Fact of the day: 91% of websites do not receive any organic traffic from Google.
This stat illustrates just how tough marketing businesses online can be. It also stresses the vital importance of SEO, or search engine optimization.
Maybe you’ve heard the term tossed around, but you’re still not sure how SEO works. Maybe you’ve even tried to create a local SEO campaign in the past, but you were less than thrilled with the results.
We’re here to help. Here are three important components to include in your local SEO strategy.
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Here’s another 91% stat for you: It’s Google’s global market share when it comes to search engines. In other words, if your business website isn’t easy to find on Google, it might as well not exist.
Your first step is to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile. Verify ownership, fill in your business contact information, and keep the listing updated with any changes.
Bonus: This will also help you rank in Google Maps, which is essential to helping local users find you.
2. Add More Content to Your Website
To improve your local rankings, you need more local SEO content. This means adding more pages with more optimized content and local keywords.
Rather than combining all of your services or products on one page, split them up into a unique page of their own. Then, if you don’t already have one, add a blog and regularly write posts about relevant topics in your industry.
What’s the point of adding all this content? It gives you the chance to add local longtail keywords that make your site easier to index and find.
For example, if you own a pizzeria in Boston, you could optimize your website with keywords like “best pizza in Boston,” “pizza joints near me,” and “Boston pizza parlors.”
3. Get More Citations & Reviews
A citation is any listing of your business NAP (name, address, and phone number) online. Your website and Google Business Profile is a good start, but you shouldn’t end there.
Be sure to get listed in other relevant online directories like Facebook, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Angie’s List. You can also reach out to the Better Business Bureau as well as local newspapers, magazines, and business journals.
While you’re at it, ask your customers to leave a review of your business online. You could offer a discount, a coupon, or another incentive for writing a brief review of your products or services.
Why does this matter? For one thing, customer reviews from Google, Yelp, and other listings will show up in search results. Most people check reviews before deciding to use a business, so this is a sure way to attract new customers.
Build a Successful Local SEO Campaign
The benefits of SEO are clear, but marketing businesses online is no easy task. Use the tips listed above to launch a local SEO campaign that will bring a stream of new customers to your business.
Would you like to learn more about business, SEO and social media? We have all that and much more, so stay right here and keep browsing our site.
