According to several reports, more than 90% of customers search the google business profile of an organization before patronizing it. Since your GMB profile makes up a huge part of your local SEO marketing tool, you need to ensure it is set up properly.
In case you are new to local SEO and you are searching for ways to use it to your advantage, then you are on the right page. This post will break down what local SEO entails and various proven ways to use it to increase business traffic.
But before we go any further, let’s define local SEO.
What Is Local SEO?
Local search engine optimization (SEO) involves a series of processes and actions designed to make a company website appear at the top of the local search engine result page. This way, anybody in a business’s location searching for products or services related to the website will find them easily.
Ways To Use Local SEOTo Your Advantage
Set Up A Google My Business Account
Google My Business is an online business directory that all local businesses can use to generate customer reviews, drive more traffic, and more.
Optimizing your Google My Business listing is one of the major ways to attain visibility in Google Search local results and also rank high on Google Maps.
To start using this free platform, you need to set up a Google My Business account. After providing the necessary information, google will verify them, and if all goes well, your Business Profile will start to show in Google Search local results, including Google Maps and Google Search Knowledge Panel.
Examine Your Products And Services For Keywords.
This step aims to determine some important terms customers could be searching for to find the kind of services or products they are looking for. So, you have to create a list of these terms to form a starting point for your keyword research.
Get A Website Audit
An SEO audit is useful for identifying on-page SEO issues likely to hinder a website’s success. SEO tools such as Semrush provide comprehensive site audit tools you can implement to get a report on your site problems. Some of these issues include missing page titles, slow site speed, broken links, poor mobile optimization, and missing meta descriptions. If you can’t handle it all by yourself, you can get an expert to do it.
Do Competitor Keyword Research
To achieve this, you must know the keywords for which your local competitors are ranking. You can still use SEO tools such as Atarget=”_blank” hrefs or Semrush for a competitive analysis of these keywords. It’ll help to see the competition metrics and search volume to help you decide if the keywords are good for your website.
Request Reviews from Satisfied Customers
Getting customers to write amazing reviews about your business can improve your Google My Business profile rating and encourage more people to patronize your business. To achieve this, you can request reviews from clients at the end of a purchase or service. You can do those by sending them a post-purchase email. It’s also important for you to reply to reviews professionally.
Create Content About Local News Or Events
Creating content relating to a local issue helps to get your local customers’ attention. Some techniques you can adopt include writing blog posts on local news or activities and making videos on local charities or other causes your business supports.
Optimize for Voice Search
In the coming years, voice search will develop rapidly. So taking advantage of it now when few businesses are optimizing for it is a smart move. For voice search optimization, you need to optimize based on how customers ask questions when they speak into devices.
Essentially, most voice searchers make use of long-tail keywords for their search when compared to regular searchers. Also, it would be best if you accounted for traditional question starters like (who, when, what, why, where, and how).
Benefits Of Local SEO
More Visibility
Local SEO helps your business to gain more visibility by being found by those who need your product at the right time. This can result in more sales, profits, and relevance.
Improve Conversion Rate
All the components of local SEO work together to improve your website’s user experience. In return, it helps to increase your website rankings and generate sales.
Link Building
If your business is being listed locally, it’ll be easy for any local business that wants to cross-promote its products or services to find you. When this happens, you’ll likely get mentioned in their post, which is good for you. It helps to bring more clients and build new business relationships.
Reduce Advertising Costs
When it comes to searching where to buy products, most clients prefer businesses close to them. If your local business is ranked highly, they’ll be able to see your website. It can help reduce the amount of money you spend on advertising.
Retain Customers
Local SEO helps you in getting different categories of shoppers, even those who are just visiting a local area briefly. When you offer exceptional service to any shopper, there’s a high chance of them patronizing you again.
Creating the right SEO strategy for your business or hiring an SEO expert helps to increase the chances of enjoying the full benefits of Local SEO. For businesses in Mt Pleasant, SC, seeking to maximize their online visibility and attract local customers, mastering SEO Mastery in Mt Pleasant SC can provide tailored strategies and expertise to achieve optimal results in search engine rankings and online visibility.