Are you struggling to stand out in the saturated online marketplace? Are you hoping to improve your local search rankings and attract more customers to your business? Look no further! Growth Foundry, a top digital marketing agency, is here to help you unlock the power of local SEO, with their expert tips and strategies. Here’s what they say are some of the most important things to do to optimize your online presence and dominate the search results in your area.
Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
Your Google My Business profile is one of the most powerful tools for SEO, says Growth Foundry. Yet despite this, a lot of businesses don’t make the most of the Google My Business platform and don’t bother claiming their business profile. This is a huge mistake.
Be sure to claim and optimize your listing by providing accurate and up-to-date information about your business. Include your business address, telephone number, website, and business opening hours. This will help potential customers find you easily when they search for local companies like yours.
Once you have claimed your business profile and filled out all the relevant information, make sure you check and respond to reviews, add new products and services, upload photos, and set up messaging.
Localize Your Website Content
To improve your local search rankings, Growth Foundry advises incorporating location-specific keywords into your website content, meta tags, and headings. For example, if you are running a florist in Chicago, use phrases like ‘best florist in Chicago’ or ‘Chicago’s top wedding flowers’. This helps search engines understand that your business is relevant to local searches and increases your chance of appearing in the top results.
Without location specific keywords, the search engines won’t know when to show your website in relevant searches. Instead, it will languish many pages down in the search results, where nobody will see it.
Generate Positive Reviews
Positive reviews not only enhance your credibility but also have a direct impact on your local search rankings. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and industry-specific directories. These reviews act as social proof and can greatly influence a potential customer’s decision to choose your business over your competitors.
Regularly check online reviews. This is a good barometer for how well your brand is performing, and it should tell you if there are problems with your customer service, your products and services, deliveries, etc. People are very much inclined to leave reviews these days, particularly if they are unhappy with the service they have received from a business.
If you do receive some less than stellar reviews, be very careful how you respond to them. Be polite rather than aggressive. A well considered response to a negative review paints you in a much better light than an angry and abusive reply.
Build Local Citations
Consistency is key when it comes to local SEO. Growth Foundry recommends ensuring that your business information (name, address, and telephone number) is consistent across all online directories. This includes local directories, review sites, and social media platforms. Search engines will use this information to validate the authenticity of your business and improve your local search rankings.
Leverage Local Backlinks
Securing backlinks from reputable local websites can significantly boost your local SEO efforts, says Growth Foundry. Seek opportunities to collaborate with local influencers, businesses, or organizations and ask them to link back to your website. These local backlinks act as endorsements and signal to search engines that your business is reputable and relevant to the local community.
Optimize for Mobile
Having a mobile-friendly website is no longer just an option – it’s crucial for SEO success, including local SEO. Growth Foundry recommends prioritizing optimizing your site’s design and functionality to ensure a seamless browsing experience for mobile users. A responsive, mobile-friendly website will not only improve the user experience but will also help search engines recognize and prioritize your site in mobile search results.
Don’t let your business get lost in the sea of local competitors online. With Growth Foundry’s expert tips, you can take your local SEO to the next level and attract more customers from your target area. Our tried and tested process will ensure you see a sharp increase in qualified traffic to your website. Our SEO team is constantly testing new SEO methodology and our results speak for themselves. If you want to work with a team that understands the value of a more targeted approach to digital marketing, Growth Foundry is here for you. We treat digital marketing as a science, and we always get results.
Need help with local SEO? Growth Foundry’s expert team has the knowledge and strategies to boost your local search rankings and drive more customers to your doorstep.