Increase your visibility on Local Search
One of the things that you will want to do as part of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy is increase your visibility on local search. That is particularly the case if you run a localized type of business, such as a restaurant or a cafe. In these instances, your clients will probably come from only a certain number of miles around you. Your website should, therefore, target local visibility. This article shows you how to boost local SEO to give your business the kind of Search Engine visibility that will enable people in your locality to find you.
How to boost local SEO
In order to boost local SEO, you need to do the following;
- Have a Website
- Optimize for relevant keywords
- Have a Social Media presence
- Get listings on review sites
- Get a presence on Instagram
- Get your business on Google Maps
- Advertise in local newspapers
- Get endorsements from local celebrities
- Get Genuine Reviews
Have a Website
The importance of having a website for any business can never be overemphasized. Yet, today, you will be surprised to note that over 50% of the small businesses that are out there do not have a website. Having an online presence is a good way through which you can boost local SEO for your business. Most people now spend most of their time online and you need to be there to be able to meet them.
Optimize for local keywords
Once your website is up and running, you then need to make sure that you are optimizing your content for the right kinds of keywords. We have previously produced an article in which we highlight the fact that Keyword Research should precede all content writing. What most people do not realize is that keywords; the terms that people type into Search Engines when looking for a particular product or service, are not homogeneous across the globe.
In fact, the keywords that are used by people tend to have local variations. There are various tools out there, including Google’s Keyword Planner, that give you the ability to carry out effective Keyword Research. The main task, however, lies in actually identifying the correct type of keywords that will enable you to increase your visibility on a local scale.
Let’s assume that you run a Cafe’ in Manhattan Valley, one of the keywords that you should optimize for is obviously “best 24 hour Cafe, Manhattan Valley.”
Have a Social Media Presence
Social media, today, plays an out-sized role in the way through which people around the globe interact with one another and with the world at large. One of the things that you need to take note of is the fact that people now spend a big part of their daily lives on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This is where you need to be in order to attract meaningful local traffic to your business. In fact, Social Media now allows you to interact and engage with your potential clients in a way that would not have been possible a decade or so ago.
Of all the Social Media platforms that are out there, Instagram is one on which you really need to make an effort to get a presence for your business. You can read this article to find out more on how Instagram leads the pack as far as engagement and conversion are concerned.
Get Listings on Review Sites
Another way through which you can increase your visibility on local search involves getting your business listed on review sites. Research indicates that sites such as Yelp now play an important role in the way in which people make choices about a product or service.
In fact, you can think of these sites as modern day versions of the word-of-mouth phenomenon that, before the advent of the digital age, played such an important role in getting the word out about a certain product or business. In fact, up to 88% of consumers trust the information that they get from these review sites. This makes it doubly important for you to get yourself there.
Get your business on Google Maps
If your business has been around for some time, chance are high that it will already be visible on Google Maps. All that you need to do in this case is claim it and you will be set to go. If, however, your business is not listed, it is important for you to make sure that it gets on Google Maps as a way of boosting local SEO.
Today, most people look up the locations of their nearest businesses on Google Search and on Google Maps. When people types the keyword “local restaurant,” as an example, they usually get a map that shows some of the nearby restaurants.
Google My Business
If you are not listed on Google Maps, you will, therefore be missing out on a large part of the business that’s flowing in and around your locality. In order to get your business listed on Google Maps, all that you need to do is create a listing on it on Google My Business. You can follow the steps that are outlined in this article to get going. After verifying your business, it should begin to appear on Google Maps. The great thing about Google My Business is that you can even create a website for your business if you do not already have one.
Advertise in local newspapers
This point may appear counter-intuitive, considering that people have now largely moved towards digital ways of consuming information. However, the fact still remains that newspapers still play an outsized role in the dissemination of information.
That is why it is important for you to take a multi pronged approach in the promotion of your business. Why not, promote your website and social media pages using, as an example, newspapers and Direct Mail? The point here is that you should use these tools to promote your online assets. They are, therefore, a good way of boosting local SEO.
Endorsements from local celebrities
Ask any psychologist and you will be told that people generally like to tread where others have trodden. They also like to follow where big names have gone before. That is why it is important for you to get endorsements from local celebrities as a way of boosting your business’ visibility. Get these people talking about your business on Social Media and list their reviews on your website and people are likely to take you much more seriously.
Get Genuine Reviews
Its important for you to get genuine reviews from your former and current clients as a way of boosting your local visibility. We have already talked about getting listed on review sites such as Yelp. Get genuine reviews and people are likely to find it easy to interact with your business.
Finally
Okay, not all of the points that we have just given in the above article on how to boost local SEO have to do with Search Engine Optimization. However, they are all a good way of boosting a business’ local visibility. That is, at the end of the day, the only important thing, right? We need not repeat that every business now needs to have an online presence. This allows you to interact with your potential clients where they are now spending the majority of their time.
