TIP: 10 Great Ways to Boost Your Local Search Ranking
10 Great Ways to Boost Your Local Search Ranking
Local search is a powerful way for small business owners to reach new customers and generate leads. When a customer uses the internet to research products or services, they’re not just looking for any business—they’re looking for a business in their neighborhood or city. And you want to make sure your business is at the top of those local search results.
Fortunately, you can boost your local search ranking with these top tips from digital marketing experts.
- Fill out your Google My Business page. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to boost your local search ranking is to register with Google My Business. To get the most out of the listing, fill out all the fields, including your address, phone number and business hours. (You get bonus points for adding photos of your location and staff to personalize your profile even further.)
- Build consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone). When Google crawls the web for search results, it looks for mentions of your business’ name, address and phone number (NAP). Even slight variations, like an abbreviated street address, can confuse Google, so it’s important to make sure that your NAP is consistent in every citation, on or off your website.
- Claim online listings. Online business listings are an important part of local search engine optimization. Creating links that lead back your website, in conjunction with consistent NAP citations, raises your business’ online visibility and signals to Google that your website is relevant and trustworthy.
- Get off-site backlinks. Online business listings aren’t the only way to get links. Encourage other websites, including local media and bloggers, to link to your website by getting out into the community. Sponsoring and attending events can help cultivate offline connections that lead to online exposure.
- Localize landing pages. Don’t just list your business’ name in the the title and content of your homepage; include the city you operate in as well. The more specific you are with the city or even neighborhood (Hollywood rather than Los Angeles, for example) the better your chances of ranking high on search results pages.
- Use long-tail keywords. Use keywords to target niche markets. This strategy not only helps customers find your specific service, it also helps you rank higher because your website is using less-competitive search terms. For example, use long-tail keywords like “real estate attorney Austin TX,” instead of just “lawyer Austin.”
- Build a mobile-friendly website. Thanks to the ever-increasing number of searches on mobile devices, Google changed its algorithm to privilege mobile-friendly websites in its results. If you want to boost your local search ranking, your website needs to look good on smartphones and tablets as well as desktop computers. Start by running your website through Google’s mobile friendly test.
- Respond to reviews. When customers leave reviews on Google or any other website, it helps boost your search ranking. You can encourage customers to go online and leave reviews, and if they do, it’s important to respond gracefully to both positive and negative comments. This will help improve your reputation with searchers as well.
- Post local content. Providing extra value to customers with a blog, FAQ page and otherlocal content also makes your website more attractive to search engines. If you’re aiming to rank in local search results, remember to give your content a local spin by writing about topics relevant to your area.
- Keep the user experience in mind. When it comes to implementing good local SEO, the most important thing is to think like a customer. Google wants to deliver the best experience for each searcher, and so should you—that’s why it’s important to have an easy-to-use, informative website.