Using Local SEO to grow your business

Digital marketing is a critical part of your arsenal for helping your business grow. It allows you to connect with your target audience, giving them information about your business and answering their questions. Your digital marketing can also be used to make it easier for your customers to find you when they are running errands, looking for a professional, or searching for a specific service.

Let’s dive into how using local SEO can help you in connecting with your customers and achieving your business goals.

What is Local SEO?

SEO is typically the use of keywords to optimize your content for search engines. Doing so helps your content to pop up when someone types those keywords into the search engine.

Local SEO is meant to optimize content on your website for those individuals who are specifically looking for local information. It is about optimizing your website to rank better for a local audience, specifically if your business relies on local customers, such as a plumbing business or fitness center.

While it can be similar to what you practice with standard SEO, but there are a few different methods that are unique to local SEO.

Elements of Local SEO

One of the first ways to implement local SEO is to optimize for your city name and your address details. People need to know where you are located so they can find your physical business. Local searches can include geo qualifiers but isn’t always necessary.

The Google Local Pack, for instance, refers to the SERP feature containing a map, which displays any places or businesses that are related to the search. It becomes even more prominent when your search query comes from a mobile search.

Creating an Accurate NAP

Another critical part of local SEO is NAP, which stands for name, address, and phone number. Search engines take that NAP data and use it to determine what businesses they should show in a geo-targeted search. By ensuring your NAP is correct on your website and other directories, you can help to make sure your business is on the right search queries.

Keep in mind that search engines cross-reference NAP information to validate it. The larger the number of local citations of your address information you can create with consistent NAP information, the greater the confidence search engines will have in presenting that data as accurate.

To increase those local citations, be sure to list your business in any reputable directory, especially those that are industry specific or local to your area.

Be Consistent

Local SEO is most effective when you are consistent with your information, regardless of where it is found. If you change your location or if you change your hours, it is important that you update all directories and your website. When your submissions and listings are exactly same, then you increase their accuracy and validity.

Website Optimization for Local SEO

Search engines are looking for you to provide the information that your prospects are looking for and so your website needs to provide information in a clear way that will allow for your business to be promoted to a better position.

Choose keywords that your prospects know. To align your website to the way your customers are speaking and thinking about your business, you need to find the right mix of keywords and phrases that they regularly search.

Also, your website should include useful content, but make sure that it is accurate. Search engines are not looking to send people to a website filled with errors. To avoid errors creeping in, you should do regular audits of your website.

Finally, it is essential that you make sure your website is secure and mobile friendly. If people are searching while they are on the move, they want to use websites that can be viewed well on their device.

As you can see, there are a variety of methods making up the local SEO, but it can require time and consistency. To learn more about how local internet marketing services can help, contact eGlobal Web Solutions today.