7 Simple Ways to Improve Local SEO for Your Business

If you run a local business then it’s important to be able to reach out to local customers. Potential clients will perform an online search based on location, and you want to be the first name they find. In order to get your website to the top spots of the search engine results pages, you need to optimize it for local SEO. This is essential for local searches. You need solid strategies to ensure you appear as an authority in the field in your community. You’ll then gain a competitive edge in the local market. Here are seven simple ways to improve your local SEO.

Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

A well-written Google My Business Listing is a sure-fire way to improve your local SEO. First of all, you need to claim your business profile and include plenty of information. This includes beautiful photos of your products and engaging copy. You need to create the perfect listing, so as soon as a local person Googles the type of product you sell, they are attracted to your business. For the best results, you could consider outsourcing this to SEO Services as they will have the resources and expertise to optimize your listing.

Post your listing in other online business directories

There are several other online web directories that local customers will use. Post your listing in more of these to increase your chances of being found. This will also help to boost your local SEO and the search engine bots will find your various posts and consider you more of an authority in your field.

Create local content for your website

In order to boost your SEO, you also need to optimize your website. Create engaging video content relating to local events. You could even volunteer as a company and film a corporate charity video. As well as video, include local news and information. This will help your site to rank more highly as a local business. You should also update your social media with local content as well. You can be creative with this or even collaborate with other local businesses.

Use local keywords in your content

Use local keywords in written content across your listings, website, and social media accounts. These keywords need to match what a potential customer might search for on Google. Local keywords, in particular, contain location-specific phrases related to the same geographic location of your business. You can learn how to find keywords for a local search online.

Create separate pages for each location

If you want to boost your local SEO you need to create location pages. This means a separate landing page for each location of your business. If you offer services across multiple locations it could affect your SEO if not. You can’t utilize those location-specific keywords unless they relate to only one place. On your separate location pages, you can include details about each location and places in the town near your business, for example. Google won’t rank the pages as highly if they’re too similar.

Create separate service pages

You should also create individual service pages to improve local SEO, rather than one page listing all services. Search engines won’t consider your brand as an authority in one specific area if you include all your services on one page. You can include a services tab on your main homepage with drop-down links to all your services, for example. This goes the same for the unique products that you offer. These product pages are where potential customers may first arrive. They tend to search for a product or service rather than the name or type of a business.

Incentivize local customers to leave reviews

Customer reviews are very effective, especially for local businesses. They show that members of the community trust your brand and that others should too. There are several ways to encourage customers to leave reviews. You could automate follow-up emails asking them for a quick review or rating. You could even incentivize them by offering a promo or discount in exchange for recommending you to a friend. Post positive reviews on your website and listings. Try to include personal information about the customer, as long as they’ve agreed to it. This will give your business a lot of credibility in the local neighborhood. By boosting your appeal to both local customers and the search engine bots, you can start to make a name for yourself in the field. You’ll create the online presence you need to succeed.