Search engine optimization is key if you want to generate leads and gain traffic. SEO can help you rank higher on search results, attract prospective customers to visit your website, browse through your offerings/listings, and avail your products and services.
For small businesses, especially non-eCommerce stores, implementing local SEO on your websites is vital for promoting your brand online to local customers within a specific geographical region. This will help increase your visibility in the localities and appear higher in local relevant searches.
Although SEO has been proven highly effective in generating leads, it can be pretty costly. We understand that not everyone has the budget for that. That is why local SEO is here to help small businesses get their sites in higher search results rankings.
Here are some questions for local businesses to check whether or not they are ready to optimize their website.
- Are your address and basic information listed correctly on your website? First, double-check to ensure your address, business name, and contact number are complete and correct. Then, add the needed codes and tags if you don’t know how to use the YOAST plugin to cover the technicalities.
- Have you established a Google My Business listing yet? If not, it’s time to do it. Google My Business will help you personalize your business profile with photos, posts, etc., and enable people from local areas to find your business online efficiently. Add accurate and up-to-date information, including your address, business hours, and contact information.
- Are you asking your customers for reviews? Aside from the fact that your customers’ reviews will help you know how you did in delivering your services or products, these reviews will also help your business stand out to prospective customers looking for help in making a decision. You can add links to review sites on your website or in your email signature, or kindly ask happy clients to leave their reviews on your website. In addition, Google reviews will improve a business’s local rankings in search results and encourage local customers to purchase your products or avail of your services.
- Are you creating up-to-date and relevant content? You can’t beat the power of creating content that directly addresses a local issue to attract your local customers’ attention. For example, you can pen a blog post about local news stories, events, or activities and how your business can contribute to or be affected by these circumstances. Since vlogging is ever-increasing, you can also try creating videos about recent local happenings or causes your business supports.
- Have you built local citations? Local citations are online mentions of your business’s name, address, phone number, and website. Google takes local citations into account when determining a company’s authority and relevance. Hence, local citations assist in ascending your company’s online visibility and relevance. If you want to boost your business’s visibility in the local area, it’s good to include your business in local citations.
- Are you taking advantage of online business directories? Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, and Google My Business are just a few of the many online business directories. Adding your business’s name, address, and phone number to these directories will increase your visibility and enhance your local SEO. Your company listing should include the four (4) basic information: (1) Business Name, (2) Address and Phone Number, (3) a Backlink to Your Website, and (4) a Brief, Concise, yet Catchy Description of Your Business.
With a staggering 32.5 million small businesses in the U.S. and the increasing use of mobile phones and technology, online competition has undoubtedly become a challenge for local business owners. Small business owners cannot ignore the importance of local SEO at this time. All of your local SEO efforts must increase your visibility and ranking on Google, as this will help you gain traffic, conversions, and sales.
Ponder these questions and get ready to dominate the online market.
Author’s Bio:
I am Louise Savoie, Digital Marketer at Proweaver, a web development company specializing in Custom Web Design which helps sole proprietors and small companies increase their sales and grow their business. I am responsible for Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing. You can find us on Facebook: @webdesignproweaver and on Twitter and Instagram: @proweaver
