites with .edu and .gov domains.

Appear in Local Business Directories

Apart from Google My Business, local business directories also serve as an invaluable local ranking signal. That is why you need to identify data aggregators in your industry and country and register on them.

For example, some of the most popular business directories are:

Yelp
Bing
Trip Advisor
Factual
Foursquare

As mentioned above, data consistency is your priority. Make sure your citations are up-to-date and consistent. Any discrepancies, such as misspellings, outdated phone numbers, or wrong addresses, may harm user perceptions of your brand. Above all, they may compromise your rankings since Google cannot determine which business information is correct.

Produce Relevant Local Content

Google continues to get smarter. Therefore, producing generic and keyword-rich content does not cut it anymore. Irrespective of their size, businesses need to write for users, not Google's spiders.

To narrow your focus, write about industry-specific and local news to attract the right people.

For example, you can cover local industry gatherings and news. Write educational content, such as articles or guides that will deliver value to your target users. That way, users will perceive you as a credible information source and come back. For you, that is an opportunity to engage local audiences and convert them into paying customers faster.

Most importantly, make sure your content is optimized for local searches. Add high-volume local keywords to your URLs, titles, headers, meta descriptions, and body.

Over to You

Sure, there is no one-size-fits-all local SEO strategy for your business to apply. However, the tips mentioned above, such as local keyword targeting or local link building, may serve as your solid starting point. Sure, you will need to tailor them to your company’s needs and keep testing their effectiveness.

Now, it is your turn. Which local SEO tactic do you want to try first? We are listening!