There is no doubt that local SEO is a huge part of your local business’s success or failure in your industry. Unfortunately, however, many local small businesses are unaware of how to use SEO to their advantage. In this article, we are going to cover the main points you need to know in order for your local business to flourish and gain new customers through the proven process of SEO. Let’s get started.
Tip #1 – Create a Google My Business Listing
The first suggested tip for any local business is to leverage the Google My Business Listing. The best thing about setting up a GMB listing is that it provides nothing but benefits to a local business. When you set up a GMB listing anyone in your area searching for your service will be able to find you through the Google Map Pack. The Google Map Pack usually takes priority in the search engine and allows you to rank organically which increases your chances of getting new prospective customers. With a Google My Business Listing you can also post additional details for your local business including but not limited too:
- Opening hours
- Store contact info
- Store images
- Address
- Website URL
Overall it is vital that you setup a GMB listing if you are a local business as not only does it give you precedence over other local searches but it is also extremely easy to setup and can be setup in less than 24 hours.
Tip #2 – Create Targeted Location Pages
Let’s face the facts, sometimes your local business might be looking to or already serves different areas near you. For Local SEO purposes, it is advised that you take the time to create a targeted location page (multilocation pages) that specifically target each area or region you service. For instance if we take a look at the Canadian SEO Agency called Click Typhoon we see how they apply the concept of creating multi location pages down below:
Similarly, if you are a local business that serves many local areas near you, take the time to create an optimize tailored location pages for each area. Some things to keep in mind when making these pages include:
- Avoid duplicating content (Create a unique page for each unique location)
- Internally link all your pages together
- Make sure that you write a minimum of 350 words for each page (if you can’t get to this number include an FAQ and that usually helps)
- Include your location + service as your main keyword; place your keyword in your URL Slug, SEO Page Title, and H1 tag
Tip #3 – Utilize Citations and Local Directories
The final tip that is recommended for local SEO is to utilize citations and local directories to your advantage. These are essentially places where you can post your website URL, contact info and address completely free. Examples of local directories include sites like YellowPages, HotFrog, or Yelp. You can also outsource this task if you find it tedious through freelancing services you cn typically find on Fiverr. The main point however is to make sure to leverage these citations and local directories as you not only increase the liklihood of people finding your business but you also get to generate tons of backlinks pointing back to your website completely for free.
