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Video Summary
“Local search” highlights the businesses in your community or neighborhood, basically those businesses that are nearby to the searcher. And most of the people who need something would like to work with someone locally, so this is a key part of the search results.
And that’s what this video is about, local SEO techniques. These are crucial for businesses looking to reach customers in their local geographic area. By ranking higher in the local search results, you can better compete with other businesses that offer similar products and services in your area.
So here are 10 tips to optimize your business for local SEO…
Video Transcript
Hello, my name is Jeffrey Kirk. And welcome to the 8th video in our “how to get seen online” series. In case you’d like to watch the previous videos, I’ll paste the link here for easy access.
Do you want your website to rank higher in the search results? How about the local search results? That’s what I’m talking about today. But before I dig in, I want you to know I’ve got a checklist for you. You can get it at upatdawn.biz/10local. It includes the 10 tips I’m giving you today along with action steps you can take to get started with each of the tips.
So go get that! And, please take a moment to subscribe to my channel if you haven’t done so already. Now, back to getting seen in the local search results…
“Local search” highlights the businesses in your community or neighborhood, basically those businesses that are nearby to the searcher. And most of the people who need something would like to work with someone locally, so this is a key part of the search results.
And that’s what this video is about, local SEO techniques. These are crucial for businesses looking to reach customers in their local geographic area.
By ranking higher in the local search results, you can better compete with other businesses that offer similar products and services in your area. But first, let’s discuss what local SEO is and how you can use it for your business.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is about analyzing what people are searching for, what questions they have, what words they’re using, and what they want to see.
By understanding these things, and making appropriate adjustments, you have the advantage of matching with those who search for what your business offers.
So here are 10 tips to optimize your business for local SEO…
Tip #1 — Claim and verify your Google Business Profile to ensure your business information is accurate and up to date.
If your business operates physically in your local community, then having a Google Business Profile helps you promote your business in the local search results. According to Google, the first thing you should do is use a free Google Business Profile to claim and update your business information.
Not only does a verified Profile help you improve your ranking, but it also helps new prospects learn more about your business. It’s important to have a complete profile so local searchers can easily find your business online and off.
Verify your business name, business address, and phone number so that customers can trust and easily connect to your business. If you only serve your clients during certain times of the day, then be sure to include your business hours. You don’t want a customer to stop by thinking you’re open only to find a locked door.
Getting your Google Business Profile set up and optimized correctly is very important, so I have a set of videos showing you how to do all these things step by step. You can find the links here for easy access.
Tip #2 — Incorporate relevant keywords and location-based terms into your website content and meta tags.
Plan the keywords you want to target on your website. Then figure out how to incorporate them into your content.
Keywords will vary depending on your type of business and what your prospects are searching for. So, focusing on your target audience is a key factor here.
Start by using a few keywords you want to rank for, like your products and services. Enter these into a keyword research tool to help you discover other topics and common questions related to these. A good strategy you can use is to determine what questions your target audience might have about what you offer, and then answer those on your FAQ page.
I have several videos demonstrating how to do keyword research. I’m including links here so you can check them out. And don’t forget to include your chosen keywords in your content, the title, and meta descriptions.
Tip #3 — Build high-quality citations and backlinks from local directories and websites.
Try to get links to your website from credible sources. Links from clients, vendors, as well as industry organizations and publications are generally good quality links.
These links help increase the credibility of your website, as well as your ranking in the search results. And they help others see your business as an authority in your industry.
Tip #4 — Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile and on other review sites.
Word of mouth is still powerful, in fact it might be more powerful than ever. People want to see reviews, so they have a significant impact on your visibility in your local area.
Consumers are more confident to transact with businesses that have large numbers of high-quality reviews. The best way to get those reviews is to give your clients the best service and overall experience. Beyond that, there are some ways to encourage more clients to leave more and better reviews. Join me on an upcoming training and I’ll show you how. It’s free. Go to upatdawn.biz/webinar.
With more reviews, more quality reviews, and consistent reviews, your visibility increases, and that helps more prospects find your business leading to more sales and more clients.
Tip #5 — Utilize schema markup to provide search engines with additional info about your business and location.
To put it simply, you need to make sure search engines recognize your content. Schema markup helps with this.
Schema markup is a form of structured data that search engines can use to better understand and categorize the content on your website pages.
It’s good practice to make sure your business information is always accurate and up to date. By doing this with schema, you help search engines better understand the meaning of your pages.
Tip #6 — Regularly update your Google Business Profile with relevant information.
Another good practice is to regularly update your Google profile. Sure, it’s great to get the profile set up and optimized, and then ignore it. But you want to be sure the information is accurate when your prospects find it.
Anytime your business hours change, or you offer different products and services, you want your profile to reflect the current truth for your business. Sometimes businesses even move to a new location, and they forget to update their profile. And that’s just tragic!
How about setting up a recurring event in your calendar to do a quick audit of your profile to make sure it’s up to date. Also, consider adding various media into your profile such as photos and videos. These can instill trust among new prospects.
Tip #7 — Optimize your website for mobile devices.
Is your website mobile-friendly? Mobile search is very convenient for people on the go, especially when they want answers quickly. So be sure your website is easy to use and navigate on a phone.
These days the best type of website is one that is structured in a design style called “responsive”. This means your website shows the same content and information across all platform sizes, from phones to desktops. The content adjusts automatically to look good no matter the screen size.
Having a responsive design also means everyone goes to the same URL whether they’re on a desktop, a tablet, or a mobile phone. And with a responsive website comes prioritizing your website speed. Because, let’s be honest, people won’t wait for your slow website to load. They’ll go somewhere else.
Tip #8 — Utilize local SEO keywords in your social media posts and other online content.
Aside from using keywords in your website content and meta tags, using local keywords in your social media posts and other online content is also a good SEO strategy.
People use social media all the time, and they use it to search for products and services near them. So, if your social posts contain your local keywords, you’ll have a higher chance of being found by searchers on those platforms.
Tip #9 — Create local landing pages to better target local customers.
A landing page is the page where a searcher will be redirected upon clicking an offer. Landing pages are designed to provide specific information so searchers make a confident decision to take action. Instead of sending everyone to the homepage of your site and then forcing them to figure out what to do next, your landing page addresses their specific need.
This makes it easier for your site visitors to understand what you offer and provides a straight path with a call-to-action. By creating local landing pages for specific locations or specific services, you can better reach specific audiences and provide them with a great user experience.
Tip #10 — Stay up to date with the latest local SEO trends and best practices.
By regularly updating your content, you demonstrate that your site is active and up to date. This contributes to your business credibility and trustworthiness.
Having up-to-date local SEO strategies also makes your website appear relevant and authoritative and can help you get to the top of the search results.
Do you have a Blog? If not, then you should start one! Blogs are a perfect channel to provide relevant content to your site visitors. Blogs help keep people on your site longer. And search engines love blogs when you continue to publish new content.
The internet isn’t sitting still, so it’s important you follow the trends while continuously testing and experimenting with new tactics to improve results in your business. By following these tips, you improve your search engine visibility and ranking for local search terms, attract more local customers, and drive more leads and sales for your business.
If you haven’t done so already, go to upatdawn.biz/10local and get your copy of these tips along with the action steps.
Your business deserves to be seen online, and I will help you get there.
Thanks for watching and have a great day!
