There are many things you can do to get your business noticed by the locals. Maybe you’ve tried newspaper ads or sponsored a little league team. Some businesses like having a presence at local events, or buying that key billboard space at the busiest intersection in the county. Our local sandwich shop Subhouse sells ads on their cups, to great effect.
Optimizing your website to appear high on the search results page (SERP) is one of the best paths to take. Most people turn to Google Maps to find nearby products or services, so mastering local SEO can make a huge difference for your business. So let's walk you through everything you need to know to optimize local SEO for your website and attract your most important audience: nearby customers.
Local SEO is a branch of search engine optimization (SEO) that focuses on improving a website to be found in local search results. These searches occur when users enter keywords related to services or products in their area. For example, "agency near me" or "Troy Ohio digital marketing agency". The results are delivered within a local area map, with pins designating locations of businesses.
(Yes, this is a shameless plug to include local SEO keywords for our business in this content)
Local SEO helps you find customers in your area, making them more likely to visit or contact you. SEO is like a lighthouse guiding ships, or in this case users, safely to your harbor, or your website. The stronger and brighter your light or your SEO strategy, the more ships will find their way to you, even through the fog that is your competition.
Search engines use Local SEO content to provide a more balanced list of results that are specific for that searcher’s area; this levels the playing field between small-to-medium-sized businesses and larger enterprises, all competing for the same customers.
Local SEO offers several benefits: reaching a wider audience, enhancing visibility over competitors, building trust, and improving user experience. By optimizing local SEO, businesses can ensure that their services and products appear prominently in search results for nearby users, fostering relationships with local customers.
There are many local SEO tools to perfect your online presence. To ensure your business appears in local search results, consider the following strategies:
Previously called Google My Business, the Google Business Profile is a free tool that helps businesses and customers find information and build trust. Google My Business optimization can benefit your local SEO ranking factors.
Be sure that all of your business information is accurate and complete. You should also add photos, respond to reviews, and update your business hours regularly.
Include local keywords in your website’s content, meta descriptions, and title tags. Long-tail keywords targeting specific needs or businesses are highly valuable. These often convert better because of their specificity. For example, use phrases like "Troy Ohio affordable web design agency" or "best marketing agency for small businesses in Troy Ohio".
Make sure your business is listed in local online directories, such as TripAdvisor and local chamber of commerce sites like the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce. These types of mentions are also called, “local citations”. Ensure consistency in your name, address, and phone number (NAP) across all listings.
It’s obvious that you want people to review your business, but you’d be surprised at how much that can benefit your local SEO marketing. Get creative in asking customers to leave reviews on Google and other review sites. Make it easy for them to review by providing instructions, making a QR code by using free tools like QR Code Generator, or by offering them discounts. Then, be sure to respond!
Write blog posts or create videos about local events, news, or community activities. This engages your audience and helps you rank for local search terms. We like to connect people to a website in our area called This Local Life. Customers want to connect to the businesses they support. The more you show them that you care about your community, the more they will trust and appreciate you for your insight, as if you are becoming a local guide.
A backlink is a hyperlink shared between one website and another. This is important for search engine optimization in general. You can start by getting links from other businesses, community blogs, and local news sites. Try and participate in events or sponsor community activities to gain mentions and backlinks.
There are many ways that you can boost local SEO. Let's focus on learning the ropes. These resources will turn you into a local SEO superstar in no time.
Websites like Coursera, and Udemy offer comprehensive courses on local SEO. We’ve also tried LinkedIn Learning, but we found it a bit stuffy and heavy handed.
Follow reputable SEO blogs like Moz, and Search Engine Journal for the latest tips and trends. If you are in the Troy, Ohio area like us I recommend following L&L Collective for great tips and tricks. Follow us too, of course.
We also really enjoy using Discord and Slack channels like Online Geniuses to ask questions among other like minded people. Having a real person to talk to is always the most helpful thing.
Already got the basics down? Let’s take your local SEO techniques to the next level with these easy-to-follow steps.
We provide an all-inclusive Local SEO package that covers everything from managing and optimizing your online presence to tracking and continuously improving your SEO performance. Contact our local SEO team today to receive a detailed strategy, pricing, and action plan!
Use tools to audit your website and identify areas for improvement. Tools like SEMrush, Spyfu, Google Search Console can help you analyze and boost local SEO rankings.
Ensure your website is mobile-friendly as many local searches are done on mobile devices. We tend to design mobile first when we take on new web projects. This ensures that your website has full mobile optimization for what tends to be your largest user base.
Use social media to connect with your local community and share your content. Joe Laber is an amazing advocate for this locally.
Keep track of your local SEO performance and make adjustments as needed.
I know you might not think blogging is a big deal, I personally don't find myself subscribing to many blogs, but believe it or not, you are consuming blog content almost every time you use Google. It’s where all that content comes from. So separate yourself from the word blog and create content that Google can use to your benefit. So here’s how you start:
Users may not know they need you, so be creative in incorporating topics that people who need your business might be interested in. You can start by writing about local events, news, and anything you might’ve been a part of in your community. Then expand your content to include broad topics that pertain to your business.
Incorporate local keywords naturally into your blog content to improve search visibility.
Link your blog posts to other relevant pages on your website to improve site navigation and SEO. Then, connect your blog to other forms of content like other websites and relevant pages, then content those websites and ask if they would be willing to link to you as well.
Promote your blog posts on social media to increase engagement and traffic.
Example:
23rd by Deanne is an online commerce business selling home decor from around the world. We recommended they create content about interior design apps. They might not offer an app but they do sell products to a lot of interior designs. What better way to connect with more interior designers than by writing content that benefits them!
Keep it simple, and ground yourself in the writing. Be personable and do not overdo it.
Wondering how much content you need for local SEO? It’s all about quality over quantity. Let’s figure out what works best.
Ensure your content is relevant, informative, and engaging for your local audience.
Plan your content in advance to ensure a steady flow of new posts and updates. We’ve attached a content planning template for you to check out here: link
And there you have it! Local SEO isn’t just for tech geeks – it’s for anyone who wants to get noticed in their community. By optimizing your website for local SEO, you can attract nearby customers who are looking for the products and services you offer. From setting up your Google My Business profile to creating engaging local content, these strategies are designed to help you stand out in local search results. Implement these strategies, and soon enough, you’ll see your business thriving with local customers finding you easily online.
Ready to dive deeper into local SEO? Schedule a meeting with me, Brianna Adams, to chat about how we can help!