Local SEO has become essential for gaining and maintaining an edge in the digital era. You need a regional SEO strategy if you want to achieve long-term success on search engines.
What is local SEO (local search engine optimization)?
Local SEO is an effective form of online marketing that focuses on providing search results based on a user’s location. Google will, for example, show you some local businesses that sell pizza in Edmonton if your search is ‘pizza restaurants in Edmonton.’ Google may display your pizza restaurant as a result if you run one in Edmonton. Local Search Engine Optimization helps you optimize a site or page of your website so that it appears in local search engine results.
Local SEO has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the increased use of smartphones and better internet access. Millions of online users use search engines and directories such as Yelp to locate relevant businesses in their area. In 2017, 86% of consumers used the Internet to find local businesses. Here are some ways to dominate local searches:
Google My Business key
Google My Business helps businesses and organizations manage their online presence on Google. It is easy to use and extremely important. You won’t appear on the map listings that Google displays for local searches if you don’t use this tool. Add all necessary information to your account.
You will only need to follow a few simple steps in order to create, activate, and verify a Google My Business page for your company. It’s now time to optimize your online presence once your profile has been confirmed and started. Google My Business offers a number of tools that can be used to optimize the listings.
How To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
On-page optimization
On-page SEO refers to any SEO activity you do on your website. More than 20% of the elements that contribute to a website’s ranking in local SEO are on-page factors. Title tags, meta descriptions, NAP (name, address, phone number), and images are all on-page elements that should be optimized for local searches. Use local keywords to optimize title tags, alt-tags on images, and meta descriptions.
Mobile Optimization
You will not see any results from your SEO efforts unless you optimize your website for mobile devices. Google’s mobile search algorithm is constantly updating, and your business must have a mobile-responsive site.
Mobile optimization is crucial because most local searches are conducted on mobile devices. To serve local customers, you need to think beyond the intuitive user experience, responsive layouts, and interface design. Google’s Test will tell you how your site is doing.
Use of local content
Incorporate local keywords in your content when optimizing a website for local searches. You can, for example, add your local area’s name to the most important keywords reflecting your business. Local keywords are usually less popular but produce excellent results.
Create a local news and blog section for your website. You can post regularly about events that are relevant to your niche. Local businesses like plumbing, legal services, and restaurants are all good examples. Implementing these SEO basics can have many benefits.