Local SEO marketing involves tactics to get the local area interested in your business. So if you follow these 5 tips, you'll be a local SEO expert in no time.
If you are a business owner with a website, you've probably heard a lot about SEO in recent years. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the method that website owners use to get online attention.
Using SEO techniques, content creators and web developers "speak" to a search engine like Google or Bing and tell it what your website is all about.
But SEO is just the beginning. If your business primarily serves customers in your local community, showing up on the front page of a search on the other side of the country probably isn't your primary goal. That's where advice from a local SEO expert can help.
If Your Customers are Local, You Need a Local SEO Expert
Local SEO is all about helping your local customers find you when they search for a product or service online.
Local SEO is especially important for reaching your customers when they are in town and searching for you using their mobile devices. If you operate a local business, you need local SEO.
So, are you ready to go local?
Here are 5 tips that will make your local SEO deliver:
1. Claim your spot. Google My Business is an essential first step in managing your local SEO presence. Using the easy Google My Business portal, you can enter your business details, including hours of operation and phone number.
Then, your business will be accurately displayed on Google Search and Maps.
2. Check your deets. Speaking of accuracy, it is important to check the accuracy of your business information. Every piece of content you create should display your organization's name, address, and phone number (NAP) the same way.
Decide how you want to format your information (dashes, parenthesis, abbreviations, etc.). Then, create a style guide so that everyone in your company uses the same format.
Once you've made your style decisions, conduct a citation audit to ensure that your NAP information is up to date and consistent across all your communication channels.
3. Get listed. In recent years, directories have gotten a bad rap. Some websites were filled with nothing but other business listings and website links.
The purpose of these "directories" was to convince search engines that the listed businesses were legitimate. This practice no longer fools the search engines, making those spam directories a bad bet.
But, not all directories are created equal. Google and other search engines are clever enough to recognize useful directories such as those that list local businesses. Tourism boards, local newspapers and other directories are important to your local visibility. So get yourself listed where it counts.
4. Map it. When it comes to catching consumers on the go ease of use is essential. Shoppers use their mobile phones to find exactly what they want when they want it. Make sure your customers can find you fast by including a map of your location on your website.
5. Reviews rule. Google lists them. Consumers rely on them. Getting reviews boosts your visibility and your conversion rate. If you haven't encouraged your patrons to review your business in the past, start doing so now.
Responding to feedback is important, too. Create a reputation management plan for your business that includes guidelines for responding to unhappy customers.
Enlist the Help of Experts
Managing your business and your website can be difficult. Fortunately, you have experienced industry professionals that you can call on to lend a hand.
Whether you need marketing and brand management assistance or the advice of a local SEO expert, the Overflow Local team can help. Just give us a call and let us show you what we can do for your business.