Local SEO focuses on searches within a defined geographic area. You’ve probably already experienced local search by typing something like “best restaurants in Seattle” into Google which will return a list of local restaurants along with a map showing their locations.
Appearing in these local search results is very important for small businesses because the majority of their customers are located in a set area around their business. So what do you need to do to appear in these search results? Here are 4 basic steps that all small businesses should be taking to improve their local search results:
1. Claim your Google Places
If you don’t have a verified Google Places listing for your business, it’s actually impossible for you to appear in the mapped search results on Google, so creating and claiming your listing is essential. Make sure you include your current address and contact information and select categories that best match your business.
2. Build Citations
Citations can be anything from listings on directories like Yelp or Yellow Pages to mentions of your business on local blogs. Anywhere your business Name, Address and Phone number (NAP information) appears counts as a citation. The more citations you have, the larger your local online presence will appear to search engines.
3. Get Reviews
Having positive reviews across many of your listings shows search engines that your business is popular and well liked. This has the added benefit of giving potential customers more information about what it’s like to work with you.
4. Have a Great Website
There are hundreds of factors that go into determining Google’s local search results. Many of them focus on things like the quantity and quality of your citations and how many positive reviews you have, but many business owners overlook the importance of their website in these rankings. Factors like the strength or authority of your domain and the inclusion of local keywords throughout your site’s content can impact your local search performance.
So there you have the basics of getting started with local search, but there is a lot more you can learn about building a successful local presence. Download our ebook to learn even more about optimizing your business with Local SEO.
