Last Updated: Jun 20, 2018
How can your business get found in local search? Do you show up near the top of search results? These 11 tips can help you be sure your local business can get found online.
Customers are the lifeblood of every business.
Smart business owners understand the importance of search marketing as a lead generation tool. But sometimes it feels like Google is always changing the rules.
How is a busy business owner supposed to keep up?
Well, business owners who want more customers can follow these tips. They will help you put together a local search marketing plan that will deliver targeted leads that are ready to buy.
It’s not as hard as you think, but before I get into the details, let’s discuss…
Why You Should Care About Local Search
Did you know that four in five consumers use search engines to locate nearby products and services? Straight from Google’s own research, here are a few more reasons you should invest in a local search marketing campaign:
On average, local searchers are more prepared to act.
If you want to capitalize on local search, follow these tips.
Claim your listing—Create or claim your local listings free on Google My Business, Bing Places for Business, and Foursquare. You can get listed on multiple directories and update inaccurate contact information using Yahoo Local and Moz Local, but both of those sites charge a fee for that type of service. If you’re a member of a local Chamber of commerce or other business group that have member directories on their website, be sure your domain is listed accurately and the link works.
NAP (Name, Address and Phone number) — Your NAP should be consistent across the web. You (or your webmaster) can use schemas to markup HTML pages to make a website easier for search engines to “read”, in turn making it easier for potential customers to find you in search results. Use your local area code phone number as your primary phone number on your Google+ Local page.
Reviews—Customer reviews build the trust and authority of your business. Encourage customers to leave their reviews at the appropriate site. Some popular ones are Angie’s List, Yelp, TripAdvisor, CitySearch, Urbanspoon, and Switchboard.
Don’t ignore mobile—The majority of local searches occur on a mobile device. Optimize your site for mobile.
Citations— A citation is any mention of your business–link or not. A “structured citation” is any listing of your business in an online local business directory. Examples include YP.com, HotFrog, and Best of the Web. You want to have consistency with your citations. Some tactics for getting citations include getting listed on directory listing sites, membership listings of associations and organizations, yellow pages, white pages, and local chamber of commerce pages.
Consistent categorization—When you create your Google+ Local page and other profiles, make sure to select the proper category associations. Keep the categories consistent across platforms.
Optimize site content—Your Google+ Local page should link to a page on your website. The title tag on this landing page should include your city and state name. You’ll want to make use of location-based keywords in your site copy. You should also set up individual landing pages for businesses with more than one brick-and-mortar location. Service area businesses should have city-specific landing pages. Create pages with testimonials, customer stories, or FAQs.
Social signals—If you have profiles on any social networks, then make sure that your branding and messaging is consistent across all platforms. Google+ authority, Facebook likes, Twitter followers, etc. may have an impact on your local search rankings.
PPC ads—PPC advertising is a great way to get immediate visibility and instant traffic. Geo-targeting can be effective for small businesses, and lets you advertise with a smaller budget. Radius bidding can help you reach customers near your location and rank higher in local searches.
Keywords—Take some time to find the exact keywords your customers use to find you. This will likely include the “head” term as well as more specific “long tail” keywords.
Images—You should upload high-quality photos of the place of business. You can also experiment with using video. Aim to get listed on Google Local Carousel as data shows an excellent click-through rate and conversion rate for businesses displayed in Google’s Local Carousel.
Ultimately you have to find a way to stand out and impress customers. This will translate into great local search rankings on Google and other search engines.
© 2018 Attard Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced, reprinted or redistributed without written permission from Attard Communications, Inc.
Anthony Sills is a direct-response copywriter and content strategist on a mission to eliminate boring marketing. He’s written copy for eBay, SEMrush, IBM, American Express, InfusionSoft and many exciting startups. You can always reach Anthony via social media or email.
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