How To Do Local SEO For Small Business?
SEO is the most important aspect for any website. Search engines like Google, Bing etc. ranks websites in search results based on SEO of a website. There are two types of SEO, on-page or Technical SEO and off-page SEO or Local SEO. Takneeki’ SEO services, including Local SEO, helps rank websites in first page search results within 2 months.
Every small business face the predicament of where to invest the small budget that they have. How do they compete with established national brands or other businesses? Can they ever build their online presence, given the fact that IT is so costly.
That’s why SEO, and especially local SEO is such a powerful weapon for any small business. With just a few simple, non-technical steps, any business can claim itself in top search results. More importantly, it needs very less or no money at all.
What is Local SEO?
Many business owners who know SEO, would not know what is local SEO. Therefore, to put it simple- it helps build your online presence in local area around your business. How local? Business can define if local is few miles of radius, city, county, city or state(s).
Local SEO is thus, optimization of website for local search results. It also mean to rank in top on Google Maps.
Imagine you are looking for a new car wash in your area. When you search in the Google, a new car wash- Green Bubble Bear shows up on top. Why?
Why Small Business Need It?
- Local SEO targets your local customers or clientele.
- Local SEO offers the best return on investment, even better than Paid Ads
- It is economical and as good as free.
- It is very crucial for mobile searches, which is where most of the people are searching for any service these days.
“Local results are based primarily on relevance, distance, and prominence. These factors are combined to help find the best match for your search.”
So, How To Improve Your Local SEO
- Create a Google My Business profile for your business
This is the first step in online world for your business. Use the link to create your business profile
https://www.google.com/business/business-profile/File out all the information sincerely, in as much detail as possible and as much as possible. When you are done, it will look like below:
If your business has multiple locations, you can add them too in the same profile you just created.
- Create Posts in your Google My Business
Take advantage of free marketing done Google. You should understand, that just like you Google is also running a business and their aim is to show best search results to its users. Therefore, if any business is showing post about his services, offers etc. it will be more relevant to a user.
Google will therefore, automatically show it. Free publicity!
The content of the posts can be videos of your services, images or just plain posts.
- Local Online Listings
Creating business profile, similar to Google My Business, in other online platforms will send signals to Google, that they should take your business seriously.
You should create business profile in at least 10 platforms like
– Facebook
– Yelp
– BBB
– Yahoo Local
– Bing PlacesImportant: It is necessary that business name, address and phone number is consistent across all platforms.
- Reviews
Ask your customers for reviews. They help tell Google and other search engines, that your business is real and people are visiting it.
Since Google has to make sure that the business is still running, it will automatically rank business with latest reviews above than the business with reviews given in the past.
Reviews can be asked on any online platforms that your business profile is created. It is also important that you reply with appreciation or apologies to these reviews and fast. Better within 48 hours.
- On-page SEO
This includes little technical work. All your links and images should be described in detail for Google’s software to read. All your content should have proper headings, sub-headings and good readability.
Here are the on-page SEO factors you should focus on:
– Title tags
– Meta tags
– Header tags
– Page content
– Images
– Name, address and phone (NAP) on every page (with schema markup). You should make sure that NAP is consistent all over the web.
Conclusion
Local SEO is important for any business. It is a very effective way for small business given that it involves less effort and almost no money. It therefore helps generate local leads and build your presence in local area.
Execute your local SEO as flawlessly as possible and you’ll at the very least ensure that you’re one of the top ranking domains in terms of categorizational proximity. Thus improving your chances to come in search results.