Local SEO Is A Strategy To Increase Website

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Local SEO is a strategy to increase website visibility in searches in nearby locations through local search engines.

The goal of local SEO is the same as SEO in general, namely, getting a ranking on the first page. It’s just that local SEO targets local customers more precisely.

Utilizing local SEO is the right thing for those of you who have a physical shop or business with an operational address. It doesn’t have to be a shop or office; your home can also be used as an address.

How Local SEO Works

Local SEO

Google is committed to providing the best information to its users. Therefore, Google tries to recognize user search intent, both general and local searches.

Searches such as “nearest restaurant”, “nearest bookstore”, “SEO services”, “website creation services”, and others with local content have a high search volume.

Google algorithm will detect that what is meant is a local search. Then Google will display the Local Pack (local business list) and Map Pack (map box) on the first page.

For example, when you type “nearby furniture stores”, Google will display a list of nearby businesses with a map of their locations. Then, follow organic content that is still relevant to the keywords being searched for.

The main pillars of local SEO are location proximity, prominence, and relevance.

The closer the location, superior and relevant to the user’s search intent, the greater the chance of appearing on the search page.

How to Optimize Local SEO

Local SEO

To optimize Local SEO for your business, focus on telling Google you have a business in a specific region so that audiences can find your business.

Make sure you have the complete address and telephone number of your business.

Next, there are several ways you can choose to make your business easily found in local searches. Here are some ways:

1. Create a Website/Business Landing Page

It must be accepted that the role of websites or landing pages is enormous in the current digital era, especially for business purposes. If your competitors have used a website for their business and you still need to, you are one step behind them.

Create a website for your business needs, at least a landing page.

This will help you provide complete information about your business. Expand market reach and support your business marketing activities at meagre costs.

2. Create a Google My Business Account

The following Local SEO strategy is to create a Google My Business account.

Google My Business is a free service from Google for business owners so that potential customers can easily search for information about their business on the Internet.

Nearly 97% of internet user use Google Search Engine to find the information they need. Although many other internet browser engines exist, Google is the most popular worldwide. It would be a shame to miss the Google My Business platform to increase your business visibility online.

Do remember to include your complete business information on Google My Business. Starting from the shop name, location, telephone number, attributes, category, photos and operating hours.

Read the complete guide in the article Benefits of Google My Business for Business Actors.

3. Keyword Research

Almost all SEO efforts involve keyword research, including Local SEO.

Keywords are phrases or words that internet users use to get the necessary information. Using the right keywords will make your business appear at the top of search rankings.

You can use tools such as Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner to get targeted keywords according to the scope of your business.

4. RAN consistency

NAP is an abbreviation for Name, Address and Telephone Number.

NAP consistency means consistently listing your business name, address, and phone number everywhere. NAP consistency is not just about the same business information but also includes the same formatting and spelling.

List your business name, address and phone consistently across online platforms such as your website, Google My Business, social media and local business directories.

5. Create Local Content

When you target potential customers at a local level, you must provide local or regional content.

For example, your business is in the hotel or lodging sector. In this case, local content can be created, such as tourist attractions, culinary events and interesting facts.

Find out and highlight hot trends in your content. Make sure your content is relevant to your users and business needs.

6. On-Page SEO Optimization

On-page SEO is vital in content visibility on search pages and increasing traffic. You can include keywords in your Google My Business description and services, local business directory, or website.

However, on-page SEO is not just about keywords. You can optimize many elements, such as images, links, titles, subtitles, etc.

You can make a checklist from the elements in the Onpage SEO guides you can find online.

7. Competitor Analysis

In the business world, analyzing competitors is a legitimate thing. That’s why a popular term in the marketing field is Competitor/Competitive Analysis.

Apart from being a benchmark for your performance in business, your competitors can also be an inspiration in developing business strategies and plans.

Analyze your competitors. Visit their website, see what content they create, how many visitors they have, what resources they use, and so on.

Analyze their strengths and weaknesses (SWOT Analysis), which you will later use as material to develop a solid strategy to outperform them.

8. Don’t Ignore Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are one of the critical factors in Local SEO. In addition to showing customer engagement with your business, thoughts can influence other potential customers to make decisions.

Many and varied reviews are an essential indicator of your business’s credibility.

Try to always reply to customer reviews, both positive and negative thoughts. Learn how to respond to negative reviews appropriately to avoid bringing a bad image to your business.

Conclusion

There are two main conclusions that you can draw from the discussion about Local SEO above.

First, your website and Google My Business profile are the first and most important places to optimize your local SEO. Ensure you write your name, address and telephone number wholly and correctly. Get reviews from customers and respond appropriately.

Second, local SEO optimization with a focus on general on-page SEO strategies. Conduct potential keyword research to create helpful content for customers with local terms and general terms according to keywords. Optimize the Google My Business description and meta description on the website.

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