According to statistics, 46% of all searches on Google are local.
This means that if you are a local business and you don’t use local SEO to your advantage, you are missing out on new leads every time a customer searches for your products and services on Google.
How much are you missing out on?
Approximately 89% of people search for a local business using their mobile phones at least once a week, with 58% of people searching daily; of that search, 72% will visit a store that is within five miles.
So, you are unlikely to be found by these searchers if your local SEO is not in order.
Local SEO is similar to organic SEO, but with a geographical component and, when utilised properly, local SEO can be very powerful for your local business.
Optimizing local SEO means you are targeting to rank higher in the search engine result pages (SERPs) for local searches. For example, if you are a restaurant in Dubai, your aim should be to rank higher in local search results for restaurants in Dubai.
For this reason, it is important to improve your local SEO if you want to boost your organic local traffic.
What are the local search ranking factors?
Proximity to the searcher is the major ranking factor according to a list published by Moz in 2017 titled pack-ranking factor.
The Google 3-pack is the group of the first three results for your local search. Previously, it used to be a 7-pack but was cut down to accommodate mobile searches. As a local business, your goal should be to appear in the 3-pack list.
So how do you crush the top 3?
1. Optimize your website
The first step is ensuring your website is properly optimized and updated otherwise it will be very difficult for your business to sit among the 3-pack, or even worse, rank favorably in SERPs. Ask for local SEO services now to improve your local ranking.
How to optimize your website
Create a dedicated contact page
Make sure you add all your contacts in the contact page.
Name, Address and Phone – Include all your business addresses and ensure that your business address is exactly the same across the internet – on your website, social media, Google My Business and in all citation directories. If it isn’t, Google will penalise you for it.
If your business has more than one location, include the full name, address, and phone number of each store in the footer of your website.
Make phone numbers clickable on mobile devices. Don’t let your potential customers switch between apps to manually type your business phone number in order to call.
30% of mobile searches on Google are location-related and 76% of local searches end with a phone call
Note that when the user clicks on the phone number, they get a prompt message to call the number.
It is easy to make a phone number on your website clickable. Just follow the post from Google that highlights each step from the beginning to the end.
Add your locations or a map
The main goal of local SEO is to allow potential customers to seamlessly find you.
One thing that can make that possible is by adding a map.
And most importantly, 86% of searchers look up a business location on Google Maps.
Below is a perfect example of a business utilizing Google Maps to its advantage, Starbucks, have included an interactive map of all their locations.
2. Add testimonials
Testimonials are said to be Google’s ‘trust signal’ according to local SEO Guide.
And if you visit their website, you will see why they believe that as they have dedicated an entire page just for reviews.
So displaying testimonials from your satisfied customer on your website can boost your local ranking.
3. Add Schema
Schema creates a common language between leading search engines Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
It helps search engines return more informative results about your website to users.
Adding a Schema markup for local business to your website enables search engines to know that your business is local and not international.
This will, in turn, help with your local ranking
4. Claim Your Online Profiles
Your online presence involves more than just having a functional website.
You need to ensure your business is listed on the major review sites like TripAdvisor, My Business, Yelp, Facebook and any popular local-review platforms.
The reason for this is that in local searches, these review sites rank immediately below Google’s 3-pack.
5. Google My Business
Claim your listing by creating a profile on Google My Business. Editing and filling out your profile and collecting customer reviews will significantly help improve your ranking.
6. Create Local Content
Blogging is important for SEO.
So, make sure your website has a blog section, with regularly updated posts, to acquire links.
Links are the main localized organic-ranking factor. Also, include neighboring cities, towns and unofficial terms that searchers may use instead of simply your city name.
Featuring in local news and popular events can also help boost your rankings.
In addition to enhancing your SERPs, your business will be a source of valuable information to locals by including local news to your site.
7. Build Links
Links can be built by joining related or complementary blogs in your locality.
Leave a positive comment or mention their posts on your own blog. This will help you attract links back to your own website.
8. Understand your audience
Knowing who you are targeting will help you create valuable content for your website.
9. Get Reviews
81% of online searchers read reviews and check ratings and one in three customers comment on blogs or participate in online forums.
97% of people say reviews contributes significantly to their buying decisions.
10. Build Citations
Citations are when your business is mentioned on another business website or anywhere on the web, without necessarily linking to your website. Citations account for 13% of local pack-ranking factors.
Conclusion
Local SEO is important for your local business success. 18% of local mobile searches result in a sale within a day. With this in mind, it is important to enhance your local SEO strategies to be easily found by searchers online.
If you would like help in crushing your competitors and dominating rankings, then get in touch with us today and let’s get your business in front of ready-to-buy customers looking for a local business like yours.