Most small businesses function on a regional level, depending on local SEO as the main factor that leads them to success. Local SEO techniques emphasize the search engine result pages specific to a location, while national SEO focuses on an entire country.
The local SEO strategy is heavily dependent on service marketing, products, as well as branding to attract and target local clients. The aim of this approach is to create more leads and increase engagement with current customers.
SEO – How Important it is
Search engines enable people to find any information they need promptly and effortlessly. For instance, Octopart.com, a search engine meant for electronic parts, makes it possible to find electronic elements in an organized way, either by label or by distributor or manufacturer.
Now, translate this example into your business. To get a better idea of how vital SEO is today, here are some of the latest stats:
- 79 percent of all desktop searches are conducted on Google
- There are more than 63,000 searches per second on Google, daily
- Google likes link building and high-quality content
- SEO is increasing as per recent reports
- 72 percent of internet users who conducted a local search, also made a purchase
A fully maximized local SEO techniques imply more conversions, leads, website traffic, and valuable proposals, as it gives you the edge over your competition and even bigger brands.
To improve your local SEO and get the maximum benefits out of your online marketing and advertising, there are a few steps you must follow.
Local SEO Techniques To Improve Your Business’s Online Presence
Add your Brand on Google My Business
To improve the local SEO, you need to create an account on Google My Business. With this approach, you will get an online business presence on Google for free, with a placement of your business on Google Maps as well.
By adding your business here, it will show up in all search results on all devices. Also, if your business is legal and reliable, it will level up in ranks on the web browser and appear in the sidebar space of a Google search.
As soon as you’ve optimized the account on Google My Business, encourage your clients to write reviews of your business. Respond with sincerity to your customer reviews and use Google Post to deliver content and engage your current clients.
Ask for Feedback
The best promoter of your business is satisfied customers. If you get positive reviews regularly, you can exponentially grow the number of your followers, which will make your business soar. A widely known fact is that mouth-to-mouth promotion is the most effective way to gain new customers.
Besides, positive reviews make local people buy your products and try your services. Customers take online reviews very seriously, considering it a source of personal recommendations. The best way to ask for a review is every time you close a sale. You can also send a post-acquisition email to the buyer, asking for a review.
Voice Search Optimization
Voice search is a continually increasing trend now, and it is due to subjugate the Internet completely. You can now take a step further ahead of the game and win over your competitors by optimizing your local SEO for voice search. Once optimized, all mobile users can find your business in seconds by simply using a voice search.
It is essential to mention that you need to adjust your content SEO for the keywords your clients will use when searching your business by voice. Ensure you got out all the vital information about your business when maximizing it for voice search.
Mobile SEO
Most consumers are searching on the web using their smartphones. Now, the whole SEO effort, local, national, or international, depends heavily on mobile optimization. To make your business skyrocket here is how to optimize it for mobile phones:
- Ensure a quick loading time
- Use larger fonts – it makes your content easy to scan and more readable
- Deliver only the most significant information by using copy and images moderately
- Provide an intuitive, user-friendly interface for a great user experience
The Bottom Line
Because SEO keeps changing and improving, it also alters the way online business functions. Google is now mandating new standards and incorporates new features at a rather high speed. Due to this, local SEO techniques have never been more significant when it comes to your business’s online presence.