If you run a small, geographically constrained business, then local SEO is something that’s always going to be crucial to your success. Local SEO basically allows you to rank well for location-based keywords, which is great when you’re trying to source new clients and generate new leads.
Unfortunately, a lot of small business website owners don’t understand the importance of local SEO. With this in mind, I decided to put together a short list of my top five local SEO tips. These include:
- Create Location Pages
If you’re serious about ranking well for location based keywords, location pages are a great place to start. Basically, a location page outlines all of your services and the things that you offer in a specific suburb or area, and includes the location or locations that you want to rank for as major keywords.
For example, if you own a small plumbing business in Location X, you might create a location page outlining all of your services in Location X. Your keywords would be things like “Plumbing Location X” and “Location X plumbing services”.
- Make Sure Your Address Is Listed On Your Website
If you have a physical address, you need to make sure that it’s listed on your website, and that it’s correct. Similarly, include a phone number and a list of your offices if you have more than one.
This will help Google work out exactly where you’re based, and should help you rank better in your local search rankings.
- Claim A Google My Business Listing
For me, it’s incredible how many small business websites don’t have a Google My Business listing. Basically, these listings allow you to tell Google exactly where you are based, what sort of services you offer, and what areas you work in. This will help you rank very well in your local area, and will allow you to appear on Google Maps.
4.Get Reviews
I’d recommend including some sort of customer review section on your website, especially if you offer physical business services. Customer reviews are a great way to build your reputation, and having a good reputation will help you rank much better in the local search engine results.
- Plan Your Keywords Carefully
I’ve already outlined location pages and how useful they can be, but you also need to make sure that you’re including keywords in your general website content.
For example, if your website contains a few service pages that outline the sort of things that you do, you should think about what sort of location-specific keywords you can include. Don’t stuff them in, and make sure that they add to your content, rather than decreasing its quality, but make sure that you do have them.
Final Word
If you run a small, location-specific business, then it’s very important to focus on local SEO. Achieving a good local SEO ranking will help drive more relevant traffic to your website, which should help improve your business success.