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If you are a beginner, don't worry in this guide, we will walk you through the proven step by step process to catapult your business to top the list

Did you know 46% of all Google searches are local? Customers are searching for services and products near them, and they want answers really fast. Will your business show up at the exact time when a local customer is looking for a product or service your business offers? Will they pick you out of all other local businesses that offer the same services and products? Every local business needs to have a constant flow of leads to be successful in the market.

Traditionally, businesses relied on getting their businesses in front of prospects via leaflets, yellow page dictionaries, and newspaper. You could recollect coming across these ads, don't you? However, those were only until the internet exploded. Now businesses have taken a great turn on their advertising campaigns. They rely entirely on the internet to acquire new businesses. Some businesses market using PPC platforms like Google ads and other organic SEO campaigns. However, local businesses are still struggling without leveraging the benefits of Local SEO.

If you want to rank your local business in the search engine, you are in the right place. In this article, we will help you understand Local SEO, its importance and how to take advantage of it. If you are a beginner, don't worry in this guide, we will walk you through the proven step by step process to catapult your business to top the list of local businesses

Local Seo

So, what is Local SEO?

Local SEO refers to the process of optimizing the online presence of businesses to attract more customers and related local searches. These searches take place on Google as well as other search engines. Yes, Local SEO isn't just about Google. However, Google is the most popular search engine, and for that reason, we will roughly cover more about optimizing your local presence on Google. Local SEO includes everything from claiming the business listing to nap consistency. It also expands to managing online reviews, ratings, social media engagement, and more.

Why should local businesses invest in Local SEO?

More than other times, businesses have understood more about the importance of Local SEO during hard pandemic times. The pandemic not only kept people from socializing but also improving local businesses. Businesses with good Local SEO strategies did enjoy greater benefits than others in these months. Here are more reasons to invest in Local SEO.

i.Free Traffic:

Even though search advertising can be a very effective channel, it is hard to beat free. By boosting your organic search ranking, you can enjoy the benefits of the ongoing stream of free traffic that can be converted into a customer.

ii.Google is the new Yellow Pages:

Until the internet was established the tried and true strategy for local businesses was to advertise on the yellow pages and wait for the phone to ring. However, now a stunning 97% of the searches for products and services are done online, and Google is by far the most popular option.

iii.Level playing field:

The biggest advantages of Local SEO is that it is the area where small local businesses are on an equal playing field with national and larger businesses. Moreover, if you implement the best Local SEO practices with the help of a White label digital agency, you can bring it to the first ranking page in as little as a month.

Local SEO Strategies:

Local search engine optimization requires a targeted and strategic approach. This is totally different from general SEO. The brick-and-mortar businesses looking to win over their competitors must ensure all the local signals across Google's local search landscapes are correct and consistent. There are five steps to get started.

What's in here?

1. Create a GMB account:

2. Work on local keywords:

3. Optimize your website for mobile search:

4. Optimize for voice search:

5. Add your business to Google maps:

Local SEO Strategies

1. Create a GMB Account:

Google My business

Creating and optimizing your GMB listing, also known as the business profile is one of the most effective ways to rank higher on Google maps as well as gain visibility on Google local search results. To gain access to GMB and make all these optimization, first, you should have a GMB account associated with the profile. After creating the GMB page provide all the requested info in the GMB account dashboard, all these details will be added to your business profile which will appear in Google search results, maps, and Google searches knowledge panel. To optimize your Google my business profile 

  • Ensure that you create a Google my business account and verify ownership of the business.
  • Enter accurately and up to date info.
  • Include as many details as possible like hours of operation, logo, products and services you sell, plenty of images and acceptable payment methods.
  • Encourage your customers to review your business online.
  • Also, respond to each review both positive and negative ones.
  • Publish posts announce events, special offers and new products to your business profile using the GMB dashboard.

2. Work on Local Keywords

Local Keyword

Make a quick list of simple keywords that describe your products or services-for example, restaurant, grocery stores etc. Keep going until you have a reasonably comprehensive list and then plan where to incorporate them. Make sure to include the keywords you are targeting on the URL of the page as well. This provides more evidence to Google about the relevancy and content of each page. Besides, when linking to other pages via anchor text match the anchor text to the URL as much as possible. This lets users navigate your website with more confidence and ease and also promotes coherency, consistency, and trustworthiness. All these work together to improve your Local SEO and Google ranking. You can also take advantage ofGoogle's keyword plannerto filter the keyword search based on location to get an idea of the popular search terms for a given region. This helps you create a list of locally relevant key terms to target on. Once you have them, include region-specific hotspots and landmarks in your content. For example, if you own restaurant services include restaurants in and your location on your site.

3. Optimize your Website for Mobile Search:

Mobile Friendly Website

Desktop searches have found to shift to mobile search faster than expected. Mobile searches have grown exponentially, and overall visits to the website from desktop have shrunk considerably. Moreover, 75% of all mobile searches that exhibit local intent actually resulted in an offline visit within 24 hours. This confirms that you have optimize your site for mobile to be a key player in Local SEO. Here are some tips from experts about voice search to help you achieve this

  • Make sure your site loads quickly and in no more than 3 seconds. The faster your site loads, the more it will keep your customers engaged.
  • Use bigger fonts that are easy to read.
  • Add many images that convey all the information you need.
  • Make sure the webpage design is cool and engaging.

4. Optimize for Voice Search:

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search has grown exponentially. So in Local SEO, it is essential to optimize how people will ask a question when they speak into a device compared to typing a query. Include more long-tail keywords when optimizing for voice search compared to regular search. You will also have to improve the SEO of your content to fit more with the conversational pitch of someone speaking. Try and answer traditional question starters like what, where, why, when, and how.

Voice searches are most often performed when the user needs a specific piece of information. That means they are expecting a useful and quick answer. If a prospect uses voice search to ask what your business offers, the information should be readily available for them.

5. Add your Business to Google Maps:

Google Map optimization

Definitely, you can't rank higher or perform successfully if you don't have a Google maps listing in the first place. If you already have one, that's ok. But if you don't have a listing here are some steps to follow to make your local business appear on Google maps.

Go to Google.com/maps or the Google maps app on your Smartphone and search for your business by entering your business name.

If your business appears in the drop-down menu with the location next to it, then you have a listing. Now proceed on to the next section.

If your business name doesn't appear, you will find a menu to add the missing place. In that case, you should claim your Google maps business listing. When you claim your listing, you must provide many details about your business. The more information a business listing contains, the higher it will rank on Google map. In addition to those, you cannot do any Google map optimization if your listing is not claimed. The prerequisites to claim your business listing on Google map is to have a free GMB account. If you have an account already simply pull your Google map business listing select the option that says claim this business out on this business and follow the steps. If you don't have a GMB account head over to thisGMB guideand we will walk you through creating an account and claiming GMB guide, and we will walk you through creating and claiming a GMB account for your business.

Take Away!

Search engine optimization changes quite rapidly. You never know when Google will introduce new features on a search engine ranking pages for local services. But you can count on these changes coming. That is why it is essential to always stay on top of Local SEO. By implementing these simple tricks from the experts, you can help ensure your business just doesn't take advantage of the local search but also has a solid foundation when a new SEO feature is introduced. Start small and work yourself up until you gain all the success in Local SEO. Think before you start your SEO campaign. Revive your knowledge by taking over your local rankings. With Local SEO, you will be able to perform some keyword research, understand GMB, practice engaging your consumers and do a competitor analysis which is very important for your overall SEO campaign. If you are new to SEO and don't have the bandwidth to make these adjustments, you can talk to professionals at a White label digital agency like Submitinme to keep your business on top always.

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SEO News

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localbusinessstrategy,seonews

About Cynthia Mercileen

Cynthia Mercileen Hi, I’m happy to have you visiting my post. I work in Submitinme as a Content Writer. I constantly look out for and love to write about the latest trends in SEO and Digital Marketing. I’m a passionate writer, as I love everything I do. This quote, ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do’ from Steve Jobs, is something I totally believe in. I set goals for myself and thrive on challenges consistently. So I have something to strive towards always. I am never happy with settling on something, and I always look for a chance to achieve .... more info about the author