Is your business website ranking highly on Google, Bing, Apple Maps or any other search engines? If not, then you’re not taking advantage of one of the most important business tools available.
You might find it shocking that around 46% of all Google searches are local. Yet, 56% of local retailers haven’t even claimed their Google My Business Listing. Claiming your Google My Business Listing is the first step to developing your local SEO.
If you’re looking to optimize your business website and improve its local presence, here is a simple outline of local SEO and a 5-step guide that can help you boost your business’ SEO performance and maximize your business’ potential.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your local online presence to attract relevant customers through local searches. These searches take place via search engines like Google, Bing etc.– wherever people search for services.
Google holds around 87% of the search engine market share in the United States, meaning that the vast majority of people will be using it to search for local businesses.
Google’s Business Listing VS. Organic Search Results
Trying to find a Branding Agency in New York?
Here are the search results for “Branding Agency in New York”
Notice how there are two set of results?
1. The Business Listing results
2. The Organic results
Most people are familiar with organic search results. But what about business listing results?
These results, also known as the 3-pack, appear as a boxed area on the first results page of any google search, and display the most relevant business listing when users perform a search.
Around 33% of clicks go to business listing results while 40% go to organic results. So, it’s important for you to optimize your website for both.
But how does Local SEO work?
Keyword Research
Let’s assume for a second that you are a dry cleaner in New York named “Next Cleaners”.
In order to maximize your earning potential, you will want to rank highly on Google searches like:
- Dry Cleaners in New York
- Next Cleaners
- What time does Next Cleaners in New York close?
- Next Cleaners New York phone number
- What services does Next Cleaners New York offer?
Google displays this information in card-like results (often with directions too) in the Search Engine Results Page.
Here is an example:
Google extracts this information from Google My Business Listings pages.
But what are some of the best strategies for optimizing your website’s SEO ranking?
1.1 Brainstorm your SILs (Service in Locations)
Let’s say, for a moment, that you’re a Carpenter in New York. How do you think that people will search for carpentry services? They’ll probably Google something like:
- Carpenter in New York
- Good cheap carpenter in New York
- Best carpenter in New York
There’s a clear format. It’s service in location.
Pro Tip: Make sure you use plurals and variations for your services while optimizing your business site for certain keywords. For example – carpenter in New York, carpenters in New York or carpentry in New York etc.
Google Keyword Planner will help you search for keywords based on service and location.
Note: If you are doing SEO for a business based in a small town, there might be too few local searches to work with. You can always expand out searches to nearby towns or cities in order to increase volume.
1.2 Search for Keyword Ideas on Craigslist
Craigslist can be a goldmine for you to find local keyword ideas. Go to their “services” section, select the location you’re targeting, and enter a keyword.
Craigslist is the perfect place to view what people are searching for in real time.
1.3 Let Google Autocomplete suggest some keywords
You can use Google Autocomplete to generate more search suggestions. Enter the primary keyword into the Google search box and find out what other people are searching for. This is a great way for you to fill in the blanks and see what real people are searching for.
There are some really interesting suggestions here. Note these keywords and plan your SEO strategy accordingly.
2. Google My Business, Bing Places and Apple Map Listings
Again, though Bing Places and Apple Maps Listings are important for local SEO, claiming and optimizing your Google My Business Listing is the most crucial part of local SEO.
Fortunately for you, setting up these listings is relatively easy.
2.1 Google My Business
Google My Business is one of the top local ranking factors for both Business Listing and Organic results.
You can set up Google My Business here and then follow these steps.
Step 1: Enter Your Business Name
Google will ask you to enter your business name. You have two choices:
- Create a new business
- Claim an existing business
Google will search for your business when you start typing. If Google has it in its system, you’ll be able to view it. If not, click on the option to “create a business with this name”.
Step 2: Google will ask your address if your business is not found in Google’s system.
You should use the real physical address from where you work. Be careful here and make sure it is absolutely correct.
You’ll also see a checkbox labelled “I deliver goods and services to my customers”.
Checking this box ensures that you’re officially a “Service-area Business.” You should check this box if you are delivering goods and services to your customers or are serving customers at a physical location. You can also choose to hide your address by ticking the “Hide my Address” box. Your address won’t be shown to users.
Step 3: Enter your Exact Location
You need to pin-point your location on the map. You can drag and drop a pin at your business location.
Step 4:Choose Category
Google allows you to choose a category for your business. Google can also suggest categories.
Select a category that best suits your business and then hit “Next”
Step 5:Enter your Phone Number and Website
Though this is optional, it is highly recommended to add your phone number and website URL.
Step 6: Verify your Listing
Before your Google My Business Listing goes live, you must verify the listing. It is done via phone or postcard. You need to follow the instructions from Google for verification.
Step 7: Optimize the Listing
After completing the verification, optimize your Google My Business Listing by:
- Adding more categories
- Uploading some photos
- Listing your open hours
- Listing individual services you offer
- Adding additional phone numbers
- Adding relevant attributes/amenities etc.
The more information you can provide, the better.
2.2 Bing Places
Just Like Google My Business Listing, Bing Places is also used to list your business on Bing. Though Bing has just a 7.8% market share in the United States, you should still list your business on Bing Places. Click here to get started. The process is similar to Google’s.
2.3 Apple Maps
Listing your business on Apple Maps is highly recommended, as millions of users use Apple Maps to find services. Apple Maps is the default maps on the iPhone and is optimized for use with Siri. Click here to get started.
3. Local Citations
“Citations” are the online mentions of your business. Typically, these consist of your business name, address and phone number. There are two major types of citations – structured and unstructured.
Structured citations are those where your business’ name, address, and phone number information is presented in a visually-structured manner. These citations can be found on business directories, social profiles, and classifieds, among others.
Unstructured citations are found in business magazines, newspapers, or on blog posts etc. They are not structured in a way that is optimized for SEO. These are the more casual references to your business.
It’s important to note that search engines aren’t the sole place where people look for business. People often find services through business directories, Craigslist, or word of mouth. Therefore, citations are the most important factor for local SEO. Ensuring that the existing citations are relevant and consistent is paramount.
4. On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is often overlooked as an integral part of the SEO puzzle. Traditional on-page SEO practices are as follows:
- Keyword in title tag
- Keyword in Headline 1
- Keyword in URL
- Short and simple URLs
- Enticing Meta Description
The key here is cohesion and consistency. There are a few other on-page SEO practices like adding schema markups to increase your business’ website rank in local searches. Your approach may differ depending on location.
4.1 Rank Local Landing pages by Setting Up your Website Structure
You need to set up local landing pages to rank in all the different locations served by your business. The most effective structure is:
- mybusiness/area-1/
- mybusiness/area-2/
- mybusiness/area-3/
Avoid creating multiple landing pages for the same location.
4.2 Optimize your Homepage
You should optimize your website’s homepage by location. Google shows location-specific results based on the user’s GPS location and IP address. While optimizing the homepage, keep the following pointers in mind.
- Display Name, Address, and Phone number information
- Embed Google Maps on your site showing your business location
- Display consumer testimonials, reviews etc.
- Add relevant schema markups
Optimizing specific keywords for your homepage is a better option if your business serves many locations.
4.3 Optimize your Local Landing Page
Your local landing pages should be optimized around specific locations.
If you create local landing pages for locations in NYC, Ohio and Alabama, then you should optimize individual pages for each respective location.
For example, the page mybusiness.com/NYC/ should be optimized for NYC specific keywords, while mybusiness.com/ohio/ and mybusiness.com/alabama/ should be optimized for Ohio and Alabama, respectively.
4.4 Add Schema Markups
Schema markups can be intimidating but they’re just an additional piece of code that provides Google with more information about your business. Google Structured Markup Helper is a good resource to get you started.
Check off “Local businesses” and paste onto one of your pages. Now, click on “Start Tagging”.
Your page will open in visual editor. Adding a schema markup is as easy is clicking on any relevant on-page elements.
Ensure that the elements you are adding in markup closely resemble your Google My Business data. Once you are done, click on “Create HTML” and select JSON-LD format.
Paste the code into the header section of your website. If your business has multiple locations, then you have to repeat this process for each location.
5. Social connections
Social connections are essential to boost the SEO of a site.
Creating a lot of links through citations on directories and listing websites is a good start, but taking an active role in curating an online presence for your business is an essential step in maximizing your business’ online SEO. Here are some tips on how to increase your social connections:
5.1 Create and Promote Useful Local Resources
Helping customers will help you win their hearts. If, for example, you are a restaurant owner, you can try creating a blog related to food or a healthy lifestyle. People engaging with your posts is a great way to increase your social clout.
5.2 Guest Blogging
Guest Blogging is an excellent way to build high-quality connections. Write industry-specific blogs and publish them on relevant websites. You should craft posts that can direct readers to your business’ website.
5.3 Other Strategies
There are multiple sources where you can create social connections such as forums, article submission sites and listing websites. Additionally, you can interact with other bloggers through comment sections.
The Bottom Line
Once you start following these practices, you’ll find yourself ranking higher on search engines. Most businesses fail to recognize the importance of local SEO. Having a good handle on local SEO can increase brand awareness dramatically. If you have any questions about local SEO please fill out the form below and our expert team will get back to you as soon as possible.
