Local SEO is a part of SEO that emphasis optimizing a website and makes sure it gets found when a user searches with the local intent. It is the use of search engines to find something within a specific geographical area. For example- A user searches for ‘barber shops near me’ is a local search. It connects the local business with potential customers and enables your business to stand out in local searches. Local search can generate more customer visits to the physical location of the business. It is vital to understand how to optimize your website for local searches using Local SEO.
The elements on which the Local SEO works are:
Proximity
Proximity means how close your business location is to the user. If your business has listed on Google My Business with an updated profile and a user is nearest its region, then the Local SERP will show your business in the top position. That is because Google My Business works in proximity.
Relevance
Relevance means how applicable is your business with the search query. If the search made by the user is most relevant to your business, then the SERP will show your business in the search result. For instance, if a user searches for 'coffee shops near me' and your business is relevant to the keywords, then the SERP will have your business on the top. So your website's content should comprise all the related keywords with the search to gain visibility.
Prominence
Prominence is what others say about your website or business. Users give reviews and ratings to the business websites. Google uses these ratings as a ranking factor. It is important to create content that engages users which helps the business to get better ratings.
Simple ways to optimize your website for local search using Local SEO
Create citations
It is an online mention of your business. Citations are the Name, Address, and phone number of the business. These citations are used by Google to test the authenticity of the business website. The citations used by the website should be related to your local business and should remain the same on all the sites.
Local Keywords
Local keywords are the keywords that include keywords and phrases with geographic area. The content on the website should comprise the cities around your business that forms local content. Writing local content helps you to appear on top of the list in local search results. It favors the business with a local listing in proximity to the users.
Embed business address and Google Maps
Your business address should incorporate into your website. To make sure that you appear in local search results, embed Google maps location on your website. It shows your exact location and helps the user to find your business easily. Create location-based pages if your business has different locations. It provides the users with information about name, address, phone number, store descriptions, etc. to the users. Avoid duplicating the content in the location-based pages and create unique content for each of the location pages.
Create Google My Business Account
Creating an account in Google My Business gives your business free listing. If your business has registration on Google My Business account, it is more likely that a user will visit your website to get more information about your business.
Meta title
The Meta title is the title of the HTML document is displayed in search engine results. Meta title includes information like area, region, and the business in the Meta title and description. The Meta title should be correct and should be of 40 to 70 characters. You can use Meta title tags by including location-specific details to optimize your website for local searches.
Geo Tagging
Geotagging is embedding location-specific data on your website. Geotagging is latitude and longitude coordinates added to images and other media as Metadata. To optimize your website for local search geotagging is significant. It gives the advantage of local listings for local searches.
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Use local business schema
To optimize your business’s website for local search local business schema is very important. It is a structured schema markup code that you can use to make it easier for the search engines to identify your business. The main areas to focus on are- Name, type of business, image, phone number, logo, description, opening hours, address, etc. Schema markup code is used to markup the elements of your website. By adding local business schema, the search engines can identify your website and all the information related to your business.
Mobile-friendly website
The website that you have created should be mobile friendly. Smartphone users are more likely to purchase from a Website that has a mobile-friendly design. Most of the mobile phone users look for the business website online before visiting. So, it is very crucial to have a website that is mobile friendly to get a better ranking.
Create pages for products and services
It is advisable to use different Web Pages for all the products and services you offer. For every product that you offer there should be a webpage for that product which contains all the information related to that product. Don’t stuff everything in just one page. It lowers your rankings.
Optimize inbound links
To be authentic and gain a good reputation as a local business, creating linkages with other local businesses is crucial. Creating and optimizing inbound links from other local websites is very beneficial for your website. Building relationships in the local neighborhood is useful.
Conclusion
By optimizing your website, you can stand out from your competitors and build a strong position in your locality. Local SEO creates more traffic on your website. The more traffic on the website means better sales and conversion rates. It makes your business a reputation and builds trust in your business. By applying all the optimization strategies using Local SEO on your website can help your website to increase conversion rates and publicize your business.
