Local SEO is the ranking of businesses in areas near you. If you’ve ever searched ‘best pizza place’ in both Manchester and London, you’ll notice the results are rather different. That’s because Google uses location criteria to help provide the solutions you need nearest you. Here’s how to use local SEO to your advantage.
Create Location-Specific Landing Pages
Google’s local SEO rankings are determined by local page popularity and the use of localised content. Creating location-specific landing pages on your website can help draw in individuals searching for your specific service in the local area. Be sure to incorporate popular keywords, like your location and services, e.g., pizzas in Manchester. Ensure your landing pages are value-added pieces and aren’t just keyword-stuffed to avoid them having the opposite effect and looking like spam.
Have A Google Business Profile Listing
With a Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business, you can create a Google profile for your business that helps it to be found on Google Search or Google Maps. You can add your business URL, telephone number, address, business hours, images and links to reservation or appointment services. It also allows customers to leave reviews, which will directly feed back into your local SEO rankings on Google. When creating a description of your business, be sure to use searchable keywords that clearly outline your business and where it operates.
Improve Your Local Citations
Mentions of your business’s name, address or phone number online are known as local citations. They might appear on social media, your website, or on your Google My Business page. Improving access to your local citations online can also help customers easily find your business. It is also believed to increase your local SEO rankings. Review your internal links to ensure reaching your local SEO is simple (like a Contact Us page on your site). You can also work on fostering inbound links from reputable sites based on your local citations.
Create Value-Added Local Content
When creating value-added local content, you need to create local content that is helpful to your customers. Leverage data from your analytics to determine what your customers want to see and focus on providing relevant information based on your local area. You could partner with other local businesses to achieve this, which would also help build trusted inbound links using your local citations.
Use Local Data Aggregators
Local Data aggregators are sites that compile information and pass it on to users. Popular local aggregators are Foursquare, Data Axle and Neustar Localeze. Registering with a local data aggregator is a must if you are an independent business looking to boost your local SEO. They help reduce where you need to update your data, minimising the risk of inaccuracies. Incorrect local citations can impact your local SEO, so it’s important to minimise the amount of manual input and overall errors.
Work With A Local SEO Agency
A local SEO agency like Distribute Digital can help you with your Search Engine Optimisation. Save time you can invest back into your business and gain a local SEO partner you can trust. Want to find out more? Contact Distribute Digital today for advice on how to manage your local SEO.
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