If you’ve heard about SEO, then there’s a likelihood that you’ve also heard about Local SEO. And just like SEO, the principle and practice of local search engine optimization are pretty similar. However, the only difference lies in the customer segmentation and location prospects of the business. And with Local SEO being the backbone of improving your business’s local outreach, it’s essential to have the edge over your competitors.
The best way to do this is through improving your Local SEO right now. With the help of the best Local SEO agency of 2022, here are ten ways you can improve your local SEO.
Keyword Research
The foundation of any excellent SEO strategy is keyword research. And this is no different with Local SEO. Keyword research helps you identify what your customers need. It also gives you a general idea of what your competitors are doing to get ahead. However, for local SEO, your keyword research has to be completely focused on your location.
You can use a tool like KWFinder to help you find keywords that best suit your business and its location. When starting your research, try to think like your potential client. Ask questions like, what would your customer search for? What would they type in when trying to find a product or service like yours? And with the right local keywords on your website, you increase your business’s visibility.
Optimize your Meta Tags with Keywords
Another way you can improve your site’s Local SEO is by optimizing your Meta tags with local keywords. Search engines use your meta description to understand your website pages. However, ensure that you place the local keywords in your meta descriptions and title tags throughout your website pages as naturally as possible.
Forced keywords can cause search engines to rank your website poorly. Naturally, placing your keywords makes it easy for your local searchers to easily find your pages. They can also quickly access the information they require.
Create Quality Content
The content you create for your social media channels and blog should have a local focus and be informative. Don’t just write about regular topics; try to write about your local events or even the history of your business. You can also try to cross-link your content with other local businesses to help improve your SEO.
Optimize for GMB
Another excellent method to immediately improve your local SEO is optimizing your Google My Business for local searches. Creating a Google My Business is free, and you get the opportunity to promote and manage your products and services. However, ensure that you:
- Provide up-to-date and accurate information
- Verify your listing
- Include your hours of operation, payment methods, your logo, among others
- Respond to customer reviews
Optimize your HTML Tags
Search engines like Google follow SEO principles and guidelines. One such guideline is the use of HTML tags. Ensure that the HTML tags you incorporate are relative to your business and brand.
Mobile-Friendly Website
Smartphones have become a part of our daily lives. This means that more people are using their mobile phones to google for services and locations. It’s, therefore, essential to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly, as this will help you capture a wider audience. You also get to decrease your bounce rate, increase your website traffic, and generate more leads.
Optimize your Website’s Speed
Gone are the days where customers waited for more than five seconds for a page to load. With the fast internet speeds available today, customers expect that it will take at least three to five seconds for a website to load. A slow and clunky website has a higher bounce rate. By improving your site’s speed, you reduce your bounce rate and increase traffic.
Monitor Your Online Reviews
Your online business reviews have an impact on how potential customers view your business. Therefore, try to ensure that your customers are posting positive reviews to boost your rating. But, if you do get a negative review, respond immediately. Your response shows potential customers that you can address any concerns they may have.
Create High-Quality Links
Another SEO principle you can use to improve your Local SEO is creating high-quality links. Building authority links makes your website reputable to search engines.
Improve Your Website for Voice Search
With the dawn of technology, voice search has become a popular way for people to google for anything. Therefore, ensure that you optimize your website for voice search options as well.
Remember, Local SEO plays a massive role in how customers find your business. And, by incorporating the above tips, you have an edge against your competitors.
