According to one recent study, search engines like Google account for approximately 90% of all web traffic. If a new customer is going to find your business, the chances are high they’re going to do it via Google. That will take them directly to your website, which had better offer them the best experience possible, or they WILL hit that “Back” button in their browser and never return.
This is part of the reason why localization is so important when it comes to building an online presence. You’re trying to reach people who live and work close to you – meaning the people who are most likely to become your ideal customer in the first place. Yet at the same time, proper localization is incredibly difficult, in part because it requires so much time and energy.
But when you reach local customers through an optimized website, you’re creating the type of first impression that immediately builds trust and authority. You start establishing a positive relationship with them right away, which is why the effort is more than worth it.
Understanding Local SEO
Search engine optimization may be an inherently complicated topic, but the idea at the heart of it couldn’t be more straightforward. For search engines like Google to keep making money, they need people to keep using their services. The only way that will happen is if the search results are as relevant and high-quality as possible. To guarantee that this idea is always true, Google uses hundreds of different factors to determine its search engine results pages (SERPs) for a given keyword.
The more of those proverbial boxes you check, the higher you rank. That, in essence, is what SEO is all about.
Local SEO doesn’t just make sure you rank highly with the largest possible audience – it does so for the right one, meaning the people who live and work in the same area you do. Many different factors influence local search rankings, including how far away you are from the person doing the search, how well your content lines up with the original intent behind the search, how much authority you’ve built through techniques like content creation, and more.
According to one recent study, about 46% of all Google searches have some type of local intent. Roughly 88% of people who use a smartphone to conduct a local search will visit whatever business they find within one week. In an era when about 32% of consumers say they search for local businesses on a daily basis (with at least 80% of people doing so at least once a week), it’s easy to see why this is something that your small business needs to start paying more attention to.
If you run a brick-and-mortar business in Baltimore, you need people who live and work in Baltimore to find you. It doesn’t matter if people in Philadelphia see your business come up when they perform Google searches – they’re not getting in a car, driving over to your location, and seeing if you can meet their needs.
If you want to get more people walking through the door, you need to target the people who actually have the ability to do so. That means making sure you’re always getting the right message in front of the right local audience at exactly the right time.
Keyword Research
One of the core components of local SEO website strategies has to do with keyword research. Essentially, you need to think about the terms someone would use that would lead them to finding a business like yours. Once you identify those relevant local keywords, you can work on incorporating them as organically into your content as possible. The more you’re able to do that, the easier it will be to rank for them – thus capturing as much attention as possible.
There are a number of different tools that you can use to do this, including Google’s own Keyword Research tool and WordStream. Regardless, once you know which keywords you’re targeting, you need to work on incorporating those locally-focused terms and phrases into your website content as organically and as strategically as you can.
On-Page SEO Optimization
Another essential step to take to bolster your local SEO efforts involves optimizing your on-page SEO elements. Pay particular attention to your meta tags – that is to say, the title, description, and header tags designated for each page. Make them as locally relevant as possible.
Beyond integrating local keywords as naturally as possible into website content, you can also enhance your user experience through mobile optimization and fast-loading pages. Remember that the majority of people will experience your content for the first time on a mobile device, so you need to make sure it loads properly in this format.
Localized Content Creation
Whenever possible, always work to develop location-specific content for your website. If you operate more than one physical location, each one should have its own distinct page – complete with accurate contact information. Take the same approach for each city and town that you serve.
Always provide clear and easily accessible contact information to make it as easy as possible for people to get in touch with you. Go the added step of embedding a Google Map on your site for local familiarity.
At least a few times a month, you should work on creating engaging blog posts with as much local relevance as possible. If you’re running short on ideas, don’t be afraid to fall back on utilizing customer testimonials and success stories. This is a perfect way to build local credibility.
Finally, work towards incorporating as much locally relevant imagery wherever you can. If your city is known for a few key landmarks, don’t hesitate to work them into the content of your site in some way.
Building Local Citations
Over the weeks and months ahead, you should also work to build local citations. These are mentions of your small business’ name, address, and phone number online. Business directories and your Google Business profile are a great way to do this, or at least to get started.
Make sure that this name, address, and phone information (often referred to as your NAP for short) is consistent across all websites and platforms that it appears on. If you change your phone number, you need to change it everywhere – you don’t want to cause confusion.
Link your website to your business listings on online directories and review sites, creating a single unified experience for everyone. You should also link your social media profiles on sites like Facebook and Instagram while you’re at it.
Implement Structured Data Markup
Much of the discussion up to this point has been focused on the front-facing things you can do to improve local SEO. There are a lot of “backend” steps that also need taking and using structured data markup is key.
Structured data markup essentially helps Google better “understand” the content on your page, which can help line up your site with the intent of the person using the search engine. The more closely those things align, the more helpful the search results are – creating a win-win situation for everyone.
Incorporate structured data to enhance your search result snippets and utilize local business markup for specific industries. It’s not just that you’re a local business – you’re local AND you offer a very precise product or service.
Doing this step is not easy and will require the assistance of a web developer or marketing company to properly set it up.
Monitor and Analyze Website Performance
Because local SEO is all about the long game, it’s also critical to set up Google Analytics to handle all your website tracking needs. You don’t just need to know how users are interacting with your website – you need to know where they’re coming from. That way, you can focus your efforts on those areas and make sure that you’re getting the most from your marketing spend.
Whenever possible, make data-driven adjustments to improve your local SEO performance. Pay attention to what the numbers are telling you. Don’t guess or rely on “your gut” – lean into the facts as they exist and go from there.
Making an Impact with Surefire Local
In the end, localizing your online presence with your website is a critical first step towards getting the right message in front of the right audience at the right time.
If someone picks up their smartphone and searches for a business like yours “near me,” you want to be what they find. If you are, they’re more likely to become a customer and, at that point, your products and services can speak for themselves.
When you localize in the context of specific zipcodes, you put yourself in a position for better customer engagement and ultimately better business growth by following effective website and SEO best practices.
Surefire Local has dedicated itself to helping small businesses establish their own online presence by creating local signals across a myriad of platforms and profiles. All are designed to make it easier for new customers to find you, which is why we’re proud of the reputation we’ve been able to earn as a leading all-in-one marketing platform for local organizations like yours.
If you’re interested in finding out about even more local SEO strategies for small business success, or if you’d just like to discuss your organization’s needs with someone in a bit more detail, we’re always happy to help. You can also click here to attend a Surefire Local demo to experience what a powerful platform can do for you.