Insights

5 essential tips to improve local search rankings

When your business primarily services a specific location, it’s critical to ensure you are easily found in online searches.

As daunting as it may seem, competing with the big guys in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can actually be easier for you in some respects. Try these simple SEO tips that can help you improve your local search rankings.

Make local keywords work

You could improve your local search results by analysing and adjusting the keyword and keyword phrase usage on your website.

First, you need to be clear about who your local audience is and the location areas you want to target.

From here, take a look at the local search terms that are currently bringing traffic to your site. Then, go through and adjust your website content to include the most popular terms and locations throughout, adding those you have missed and making sure you’ve taken all appropriate opportunities to use keyword phrases where they naturally fit.

The locations you service should appear frequently throughout your website content.

Leverage local activity

One enormous advantage you have over multi-nationals is that you truly are local. You (and your business) can build relationships and become involved in activities and events at a local level.

Getting involved with local events can provide you with great content for your website blog that can also help you be found locally.

By writing about and sharing blogs and images before and after events, you’ll make search engines happy with new, relevant (local) content with inbound and outbound links.

Your content does not always need to be about a specific thing you do or sell. Writing about your community and local area can be very beneficial for improving your rankings. If you sponsor a local event, organisation or team, be sure to write about and share material on that as well.

Geo-Targeting made easy

One of the easiest ways to geo-target your site and get more traffic is to use Google Maps.

Customising and embedding a map in your site helps Google and the other search engines know that your site is relevant to specific services in a specific location.

Get social

Social media is your friend when it comes to improving local search results for a couple of reasons:

  1. Social networks naturally expand your reach and audience; and
  2. Social activity (shares, likes and comments) add credibility and authority to your content which will make the search engines like you more.

Depending on your business type, a business Facebook page, LinkedIn page, Twitter account or a YouTube channel can be incredibly helpful for building local presence, trust and relationships while also supporting your rankings.

Google-ise

Google Places can help you be found on Google search, Maps and Google+ and on mobile devices, which essential as more and more people are using them.

Google places results often appear on the first page of a search that involves a location as listings and sometimes also a map listing.

To be included in that, you’ll need to have a verified Google Places account. These are available as either free or paid versions and can be extremely effective for improving your local search results.

If you need to be found on the first page in your local area, keep these SEO tips in mind; Focus on understanding and using your keywords and local keyword phrases, get involved with local events and activities, write about and share your relevant local content in blogs and through social media and Google-ise your business to take advantage of the inbuilt benefits Maps and Places can provide you.

iFactory is a full service digital agency, providing specialist SEO services,  inspired strategic digital marketing, website design and social media management to help businesses small and large compete more effectively. Drop us a note or call us on 07 3844 0577 to talk more about nailing your SEO strategy.

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