Local search engine optimization (local SEO), also called local link building, refers to optimizing your websites or web pages for better local exposure in the search engines. Local SEO is like organic SEO in that it also is a method affecting the visible presence of a site or a page in the search results of a particular search engine, often called the "organic" or "unpaid" results. Organic search results are those that are generated by the engines based on natural user searches for a given keyword/phrase. These natural searches are what your organic optimization efforts are aimed at.
Local SEO optimization tips
The goal of any website should be to help you increase traffic, build credibility and reputation for your small business. Here are five tips to help you do just that:
1. Backlinks
With organic search results, the outcome tends to be influenced by the volume and quality of backlinks that are coming into the site from other sites with high domain authority and social media clout. This is because inbound links from sites with higher domain authority and social media clout tend to result in more trust from users when they perform a query related to the keyword(s) being searched. So, the more inbound links you have coming into your website from high PageRank sites, the better the chances are of it appearing in organic results and of getting a good ranking on search engines for those keywords. Also, these high PageRank sites usually have high search traffic, which is another indirect means of increasing your local SEO value.
2. Keyword research
Keyword research is necessary for any search marketing or content marketing campaign and for local SEO in particular. The importance of keyword research for both organic search results and local SEO cannot be overstated.
3. Utilize keywords
When writing articles and creating content for your site, it is important that you remember to optimize your text with the proper Local SEO keywords and key phrases that will give you the best chances of performing well for your target audience. Keyword-rich headlines, properly capitalized keywords, using descriptive key phrases in your meta description, the title tag, and even in the alternate text (alt-text) on your images will be beneficial. However, the content of the article and of the site itself must be relevant to your target audience so that you don't end up wasting your time and money.
4. Geographical landing pages
One method that is quite popular with Local SEO efforts is producing high-quality, user-friendly articles or pages focused on your geographic area. While some users will research and read every word you have, others may do very light research (if any). You should make sure that the blogs and pages you produce are easy to understand, geared towards educating potential customers, and giving useful information that is relevant to their needs. As a matter of fact, some experts argue that a perfect balance between technical knowledge and user experience is more important than ever because the competition is becoming more fierce and Internet users have become more discriminating.
5. Internal linking
Another great way that you can optimize your website pages or blog for local SEO is by optimizing the internal linking structure of your site. Internal linking structure refers to the relationships among the pages of your site. For example, let’s say you are a plumber. On your website, you have a geographical landing page that talks about residential plumbing. You are sure to mention that you service Anytown, and you have already talked about proximity to the courthouse, hospital, or a local park. Then you have a blog that talks about fixing clogged drains in a bathroom. In your blog, you would want to link back to your geographical landing page. The bottom line is that Google wants to get lost in your website, similar to the neighborhood that is so easy to get lost in (I think there is one in every town or city).
Final Thoughts
The goal of any website should be to help you increase traffic, build credibility and reputation for your small business. Your content and your website need to be relevant to the target prospective clientele so that you will have a higher chance of increasing conversions and revenue. If you are looking for help with your local SEO or would like for us to take a look at your site, reach out to us we would be happy to help!
