Local SEO
Local SEO: A Simple Guide
SEO continues to be one of the most important and powerful ways for anyone to get optimal results from their marketing efforts. There is no way to achieve notoriety online if you are unaware of the process of search engine optimization, but there are also different types of SEO to consider and today we are going to talk about local SEO and the power that it holds.
Getting started
The first thing you need to do if you are looking to obtain good information on SEO is to do some research on your current competitors. Just think of the first thing you would type if you were looking for your own service in your area and see what comes up. This is going to give you a great head start that will allow you to have a good perspective on what is available. Check competitor sites and compare what they offer and their prices to what you plan to offer and charge, this is a great way to avoid overcharging when your competitors are offering much better prices.
Choose your keywords
Choosing the right keywords is going to be very useful. This is why you need to make sure that you use something like SEMrush or Google Keyword planner to get the best keywords in your niche. SpyFu is also very useful for this purpose. Remember that you need to combine the main keywords in your niche with your local keywords. It’s always better to narrow things down as much as possible when you are looking to do a local search.
Your website and blog
You need to create a website and a blog that are optimized for local SEO. Some people make the mistake of thinking they can rely on social media pages for this purpose, but you don’t rank by social media. You rank by having a domain name of any extension, as long as you constantly create new quality content for your blog, you will start the process of climbing those ranks on major search engines like Google and Yahoo.
You also need to make sure that your page is optimized for visitors that are using all kinds of devices. This is not a direct tip on local SEO, but one that every marketer and business owner needs to follow if they want to make the most out of their SEO efforts. Be sure to get in touch with someone that can help you set up a proper website with responsive features.
Make use of online directories
Find as many active online directories as you can and make sure that you can submit your business to their database. Some sites will charge for you to appear listed on their top results, but many of them are also free. Being in one of these directories increases your chances of being found on organic search engine results. Be sure that you start by claiming your “Google my Business” and your “Bing Places” before anything else. These are very important directories that seriously impact your Search Engine Optimization.
Conclusion
When you think of how many competitors you can find on the web, you will see that reaching your target audience is significantly when you are doing a local search. This can be narrowed even further if you include specific areas of a city in your local SEO. The more specific you can be with your efforts, the easier it will be for you to get optimal results. Don’t forget to make use of as many SEO friendly tools as possible, and also consider hiring an expert in case you feel this is overwhelming for you to handle on your own.
