Businesses with a local address or serving a local area need local SEO. Businesses offering services like, plumbing, locksmith, lawyer, accountant, real estate, electrician, gardening are few trades that serve the local area.
What is need of local SEO?
To get search engine traffic and leads for searches in the local area.
Suppose if you need electrician form local area urgently, what would you do?
Generally people use Google in their mobile phones or on their laptop and start typing in.
A typical search will look like: “electrician near (location)…”
What do you think Google will display? Google and other search engines will display information based on a user’s location or based on any location specific word the user types in.
How does Google decide what to display?
There is no definite answer that will guarantee 100% consistent results. But there are some well accepted local search engine optimization techniques that can improve your online visibility. They range from Google+ local page, customer reviews, online citations, local links and on-page elements.
Below are some of Does & Don't
On-Site Optimization
| Do | Don’t |
| Review and Correct On-Page SEO ElementsThis includes contact details, phone numbers and local keywords. | Not Conducting SEO AuditLook at URL structure and target keywords. Spy on competitor’s keywords. |
| Create Quality Local Content that Serves Target AudienceYour content has to serve the target audience in your area. It has to be better than what the user can find on the web elsewhere. Create actionable content that flows from start to finish. |
Create Spun Content or Duplicate ContentKeyword stuffing and copied content can hurt your rankings. No internal links or links to expert content on authority sites can also hurt your SEO. |
| Leverage Social MediaTake advantage of the growing social media that has 4.2 Billion monthly online users on the top 8 social networks. Try to build a brand and promote content to attract customers. | Just Drop Links on Social MediaSocial signals are important ranking factors and be social to influence followers. |
| Optimize ImagesInclude local keywords and city name in image file name and alt tags. |
Ignore Image File Names and Alt TagsIgnoring image optimization is like ignoring another big search engine like Google images search.
|
Google+ Local Page Optimization
| Do | Don’t |
Create Local Pages/PlacesSign up to Google+, Bing and Yahoo business pages to enhance organic search rankings. |
Provide No Contact DetailsIncorrect information can hurt your reputation and rankings. |
| Ensure NAP (Name, Address & Phone) Listings are CorrectGoogle MapMaker can help access personal information and ensure correct NAP listings. |
Have Inconsistent NAP ListingsNAP Listings have to be consistent across the web to be beneficial. |
| Have a Physical Address in the City You want to Rank forA Physical address can help your local rankings. |
P.O. Box in Business AddressAvoid P.O.Boxes; have them on Address Line 2 if you have to have them. |
| Use a Local Phone Number A local number and address can help with local listings. |
Avoid a Call Centre Number If PossibleGeneric numbers have no advantage compared to a local phone number. |
Reviews, Citations and Links
| Do | Don’t |
| Proactively Get ReviewsReviews can boost rankings so ask for it from satisfied clients. |
Pay for ReviewsFake reviews can damage a business online. |
| Review and Organise Your Business CategoriesCategories allow users to find your business online. |
Miss Relevant CategoriesMake sure you select all relevant categories as you don’t want to lose any opportunities to be found online. If you have an irrelevant category then remove it so it doesn’t affect site rankings or increase bounce rates. |
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