Being found by a local internet user doing a search for a local business need requires local SEO marketing tactics. It's a unique arena that requires unique SEO marketing efforts.
Is your business performing well in local search?
What is local search and local SEO marketing? How can you improve your local search results?
We dive in, explain, and outline 6 tactics to help you get started in the second half!
Ready to go?
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The proliferation of mobile devices has made people more dependent on the internet for local searches. According to Google, more than 76% of people who perform local searches on their phones end up visiting a physical store within 24 hours.
If your business has a local presence, it’s important you apply local SEO best practices to do well on local searches. Here are some tips to implement for your local SEO Marketing enhancements:
People use keywords to look for what they need online, and therefore so must you on your website! That’s why search engine optimization (SEO) exists in the first place. Your content needs to be optimized with relevant keywords so it can rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs). Because of this, we do keyword research.
The same principle works for local SEO. To rank high on local SERPs, your content needs to be optimized with relevant keywords for the location you want to target. My recent podcast was on this very topic giving you a number of tools for keyword research. As well, Google Adwords’ Keyword Planner is a good tool to use to look for high-volume keywords within a given niche and location.
Example: “Eye Doctor Lancaster PA” is a localized search term that is common for users to enter in a search engine.
After identifying the keywords to use for your local SEO, the next step is creating location-specific content. For a smarter strategy, don’t just insert the keywords in an otherwise generic article. Instead, customize it according to the location.
For example, let’s say you’re running an HVAC company, and you want to write about ways to save energy during the winter for a location. The best approach you can take is to write the suggestions to fit the kind of winter that location gets. An example might be, "8 Ways to Save Energy during Lancaster PA Winters." After all, winters in Miami are different from winters in Lancaster!
Guest posting has always been a proven way to improve SEO.
But since you’re focusing on a location, publish content on local websites. The backlinks you get will improve your business’ standing on local SERPs. At the same time, if you produce high-quality content, you’ll quickly establish yourself as a local expert, which will give a boost to your brand. Of course, finding sites that will accept guest posts can be challenging. A good rule is to search for them using keywords like write for us + location or guest post + location.
Consider writing for the local chamber of commerce, a business partner or complementary business, or even the local newspaper. If you get a link on other quality local sites linking to yours, it's a win-win.
You can use social media to reach local audiences, especially now that most of them offer geotagging. This means you can assign a location to a post so that only people in that location can see it. The great thing about geotagging is you can share the same post multiple times, with each instance geotagged to one location. Even better, you can customize the accompanying text for each post, so one post can say “Heya, Lancaster” while the other can say “Howdy Lititz!”
As well, if using Instagram for your business, be sure to use the location feature for your posts. Since there is a location search your business can come up when this is used. As well, use local hashtags on Instagram to help your business be listed in relevant, popular, local hashtags. In my area tags like #lancaster #lancasterpa #lancastercity and #lanccity are relevant.
When you join a local activity – whether as a participant or a sponsor – you can get a backlink to your site from the organization facilitating the said event. This improves your local SEO, especially if the organization’s site has a higher authority than your own.
Also, taking part in local activities gives you writing material for content that appeals to the people in the location you want to target. You’re giving back to the community when you take an active role, and that earns trust and respect among its members.
Google is the dominant search engine. With nearly 70% market share of searches each month, it’s the place to focus on and one tool they give businesses is “Google My Business.” This is a listing that is free to setup and use, and which helps your business appear in search and map searches on Google. It’s a listing that can display your address, hours of operation, photos, your phone number, and a link to your website.
Be sure to take advantage of this free tool by going here: https://www.google.com/business/
These tips, when taken together, can definitely help you local SEO marketing. But remember, whether you’re going for global or local SEO, quality content is still the most important element of content marketing.
There's no shortcut for that.
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I’m an Indiana Hoosier native where basketball is the top sport. Every team heads to the locker room at halftime to evaluate the first half and create an updated plan for the second half. That plan includes adjustments based on reviewing what worked and what didn't. The “halftime” is a key review point where the game stops, the team pulls away to huddle in the locker room away from the fans, and they come out prepared and ready to succeed in the second half.
That’s what this podcast is all about, taking the time to pull away for a bit to evaluate, learn, and set some strategies for your business to succeed in the second half. Join me by subscribing and let me be your “business halftime” to help you find great success going forward!
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