If you’re a small business owner who relies on customers in your local area, then local SEO should be very important to you. Nearly half of all Google searches are for people seeking local information, and almost 90% of people who do a local search end up contacting a relevant business within 24 hours. So getting local web traffic is important, and here are some tips to help you turbo-charge your local SEO to increase your leads.
1. Give your website a fighting chance. Usability is a huge factor in Google rankings, so make sure that your site loads quickly. You’ll also want to ensure that your site is enjoyable and easy to use, and pleasant to look at.
2. Optimize for mobile. Over half of all global website traffic goes through mobile devices, so it’s more important than ever that your site can be navigated easily on phones and tablets. If your design needs updating in order to make this happen, that should be a priority.
3. Make yourself easy to contact. Your full company name, address, and phone number should be in the footer of your site, and your About and Contact pages should have this information as well. Don’t make your visitors have to search around to find out how to reach you – it should be obvious as soon as they arrive on your site.
4. Make yourself easy to find. Put a Google map on your site, in a prominent place where visitors can easily find it. If you’re not expecting customers to come to your physical location, a map will still help establish you and build trust with your web visitors.
5. Include local content on your site. Local photos, videos, and keywords are all important elements that will help search engines rank your relevance to your local area. Make sure you have local content that is both helpful and appealing to your visitors.
6. Get listed. Make sure you have a business listing on as many local directories as possible, including Yellow Pages and Yelp.
7. Maximize your GMB page. Google My Business is one of the key connectors in your online presence, so it’s important that you claim your listing, fix any incorrect information, fill in as much additional info as possible, and select the appropriate category listings for your business.
8. Be proactive with your social media. Create accounts on the networks that are appropriate for your business, and cross-promote your profiles and your website. Update your social media profiles regularly with fresh, interesting content.
9. Encourage reviews. Ask your customers to leave reviews on Google My Business, Yelp, and other relevant review sites, making sure to follow their respective terms and guidelines. The more people can write about you in various places, the better.
10. Publish reviews and testimonials on your website. Every bit of good publicity helps – take advantage of what others have written about you, and share that praise with potential customers who visit your site.
Implementing good local SEO for your site will take some time and effort, but it’s not rocket science – following these best practices will have you well on your way to a huge boost in local traffic.
Cogo Interactive is an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in online marketing strategy, web design, SEO and social media marketing. We work with clients in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC and nationally.
