How to Improve your SEO As a Local Business?

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is one of the newest and most important concepts in the digital marketing world. The world of SEO revolves around optimizing your website, browser, and other online and digital presences you or your business has in order to boost its ranking in search engines such as Google or Bing. This is done in a variety of ways, typically through the usage of things like keywords or utilizing specific web design practices which can influence your overall SEO ranking. As a local business, your SEO ranking is important. If you’re on top of the lists, your customers are more likely to stop by and spend money. So let’s get down to the tips you need to improve your SEO ranking as a local business.

Utilize Google My Business

Using Google My Business is typically the first step most businesses take when attempting to improve their SEO ranking. It helps you not only rank higher on Google maps, but by registering your Google My Business account and providing details related to your business such as photos, your address, phone numbers, and hours; you provide your customers with quick and easy information so they can get to your location and start spending money. Additionally, just by having a Google My Business account; your sites SEO ranking is automatically raised. You can even use Google My Business in order to post about special events or new products.

Use Review Sites Pragmatically

A bad review can make or break your business. You need to be proactive and pragmatic when it comes to reviews related to your business. For one, 85% of customers believe online reviews are just as important as personal recommendations from friends or family. This means your review page needs to strike a good first impression. The best way to do this is to be active and respond respectively to each review, whether the feedback is positive or negative. You need to show your customers you use their feedback to better your business, as this helps to build trust between you and your customers and makes them feel heard as well.

Make your Content Locally Relevent

Whether it’s making a funny meme related to a viral news story, or offering discounts and free items during tough times for your community; by relating your business to the goings on and events of your area, you remind your customers you are party of their local community and experiencing a life similar to theirs everyday. This grabs your customers attention like nothing else, and makes them feel as though your business knows them on a personal level and can meet their needs. Additionally, by using this hyperlocal content; you raise your own local SEO ranking and boost your engagements.

Optimizing your Site for Mobile Users

Mobile users are one of your most important audience segments when it comes to your SEO ranking. Mobile phones account for roughly 75% of all searches made online, and this is expected to raise each year as the technology advances and grows in scope and size. This means your website needs to be optimized for mobile screens and processors. You’ll want to make sure things load quickly, that your font is easy to read, and that you use things like image and text sparringly so as not to take up large amounts of the mobile screen. Sites with better mobile optimization typically rank much higher in their overall SEO ranking than those without.

Utilize Local Keywords

Remember earlier when we mentioned that keywords are important to your SEO ranking? By using local keywords, you’re more likely to reach local customers. Google offers their Keyword Planner service, which allows you to filter the keyword searches of your location to help you adn your business discover which search terms are most popular in your area. By including these keywords in your tags, copy, and website and social media in general, you help to capture market segments and improve your SEO rank.

List your Locations on your Website

If your business has more than one location, or has franchised itself to different areas of Canada or parts of the world; it’s important to have a page listing all of your locations on your website. Include your store hours, name and address with phone number, testimonials, premotions, and the map and parking availability of these locations on your site. This allows you to help customers not only find your business in their specific area, but also improves your SEO ranking for multiple geographic areas at once by providing the neccessary information for locals to find you.

Advertise in Online Business Directions

Websites such as Yelp, Foursquare, MapQuest, and YellowPages are great ways to advertise your business and in turn create more engagements for your businesses SEO . By including yourself in these directories, it raises your web impressions as well. Be sure to provide a backlink to your site and social media, a thorough business description, and an accurate listing of your business name, address, and phone number.

You can also refer to our SEO Service Page:

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