Are you the proud owner of one of America’s 31.7 million small businesses?
If so, you’ve undoubtedly poured your heart and soul into building your business. You’ve created your brand, you’ve invested in marketing, and you’ve won the support of local customers.
But here’s one important factor you may have overlooked: SEO for local businesses.
What is local SEO, and what impact can it have on your business? Here’s what the top local SEO experts have to say on the subject.
What Is Local SEO Anyway?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It includes the things you do on and off your website to make it more visible on Google, Bing, and other search engines.
To optimize your website effectively, you will need to work with an agency that will offer you a fully managed SEO campaign or hire an expert in your area to be an in-house specialist.
When you work with a local SEO agency, they’ll get your business in front of people who are searching for your products or services in your area.
As an example, let’s imagine you own a flower shop in Seattle. You focus on general SEO and your website is getting hundreds of hits.
That’s great, right? Except there’s one problem — your website visitors are coming from all over the globe.
No matter how amazing your bouquets may be, no one is going to travel from Miami, New York, or Mumbai to buy flowers in Seattle. The goal of local SEO is to get your flower shop to show up in search results for people in Seattle and nearby areas.
How to Optimize SEO for Local Businesses
You can click here for an in-depth guide on local SEO. But for now, here’s a brief overview of how to improve your local SEO.
Use Local Keywords
What could our friendly Seattle florist do to attract more locals to their business? One of the best places to start would be to add relevant local keywords to their website.
This might include:
- the best florist in Seattle
- flower shops near me
- King County flower shops
- best florists near me
- top Puget Sound florists
- floral arrangements Seattle
By using these keywords strategically in their URLs, blog posts, headings, and meta descriptions, our florist would rank much higher in local search results.
Get Listed in Local Directories
Newsflash: 97% of users have gone online to find a local business. Our Seattle florist could boost their online visibility by getting listed in online directors such as Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, Yext, and Facebook.
Maximize Your Google My Business Page
When you create a Google My Business profile for your business, you’ll feed your local business information directly into Google Maps and Google Search. It also allows you to monitor and respond to business reviews and make quick updates about new products, special promotions, or business hours.
Local SEO for Small Business: Not Optional
Gone are the days when you could advertise your business with a few flyers and a listing in the Yellow Pages. If you want to succeed in the 21st century, you need to make SEO a priority.
Use these tips for SEO for local businesses to attract new customers to your brand!
Looking for more great advice on marketing, business, and technology? Keep browsing our site for other informative articles like this one.
