When it comes to getting more customers, more and more businesses are focusing on local SEO essentials. Because getting local website optimization, “right” is the foundation for broadcasting their products and services. Because higher-ranking not only makes your website more prominent but also gives you a better chance to stand out among competitors. So what are the local SEO essentials for your website?
Where you rank in the search engines endorses your business’s credibility as well as brings new customers. As First View Online shares, “Searchers make mental notes of the rankings for the terms, they enter into Google and other search engines… And in the minds of consumers, your ranking is a vote of confidence.”
Local SEO Essentials Minimums
At the minimum, website owners have heard of keywords and tried to implement them in their web content. What they do not realize is that search engine optimization comes in various levels. There are ways to optimize your website for generic SEO as well as for local. Local SEO helps searchers to narrow their search and find services that are accessible in their geographic location. SEO is especially important to small businesses that are interested in reaching customers in the local community.
But local SEO is not limited to just firms and small businesses. As a rule of thumb, your business can also benefit from local SEO if you meet one or more of the following requirements:
- You have a business branch in a particular city or region.
- You want to build up your brand name in a local community.
- Your service/product is tailored to a geographic area.
Because local SEO is about SEO geo-customization; therefore, even if you are a thriving corporation, local SEO can help you tailor your SEO strategy to a specific area and promote your brand visibility. Without further ado, here are six local SEO essentials everyone must remember for a successful local SEO experience:
Sparkling Home Page
Your home page is usually your client’s first stop. Why? Because it is your storefront and the place where you showcase your products and services. For many people, the way you display, decorate, and organize your storefront says a lot about your business. It tells them how serious you are. Therefore, if you have a shabby home page, you advise your clients that you do not see the need to spend time and money to polish your business.
Unfortunately, many business owners have minimum content on their home page and, as a result, fail to promote their brands professionally and convincingly. Thin content is a bad local SEO practice. After all, your home page should always include information about your service(s) and local SEO keywords that reflect your area(s) of service.
As Search Engine Land rightly points out, “Your customers (and search engines) need to know what you’re all about. Suppose your home page has a slider/banner and just a few sentences. In that case, you need to add more useful content there immediately.”
Well-written Service Pages
Quality content is lacking on many websites. As Casey Meraz, the founder of Ethical SEO Consulting and Lawyer SEO Marketing, shared in one of his blog posts on Advanced Web Ranking, “For many years I have seen attorney clients of ours try to optimize for every city possible. They create thin content pages that are narrowly locally focused on a city that is barely over 200 words.” That again is a big no-no if you are interested in local SEO.
Instead, Meraz recommends businesses to prioritize and focus on areas that are the most important to them. Once you have identified your target locations, you need to start building great content that is (1) resourceful, (2) linkable, and (3) informative.
Consistent and Accurate NAP
Your NAP, which includes your name, address, and phone number, needs to be consistently styled, formatted, and written in all directories. When you register your business in a credible directory, you want to make sure that you accurately fill out all the information. Because doing so will help your customers to recognize your brand and reach out with ease.
And while you are at it, go ahead and check your website to make sure that you have your targeted City/Region and relevant keywords included in your:
- Website title tag
- H1 tag
- Page URL
- Content
- Image ALT attributes
List Your Business in Credible Directories
More customers than you know perform their search on local business directories. Many of these directories receive high views per day and can dramatically increase your website traffic.
Complete Social Network Profiles
As with our principle of consistency, your social media platforms need to be complete. Include your location, address, hours of service, and other information for a seamless experience. Be consistent with your profile photos, so your brand image is consistently marketed across all media channels.
Build Local Links
Unlike a directory, an online citation is the reference place for you to list your NAP. For starters trying to submit citations on their own, Moz.com has a place for small businesses to present their citations by categories manually.
The 6 Local SEO Essentials rely much more on local links than generic, industry-related links. While it never hurts to build connections with others beyond your geographic region, having local support is what makes you shine as a local business. One of the simplest ways is to list your business is by hiring a Houston SEO expert. Have more questions? Then call the pros at ProEngage Local today.