If you run a store-front business or offer a service that is within a specific local-based geographic area, then you will want to focus your marketing efforts on getting in front of local traffic.
Since many marketing initiatives are of a more global nature that don’t help you at all, there’s actually a few specific things you can do to ensure you get visible in front of the local people that you want to attract to your business.
Aside from using targeted Facebook and Google Ads, local search optimization can help your business be found in searches when people are looking for a business likes yours in their area.
So what can you do to get your website to rank better for local search?
Optimize Each Web Page to Rank For the Target Keyword
Put the keyword phrase in several spots in the wording and coding of your website pages including:
- Meta keyword and description tags
- File name or URL of the page. For example: best-home-staging-Abbotsford.html
- Header of the page within an H1 tag
- Sub headers of the page within H2 and H3 tags
- File names of graphics used on the page
- Hyperlinked text containing the keyword phrase, ideally located in the first and last paragraph of the page
- Header tag using the keyword phrase at the end of the page
Make a List of Areas Want to Rank For
This will include your city, your major metropolitan area, county, and state. Think about the Neighboring towns that your business can also service in addition to your own.
Then create long-tail keyword phrases for each of these. For example instead of optimizing for “Web Design”, you can optimize for several phrases including: ”Yardley Web Design” and then “Philadelphia Web Design”, lastly “Pennsylvania Web Design."
Add Your Business Address at The Footer of Your Website
This not only acts as a clue that shows Google you are a local business but also shows your website visitors that they are in the right place. Showing your location and the areas served on your website is vital for localized businesses. It’s also a good idea to embed a dynamic Google Map for good measure and ease of customers finding your location.Add a link to your business on Google Maps
Check to see if your business is showing up on Google Maps and if not, add a submission to have it included. Not only will this serve to help customers find directions to your place, but it’s also another marker that tells Google, ergo it will help your potential customers find you.
Create a Web Page, Video and Blog Post For Each Local and Relevant Keyword
Using the keywords and geographic locations throughout your website is also important for the search engines to keep you top of mind in their search results. Avoid adding these pages to the primary navigation if possible; however, they do still need to link back to your website home page in order to get indexed.
Regularly Write, or Film New Local Content
Adding new content to a website, especially as a blog post, is important for any organization that wants to drive more traffic to their website. Making that new content location-based, makes it even more valuable to your potential customers.
This could be a press release about things you are doing in the community. You could do a review of a new local service, restarant or product. You can also create a recommended links page that shares information about other complementary local businesses.
Share Local Pictures
Make a point to take pictures of your business doing things in local places. Name these pictures when you post them to your website or blog with file names including your local keyword phrases.
Image Alt Tags are Crucial
Make sure all the images used on your website have local keyword phrase file names and alt tags.
Submit Your Website & Company Information to Local and Niche Directories
Using local directories and major directories with local listings is invaluable to getting your local business found. Directories such as Yelp, and Foursquare are great places to start. Create a full profile and be sure to add all of your contact and location information.
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