Local SEO for small businesses is important for attracting business. Today, the majority of the transactions take place on smartphones and people search for nearby businesses on their phones. This means that your business should show up in the search results. Below are some important local SEO tips that will drive traffic toward you. Couple them with a white label rank tracker to keep tabs on your performance.
Create A Google Business Profile
The first thing you need to do when it comes to improving local SEO for a small business is to create or claim Google Business Profile. This is important if you are serving customers in a specific geographic area. Having a Google Business Profile means that you are an authentic business on the internet and the customers can check out the quality of your products and services before acquiring your services or buying the products.
At the same time, Google Business Profile also influences the number of times your business shows up in search results. If you do not have a Google Business Profile, you will simply not show up in the search results and the audience won’t know about it either.
This is why, having a Google Business Profile including all the relevant information such as the location, contact number and images, etc. plays a huge role in ranking your business.
Set Up Google Search Console And Google Analytics
Search engine optimization is constantly evolving. This means that you should not stick to a particular set of strategies but continue updating yourself as well. Improving local SEO is not an overnight task. It is only possible if you are willing to put time and effort into finding out and implementing new strategies.
However, to track the progress of the strategies, you will need to set up Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a great tool that provides in-depth data about how users engage with your website, demographics, and conversions.
On the other hand, Google Search Console provides information about how your site appears in the search results. In addition to that, it will also communicate any problems Google has with your sites to help you fix them and better your ranking results.
Do Keyword Research
Keyword research is one of the most important factors contributing to local SEO. In fact, it serves as the foundation of small business SEO strategies. Keywords help you optimize, build a site structure and create content that improves your rankings.
The reason keywords are important is because they tell you exactly what people are looking for along with the words they are using to find it. This means having the relevant keywords in your content or business profile will most likely help your business show up when people use the same keywords while searching on the internet.
Fortunately, finding the right keywords is not an issue. There are several online tools available on the internet that will help you pick the right ones along with important information such as monthly searches. Plus, in the beginning, you should opt for lower-volume keywords.
The reason is, higher search volumes mean greater difficulty. Once you have compiled a list of relevant keywords, you will be using them for building the site structure and creating relevant content.
Analyze SERP Competitors
While improving your services and local search rankings, it is equally important for you to keep an eye on your competitors as well. This does not mean copying each and every move but just figuring out the shortcomings in your processes.
This is where analyzing your SERP competitors comes in, which not only helps you find additional keywords but also understand the type of content your users want to see. While searching for your business, customers will find several options in the list.
As a business, you should know who your competitors are to help you tailor your approach accordingly. This means that you will need to closely observe the content, keyword selection, and site structure.
Review Your Site Structure
Site structure is the way your content and pages are grouped. Once your content has shown up in the search results, your visitors should not have a hard time finding the content they are looking for. This includes your headers and footers and the way you link your pages to other sites.
If the site structure is complicated, you won’t end up in the search results and your users will never find you. A good site structure means that your potential customers and visitors are able to navigate through the site and find the relevant content with a few clicks.
If your rankings are not improving and you are not showing up in the search results, you should review your site structure. The site structure should be clear, logical, and easy. Take help from a rank checker to see what is not working in your SEO strategy. Have a look at rank checker pricing.
Optimize Your Site For Smartphones
As mentioned earlier, the majority of users and potential customers rely on their smartphones for information. This means they will look up and go through every piece of information before opting for your business. As a result, your site must be optimized for smartphones.
If the site takes too many seconds to load, your visitors will simply walk away. Moreover, the site should be easy to navigate on the phone as well. if the users have to constantly scroll up and down to find relevant information, they might not give you a second chance.
Therefore, optimize your site so that it is easily accessible by anyone, anywhere at any time.
Create Customer Connecting Content
Content is the only way you will be able to convert your potential customers into actual ones. Creating content is one of the best ways to attract traffic to your small business site. If people on the internet are looking for answers, they might end up at your site thinking you might have what they are looking for.
However, to do that, you will need to produce content that targets the right audience. This is where keyword research is important. By finding the right keywords, you can use them as headings and structure your content accordingly.
Keep in mind that your content is only going to be valuable as long as it is updated and full of unique information. Plus, add images and short videos to make your content more engaging. Doing so will help bring in customers even years after publishing.
Create Relevant Online Listings For Your Business
One of Google’s core ranking factors is backlinks. These are basically links to other websites that direct visitors to your site. The reason these links help with ranking is that they indicate confidence in your site. This means, the more backlinks you get, the better the search rankings and traffic.
There are several ways of getting backlinks starting with simply asking website owners to mention your site on their site. In return, they may or may not ask for benefits but as long as your content is authentic and offering value, you are most likely to be mentioned.
Conclusion
Improving local SEO requires commitment and dedication. You will need to keep track of your competitors and find out new ways to improve your rankings and content. It might not happen in a few days but will surely help you stand out as everything begins to mature down the road. Monitor your website’s SEO with a search rank checker.
