We are asked often by SMB’s about what is a Local SEO and how can it be helpful for my business? So, we thought of writing this blog which answers the definition of a Local SEO, its importance, steps to apply local SEO for your business, and how to rank on Google using the Local SEO strategy.

What’s a Local SEO?

Local SEO which is also referred to as Local Search marketing is an incredibly effective search engine optimization strategy that helps your business to be more visible on Google for local search results. Local SEO strategies basically help in the online marketing of your business by promoting various products and services to the customers in your area at the very moment that they are looking for them. It is achieved through a range of methods some of which might vary greatly from what’s practiced in the case of standard SEO. 

Importance of Local SEO 

46% of all the searches on Google are Local. On average 89% of people search for a local business on their phone at least once a week with 58% people searching daily. This renders that as a business if your Local SEO is not in order, you are missing out on an opportunity each time someone is searching for some relevant product or services. “Near me” searches have seen 150% faster growth than traditional, local-based searches. 74% of the local searches or “Near me” searches result in the same day visit to the store. 

Steps to get your business listed on Google Local?

You should prioritize setting up your Google My Business page as that’s the first step towards Local SEO strategy. If you are an established business, there’s a chance that your business will already exist on the directory of Google My Business. In that case, you will have to claim for it. New businesses and new locations have to be added to GMB. Follow these steps for listing your business on Google My Business:

1. Go to “Google My Business” and click on “Get On Google”.
2. Enter your business name as well as the address in the search bar.
3. If the listing already has your business name and address, click and select it. In case it is not present, you have to select “Add your business” and provide the pieces of information such as the name and the address of your business.
4. Near the bottom of the form, you have to choose a category that best defines your type of business. Google already has a set of categories or keywords present to define the type of your business. Start typing your keyword and see if google has a match for it already and then select the best one. You will be able to add more categories(up to 5) later. 
5. Then you have to wait for 1 to 2 weeks for a postcard with a verification PIN. This is done to verify if your business is located in the same geographic area entered by you. At times you might be given an option to receive your PIN through text messages or an automated phone call. You can prefer this option too as it is faster and more convenient.
6. Once you receive your PIN, confirm your business.
   

How to rank business using Local SEO Strategy

Local SEO also works the same as that of normal Google searches i.e. when someone searches for something on Google, it scans through its index to provide the best results relevant to the person’s search. Local SEO strategy optimizes a website in order to increase traffic, leads as well as brand awareness by using a different set of ranking factors to rank the local search results.

Gain instant visibility with GMB

The search engine market share of Google tops the chart boasting 86% of desktop and 95% of total mobile searches. Hence GMB plays an instrumental role in driving customers to a local business. Listing your business with GMB can be very helpful in increasing the instant search visibility of your business operating in that locality.

Optimize your GMB profile 

Optimizing your GMB profile refers to providing as much information possible about your business. The more the information provided, the easier it will be for the Search Engines to refer to your business for the relevant keyword related queries. 

NAP details

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. Search Engines will verify your business details with third-party citations thus making it crucial for users to receive the correct information. 

Explore all the category options

GMB already offers a list of categories for listing your business. You need to choose the categories that are most suitable for your business. It is recommended to check periodically for new categories to enhance the accuracy of your listing.

Keyword optimization

The strongest ranking factor on google is on-page optimization. Hence the right usage of keywords is recommended. Using the relevant keywords in the name of the business will always get you results. 

Use citations to build your local presence

A structured citation is an essential element in Local SEO. It serves 2 purposes i.e. to validate your business information for search engines as well as to provide additional targeted traffic. 

• List your business in well-known directories: You should list your business with the largest and relevant directories in your city or region. This will help you in getting more traffic to your website and more coverage from relevant citations. These major directories will serve as a source of information for many smaller yet relevant directories. Your business information will be distributed to several other directories which will be essential for establishing the validity and credibility of your local business.
• Search for niche and local directories: Search for directories that are niche-specific and location-specific for improving your sources of traffic. Enhance your profile of citations by getting a few links from directories that come under your niche and location. This helps in increasing the relevancy of your website. 

Establish your content strategy 

It is important to have an exceptional content strategy for your website as the content will serve as a resource for your clients. Educational or informative content produces 3 times as many leads as that of paid ads. You have to publish both informative as well as Local SEO content for more appearing more on relevant localized searches. 

• Single location business: It is beneficial to optimize your services or product pages for appearing in city-specific searches. Using location as a part of your keyword and embedding geo modifiers in your URLs and titles if your business is focused on one location is one of the best Local SEO strategies.
• Business with multiple service areas: In the case of city-specific searches, you have to publish location pages to target the areas you want your business to appear. For businesses with multiple service areas, location pages should have unique content and NAP details for each location.
• Publish content for each level of the marketing funnel: The most important part of your site content is the bottom of the funnel page as it urges the visitors to make a purchase. Focus on initial content strategy i.e. to publish mid-funnel content that targets longtail keywords. Use long tail high volume keywords that convert at a higher rate to beat your competition. 
• Publish local content: On an average 17% of businesses post to GMB weekly. Your Local SEO strategy should include regular posts on Google My Business to increase the relevance of your location. 

Local Link Building 

Every business should focus on having an effective link building strategy. Especially for local businesses, it’s extremely necessary to have a backlink profile that’s primarily made up of directory links and profile links. It helps in demonstrating the evidence of relevance to your industry and city. 

• Build domain authority with linkable assets: Focus on publishing content that is linkable as well as an insightful resource for both clients and amplifiers(people most likely to ink your site). Link building becomes much easier with linkable and shareable content. To enhance your domain authority, you can also publish guest posts, submit press releases, and reach out to authority sites in your niche for linking to the inner pages of your website.
• Increase local ranking power with local links: Local links which are also considered as unstructured citations are considered to be the most powerful when it comes to localized search results. Local links can come from various sources such as local business, local newspapers, local chambers of commerce as well as any local events site.

Review Management

The reviews on your business have an influence on an individual’s decision on choosing your services or products. For any local business, review management remains one of the topmost priorities to improve search visibility. A good review strategy should be inclusive of ways for getting more Google Reviews as well as reviews on review sites that get search visibility for related keywords. 

Conclusion ‍

18% of Local mobile searches lead to sales on the same day.  Getting local relevant traffic is what is a Local SEO is helpful for. Climbing the SERPs can be tough if you are a small business but you cannot miss out on opportunities that Local SEO strategy has to offer. With the ever-increasing competition, you need to specialize in your areas of expertise. Local SEO strategies use location to leverage more opportunities and promote long term advancement and growth in your industry. You can make use of the aforementioned guidelines to outrank authority sites and get high converting traffic.

If you're looking to hire a seasoned SEO company in India, please feel fee to reach out to us here. You can also drop an email to hello@chammach.agency.