In an ever-digitalized world, small businesses need an online presence especially those servicing the local community. But how can you differentiate yourself from all the other small businesses in your area?

Through Local SEO. Local Search Engine Optimization is the differentiator that helps your website and social media accounts rank for location-based search results so that your business appears when potential customers seek products and services in their immediate vicinity. The following article lists the best Local SEO strategies to increase your small business’s chances of being found and enjoyed by its target market within your geographic area.

When consumers take to the Internet to search for goods and services, they want something that typically exists or is accessible in the immediate area. Be it takeout from the local pizzeria, the plumber who fixed the pipe in their basement, or the barbershop on the corner—every search input has output geographically situated. Local SEO ensures that your business is part of those geographically situated results that count.

But as a small business owner, why should you care about Local SEO? Because it translates to more customers for you. You know all the pertinent statistics—and if you don’t, here’s one: 46 percent of all Google searches are seeking local results.

1. Claim Your Google My Business (GMB) Listing

One of the fundamentals of Local SEO is to claim your Google My Business listing. Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. When someone searches for a business or service nearby, a GMB listing gives them access to essential information about your business name, business hours, address, phone number, and website—that enables potential customers to contact you or make a quicker conversion decision.

How to optimize your GMB listing:

• Ensure all information is accurate and up to date
• Ensure you have the correct business category
• Include photos and ensure they are high-quality images
• Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on your GMB page
• An optimized GMB listing also gives you the opportunity to appear in the local pack. This is the map and listing that appears when someone searches for a specific business nearby. If you’re on this selected, limited list, you’re seen and visited more.

 

2. Geographical Keywords As part of the need to optimize your site for Local SEO, geographical keywords are required. For example, a grooming salon in Philadelphia should look for SEOs like “Philadelphia hair salon” or “best barber in Philadelphia.” This allows search engines to officially recognize your location, giving potential clients like you a better opportunity to find you.

Long-tail keywords are important. These are longer, more specific word variations that represent what people are looking for. Don’t search for “haircuts.” Search for “affordable haircuts in Philadelphia” or “best men’s haircuts Philadelphia.” These are relevant to your specific location and the exact demands of your potential clientele.

3. Optimize Your Site for Local Search

Local search optimization goes beyond using keywords—it’s a matter of making sure that the site is easily crawled and cached by search engines. Here are the basics:

• Make sure NAP is consistent across your site. This helps Google authenticate the business it sees on your Google My Business and boosts the chance to show up in local results.
• Acquire local links and create local content. For example, if you’re part of a Chamber of Commerce or Rotary, link to their site (if applicable) and take the time to speak/write about/involve your business with one. Review local restaurants, write about local fundraising efforts, create local relevance.
• Ensure your site is mobile optimized. A good percentage of local searches are done on mobile, meaning if your site is not mobile friendly, you will be pushed down in search for not providing good user experience.
  A citation is any online reference to your business name, address, and phone number. These include directory sites, social media sites, or local news sites. Creating local citations not only assists with Local SEO but it also increases your business’s authority and trust.

You can do this by adding your business to relevant and reputable directories like Yelp and Yellow Pages and your local Chamber of Commerce. A consistent NAP across these listings will increase your citation score.

4.Encourage Customer Reviews

Customer reviews impact local SEO. Thus, the better your customer reviews, the more credible you become, the higher you will rank locally, and it becomes easier to find for prospective new customers. Fun fact: 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Thus, while Google My Business reviews contribute to your image, Yelp and Facebook reviews will increase credibility and ranking as well.

How to create more reviews:

• Encourage satisfied customers to leave a review on your Google My Business page.
• Always respond to reviews—good and bad. It shows you care.
• Provide direct links to make access to your review sites effortless.

5. Create Local Backlinks

• Backlinks are links to your website from another site. The more backlinks you possess, especially quality backlinks, the better you rank against others on search engine results pages. For instance, with Local SEO, you’ll want to focus on local backlinks. These are links from local sources—local newspapers, community boards, or even pages for events happening in your city.

Linking to these entities increases authority; if they’re all from within your same zip code, you’ll rank better in Local SEO attempts.

Follow these Local SEO strategies and your small business will remain a fixture in local searches, allowing you to attract even more local customers. From claiming your Google My Business to localizing your site with relevant keywords and collecting reviews, these features help establish an online localized presence.

Local SEO is serious business, and it’s what’s going to make the difference in your numbers for traffic, conversion, and eventually revenue! As a small business owner, you need to take every advantage and opportunity that’s given to you in this complicated online world to ensure an even better edge.