As a small service area business in North Carolina, staying relevant and ensuring your target audience finds your website is crucial for success. Whether you’re a plumbing company, an HVAC business, etc., investing time and energy into a local SEO marketing strategy is one of the most lucrative methods to grow your business online. Following these best practices allows you to navigate local SEO like a pro and stay ahead of the competition.
The Importance of Local SEO for Service Businesses
According to a Google study, 76% of people searching for a local business on their smartphone visit it within 24 hours. Furthermore, 28% of those searches result in a purchase. These statistics highlight the importance of local SEO for service businesses in North Carolina. By optimizing your website for local search, you can attract more qualified leads and convert them into customers.
Top 6 Best Practices and Local SEO Tips for North Carolina Service Area Small Businesses
1. Focus on Internal Linking Structure
Internal links are hyperlinks that point to pages within your website. Simply put, an internal link is one that points to another page on the same website. For example, suppose you’re a roofing company like Nailed It Roofing in Greensboro. In that case, you can link from your homepage to your services page, showcasing your expertise in residential and commercial roofing.
Google’s official Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide discusses internal linking, beginning with the use of breadcrumbs:
A breadcrumb is a row of internal links at the top or bottom of the page that allows visitors to quickly navigate back to a previous section or the root page. Many breadcrumbs have the most general page (usually the root page) as the first, leftmost link and list the more specific sections out to the right. We recommend using breadcrumb structured data markup when showing breadcrumbs.
The guide also references internal links as part of a naturally flowing hierarchy:
Make it as easy as possible for users to go from general content to the more specific content they want on your site. Add navigation pages when it makes sense and effectively work these into your internal link structure. Make sure all of the pages on your site are reachable through links, and that they don’t require an internal search functionality to be found. Link to related pages, where appropriate, to allow users to discover similar content.
As John Mueller, Search Advocate at Google, states, “…internal linking is super critical to SEO.” He calls it one of the biggest things you can do on a website to guide Google to your most important content. (Source: Search Engine Journal)
Optimizing your internal link structure helps boost your SEO rankings by making navigation easier for users and determining the authority and ranking power of your website’s pages. Potential customers may struggle to find important pages without internal links, like your contact information or service offerings.
To start, organize your internal link structure like this:
This structure minimizes the number of links between your homepage and any given page, allowing link equity (ranking power) to flow throughout your entire website. Use a basic link format that search engines can compute, like this:
2. Reassess URL, Title Tags, Headers, Meta Description, and Content
When creating new content or auditing existing content, optimize for search engines by implementing high-volume keywords in the URL, title, header, body, and meta description. This is especially important for local businesses, as geographical search terms and keywords help your content be found in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Title tags, meta descriptions, and page URLs are three of the most important ranking factors when it comes to on-page SEO. There are thousands of ranking factors that search engines use when deciding which websites to show in search results and the order they appear in.
Customer testimonials and case studies are great examples of geo-targeted content. If you don’t have these, start creating them to showcase your expertise and build trust with potential customers in your service area.
For instance, if you’re a landscaping company like BLVD Management, create a case study highlighting a successful project you completed for a client in your service area. Be sure to include local keywords like “landscaping services in [city]” or “landscape design in [county].”
3. Create Local Content and Add Location Pages to Your Website
While broad topics can appeal to a larger audience, creating content centered around local industry news, educational content, employee highlights, and other locally helpful information signals to search engines that your website is relevant to your targeted geographical location and audience.
For example, if you’re a plumbing company like Flo-Bro Plumbing in Raleigh, create a blog post about common plumbing issues faced by homeowners in your area and how to prevent them. This type of content showcases your expertise and provides value to potential customers in your service area.
Another way to optimize local SEO is by creating a location page that includes your contact information, hours, detailed descriptions of your location, promotions, and testimonials. Add a Google Map to your location page for even better results.
4. Keep Your Business Information Consistent and Optimize Your Google My Business Profile
Consistency is key for local SEO. Double-check that your business information, such as address, location, and hours, is the same across the following map data aggregators:
Discrepancies or duplicate listings can hinder your local SEO efforts. In 2016, more than one out of every two businesses had not claimed their Google Business Profile, missing out on a fundamental aspect of local SEO. To ensure accuracy, claim your profile, verify your information, and manage your listing.
To optimize your Google Business Profile:
- Complete all sections of your profile, including business description, hours, and categories
- Add high-quality photos of your business, team, and work
- Encourage customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly
- Post regular updates, such as special offers or new services
5. Invest in Local Link Building
Inbound links, or backlinks, are links from other websites that direct readers to your site. They are a powerful tool for local SEO and raising your domain authority. Google views inbound links like potential customers view positive online reviews – they confirm your legitimacy and trustworthiness.
To build local links, consider:
- Partnering with local charities or sponsoring community events
- Contributing guest posts to local publications or blogs
- Joining local business associations or chambers of commerce
- Encouraging customers to mention your business on their websites or social media
For example, if you’re an HVAC company like J.W. Wilson's Air Conditioning and Heating, partner with a local home builder or real estate agency to cross-promote your services. This can lead to valuable backlinks and referral traffic.
6. Optimize Your Website for Mobile and Measure Your Success
With most users searching for local businesses on their phones, a mobile-friendly website is essential. Ensure your contact information is easily accessible and your website is easy to navigate on mobile devices. This is particularly important for service businesses that rely on customers being able to quickly find and contact them, such as cleaning companies like Purrfection Cleaning Company or home renovation businesses like Mr. Handy Pro.
To measure the success of your local SEO efforts, use tools like:
- Google Analytics to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversions
- Google Search Console to monitor your website’s search performance and identify areas for improvement
- Local rank tracking software to keep tabs on your rankings for important local keywords
By regularly monitoring your performance, you can make data-driven decisions to continually improve your local SEO strategy.
Boost Your Local Presence with SEO
Implementing these local SEO best practices can help your North Carolina-based service business attract more qualified leads, increase your online visibility, and ultimately grow your revenue. Whether you choose to optimize your website yourself or partner with a digital marketing agency like Cube Creative Design, making local SEO a priority is essential for success in today’s competitive landscape.
Don’t wait to start optimizing your website for local search. Contact me today to schedule a free consultation and website report and learn how we can help you create a custom local SEO strategy tailored to your small business’s unique needs and goals.