SEO
3 Tips to Help Your Business Dominate Local SEO
If you want to order a pizza, where do you go? The internet. What if you are new in the location and you need a mechanic? You search for one on the internet. Statistics show that 4 out of 5 customers use the internet to find local businesses. 50% of those people visit the company within 24 hours.
If you are yet to list your local business for online searches, you are missing a huge opportunity. However, having an online presence is only one part. You must ensure your business shows up on top of the first page of Google and other search engines so customers can see it. To do this, you must dominate your local SEO by optimizing your website and social media pages. Check out these tips if you want to improve local SEO for your business.
- Create a Google My Business account
Google My Business account is the simplest and the most powerful way to present your business on the first page of Google. When a customer searches for a local mechanic, GMB displays the top three mechanics with their address, phone number, photos, and hours of operation. Unless your location has a lot of similar businesses, your business will likely appear in GMBs local 3-pack if you give Google all the information.
- Optimize local keywords
Keywords are perhaps the most effective way to boost your SEO but also the most confusing. The purpose of a keyword is to describe your business in the simplest way possible. You can borrow a leaf from data-focused SEO companies to improve your SEO. An SEO consultant uses tools, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to assess the performance of your website and provide insight on technical and on-page SEO plans.
However, when you aim to dominate local SEO, the keywords must feature your locality as well. For instance, instead of using ‘mechanical services,’ you can use ‘Beverly hills mechanical services’ if your business is in Beverly hills. Better yet, ‘Beverly hills Mazda mechanical services’ is more specific.
- Claim listings
If you want your business to go on top of page one, listing it on GMB may not be enough. You must spread it all over the web to help search engines find it quickly. You can begin by listing it on every local directory you can find and then search sites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and TripAdvisor. When creating the business profile on each of these platforms, make sure the information is consistent. Your NAP (name, address, and phone number) must be the same everywhere. You must also post regular content. Remember to use the right keywords in your posts and link back from other sites to encourage visibility. If possible, write content that is relevant to your locality and the issues they are facing.
The secret to dominating local SEO is thinking like a customer. Hiring an SEO expert to help can allow you to focus on the operational side of the business while growing your online presence.