Alt-text: local SEO
Link: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/seo-search-engine-optimization-1288976/
Local SEO is a branch of search engine optimization (SEO) that is used to increase your business’s visibility in local search results. Both big and small businesses that cater to a specific area or have a physical location in that area can truly benefit from this strategy. If you look up any keywords that are related to your business, the results would most likely be three listings underneath a map of your area. This is how local SEO can help your business grow—by getting your business in front of your target customers.
With a few insights picked up from the Coolest Guy in SEO, Kris Reid, let us understand local SEO better.
How Google Ranks Websites on Its Search Results
Google uses a complex system of algorithms to determine how a website should in a matter of seconds. How you comply with these algorithms can make or break your business.
Every time you look up something on Google, the search engine’s user agents, commonly known as Google bots or crawlers, look through all of the websites in its index and comes back to you with a list of websites that are related to your search (known in SEO as “organic results”). All of these websites are arranged and selected based on their relevance, authority, and popularity through inbound links.
Google’s algorithms also determine which websites are related to your search or not by looking at several on-site and off-site factors. After finding these factors or signals, all of the relevant websites are ranked according to their authority or prominence. So, if Google determines that your site is relevant and is the best answer for a specific query, it lists it at the top of its search results pages.
So, for your site to have good rankings, you need to improve its relevance and authority. And, you can do this by implementing the right local SEO strategy. You should have the right elements on your website and optimize them using techniques that adhere to the algorithms rolled out by Google. You can do this with the help of leading SEO and digital marketing experts, like Kris Reid and Ryan Deiss Ardor SEO.
Local SEO Is a Different Beast
Alt-text: world map with three business location pins
Link: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/web-map-flat-design-pin-world-3120321/
The usual optimization techniques work great if you have an international target audience. But for local SEO, you need a slightly different approach.
After getting data from millions of user search queries, Google saw that people always look for businesses in their locality. So, they also design their algorithms to prioritize local businesses, especially when a user uses a geo-specific keyword. The best thing about implementing the right local SEO strategy is that it ranks your site high on the search results even if a user doesn’t include the name or the phrase “near me” in the keywords they use. Google should be able to understand that you are operating in that area.
Google’s local search results have been introduced for several years now, but it was not as important since most people use their desktops to use the search engine. Most computers several years ago don’t have location services or GPS that Google could use to determine the user’s location and tailor their search results. But now, there is already the Google Maps Navigation system to cater to mobile users.
As more and more people use mobile devices, it has also become more important for you to use local SEO services. In a way, it ensures your message is delivered to your target audience and you don’t get left behind in the competition.
Factors That Affect Local SEO
Local SEO is important in all marketing SEO services. However, to make the strategy effective, you have to know the factors that drive it.
Local Algorithm
Although a map of your area is displayed with all search results listings on Google, there’s a different algorithm that controls rankings of local websites. If you own a local business, you can exploit this quirk for your website to appear both within the main search results and the local map with a list of related businesses at the same time.
Brand Visibility
If you’re starting a new business or wanting to grow an existing one through the internet, one of the most difficult challenges you will face is knowing how to make your products or services more visible online. Experts, such as Kris Reid from Ardor SEO, in this aspect. They can help optimize your site so your business will have a stronger online presence, can generate more leads, and enjoy bigger profits. This is one paramount reason why you should work with the Coolest Guy in SEO—to get guaranteed results.
Content
Local SEO hinges on localized content and the popularity of your local links. If your business has several branches, you need to make separate local landing pages for each of them, which should include your business name and other important details, such as your address and phone number. You also need to optimize every title tag and meta-description of your pages, following the latest best practices.
Business Listings
Listing your business on Google My Business, citations from local sources from data aggregators, and user review sites are also important location-based factors that affect your local SEO.
All these factors can affect your site’s rankings, so you should prioritize them in implementing your SEO strategy.
Start Harnessing the Power of SEO
Alt-Text: search engine optimization (SEO)
Link: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/seo-google-1292322/
With all the information above, you should now be able to use it to improve your website’s performance on the local search results. Your business will gain more visibility and rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs), which leads to more people knowing about your business and availing of your products or services.
While there are other things that can influence your site’s online, you need to remember that local search is still growing and is constantly changing. So, you need to be always updated and know the most effective signals to adjust your strategy and keep it relevant. This is where the Coolest Guy in SEO can help you, especially if you don’t have the time to get more in-depth with SEO. The experts will do the heavy lifting for you and deliver the results you are looking for.
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