Did you know that almost half of all searches are local? These are searches that have phrases such as, “near me,” or “in my city.”
If your business caters to a local market, then you absolutely need to invest in local SEO. People are likely to use these searches when they’re ready to buy, whether it’s for a new lawnmower or for an HVAC repair.
How can you make sure that you stand a chance to capture some of those customers? Read on to learn the top local SEO tips.
Table of Contents
1. Clean Up Your Website
Does your website look like it was built 10 years ago? A dated website could hurt your ability to rank high because search engines look for fresh content.
It can also repel new visitors from looking for more information on your website. You need to make sure your site has a clean design, is responsive to mobile devices, and is fast. Your site ought to use SSL (Secure Socket Layers) to ensure a secure connection for your visitors.
2. Fill Out Directory Listings
Listings on Google My Business, Bing Places, and other directories are a great way to let search engines and your customers know that your business is legitimate.
You just need to make sure that the contact for each listing is accurate and consistent with the information on our website.
Local SEO for franchises is a little bit different. You have one brand name, but many locations. Some of them are individually owned.
You can add your address, phone number, and website information. You can also add photos of your location to help differentiate it from the others.
3. Know Your Customers
Do you know how customers search for information related to your products or services? Those search terms are keywords that you want to rank highly for.
One of the biggest mistakes that businesses make when it comes to local SEO is that they only try to rank for “near me” searches. That’s great if you want to get people ready to buy.
You’re missing out on thousands of other searches that happen when people aren’t ready to buy. They search for information, do research, and then make a decision.
For instance, a person who is thinking about buying a home in the next year will start with searches like “How much do I need for a down payment?”
If you’re a real estate professional, you can get the attention of these people with a blog post that answers that question in your market.
Get More Business With Local SEO
Local SEO is a part of the SEO world that can’t be overlooked. This is the best time to invest in local SEO because the pandemic forced everyone to shop online. People are now used to shopping and gathering information online for local products and services.
You can put your business in front of these customers by improving search rankings. Follow these tips and you’ll climb to the top of search results.
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