If you are a small business owner, you understand the importance of maintaining a high-quality online presence. When it comes to attracting customers and increasing your visibility in local search, there are several steps you can take to optimize your local SEO. Now, let’s look at some quick pointers that will help small businesses get the most out of local SEO.
Own your Google My Business listing
One of the most crucial things you should do for your local SEO is claim your Google My Business listing. This free Google tool lets you update your listing information, including your address, phone number, and business hours. When you take control of your listing, you can ensure your details are accurate, add a photo of your business, keep your information up to date, and delete or respond to customer reviews and inquiries.
Develop inbound links from trusted sources
Backlinks are crucial for SEO, and local businesses can concentrate on establishing backlinks from reputable, local sources. Contact local businesses, charities, and industry partners to ask if they would be willing to link to your site. You can also create resources that other websites will view as valuable and want to link to, such as blog posts or infographics.
Localize local phrases on your site
Keywords are an essential part of any SEO approach, and local businesses need to focus on optimizing their site for local keywords. Figure out what your customers are typing into the search engines when they’re looking for your products/services, and then include those terms in your site’s content, meta descriptions, and page titles. Add your local city or town name to your keywords to help you rank higher in local search results.
Encourage customer reviews
Reviews are also a serious local SEO factor, and businesses should encourage their best customers to leave reviews on Yelp, Google, and elsewhere. Good reviews can help you rank higher in the local search results, as well as, more importantly, help you gain new business. Send reminders to leave a review by either including them on your website or in your email signature.
Leverage social media to market your business
Social media can even influence local SEO, as social signals can impact your search rankings. Build an audience through social media by sharing high-quality content and engaging with your followers. Post about your operations or new products — on sale or at an event — and prompt your followers to share your content with their friends.
To further the cause of local ranking, small businesses should also claim their Google My Business listing, earn backlinks from credible sources, optimize for local keywords, encourage customer reviews, and engage in social media to attract the attention of local customers. By keeping these tips and tricks in mind, businesses can enhance their local search rankings and attract more customers to their doors. To learn more, contact the Citrus Studio experts.
