Have your customers complained about locating you or struggled to reach out to you? But all of a sudden found that famous fast food vendor or coffee place which you visited in your childhood in your recommendations list? That’s the power of Local SEO. Discover how to optimize your online business better with our seven quick tips!

illustration by Dmytro Novitskyi

So, it all tails back to 2014 when Google rolled out the Pigeon Update. It was one of the local search algorithm updates which aimed to increase the local listing of a search. Basically, Google decided to help the businesses that have a strong organic presence along with traditional presence. It helped the businesses rank higher in SERPs when a user is searching in a specific diameter. Since then, local SEO is having a significant impact and the brands who started it back in 2014 itself are leading the markets.

So, if you’re wondering what local SEO is, to give you a gist, Local SEO or Local Search Marketing is a method of ranking your business higher in local searches. By local searches, we are referring to search queries such as near me or a specific location address.

Here’s our compilation of seven Local SEO Tips to Optimise your Online Business.

1. Let’s start with Google!

According to Moz’s Local Search Engine Ranking Factor Survey, Google My Business tops the charts when it comes to driving traffic through local SEO.

Nevertheless, to say Google has about 92% shares worldwide of the Search Engine Market. Listing your business on GMB helps you gain credibility, visibility as well as helps you top the charts in Search Engine if all the details are in place. So, the first thing to cross off your checklist would be by listing your business.

2. Decode NAP(+W)

Name, Place, and Address(+Website), commonly known as NAP plays a vital role when it comes to contributing to your Search Engine Results. So, to begin, make sure you have a common name, place address, everywhere along with your website.

Google, as well as other search engines, will take the data into account and cross-reference them across a variety of websites for validation. This will help you rank higher in geo-targeted searches as well as will play a crucial role in boosting your local SEO.

3. The Power of Goodness

88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.

Local SEO Experts claim that the higher the positive reviews, the higher the chances of getting visibility. That doesn’t mean you should opt for paid/fake reviews, as duplicate IP addresses might create repercussions for you. But, aim at gaining your customers’ trust by providing quality service. This will definitely take time but will lay a strong foundation for your local SEO efforts.

4. Connecting the Dots

Source: Bright Local

It’s 2020 and the importance of Link Building is still a must-follow trend. Your link building towards Local SEO should be driven by quality links that are industry-relevant, of local websites, contribute to your brand’s reputation and provide accurate information.

Local link building is a slow process that requires patience and dedication but is surely the most effective means for relationship building as well as getting a higher number of geo-targeted leads.

5. Discover Your Tribe

Is local content about your industry or your users? So, experts say that you should focus on building content that is more location-specific and can educate and help your target audience. Instead of going for a trending or general topic, building content that provides value and insights will drive more audience and business towards your site.

6. Crosscheck Your Website

Source: Backlinko

61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site, while 76% visit a business within a day. Statistics are proof that slow-loading or irresponsive websites swiftly lose a user’s interest.

Adding to that, about 2/3 of Google searches for Businesses near me are performed using mobile phones. So, in a nutshell, we don’t need to emphasize the fact of how a mobile-friendly and responsive website is a must for building your audience set.

7. We Are Right Here!

If your business has more than one physical office, creating location pages is a good choice. List your businesses at all the locations linked with the main page, this will help your customers find you easily at multiple locations. Also, they can review all of your location pages according to their experience. And not to mention, adding a Google map to your website is a great help too!

Local SEO is not limited to just these 7 tips. It’s all about understanding your business and customers well and implementing these tips in alignment with those. There are various tools and agencies that are out there to help you build your Local SEO if not possible for your in-house team. But being a leading local SEO Company, all we wish to recommend is do not neglect Local SEO and outshine it in every nook and corner of the world.