Local SEO shouldn’t be underestimated.  In fact, out of 4 billion daily Google searches, 46% are local searches.

 

Smartphones and personal computers are becoming an expectation–most people have them.  As a result of the widespread use of smartphones and computers, there’s a growing use of search engines to find everyday products and services.

 

Here’s a pretty common scenario nowadays…

 

A mom just got off work, and goes to pick her kids up from school.  One of her kids tells her about a project that’s due in a couple days that requires art supplies.  She grabs her phone and speaks into it “art supplies near me”.

 

Google populates several listings and how many miles each location is from her.  She chooses the place that is close, has the highest ratings, and looks the most appealing.  Then, she begins driving to the art supply store.

 

After they leave the art supply store, it’s around 7 PM.  Her family hasn’t had dinner, so she decides to go for a pizza.  She grabs her phone and speaks into her voice search “nearest pizza place near me”, and Google loads several results.

 

While you may not be using search as regularly for your daily tasks, it’s becoming more and more widespread that people are using search engines several times per day.  In fact, “near me” searches like “restaurants near me” or “gas station near me” have increased 300% in the last 2 years!

 

Another mindblowing statistic about local search says, “About 89% of people search for a local business on their smartphone at least once a week, with 58% searching daily.”  Then, from that search, 72% visit a store within 5 miles of their location.

 

The search engines have become a powerful tool, but they can’t work to your advantage if your SEO is poor!

 

As a result of the increase in search engine usage and the slow migration of local businesses to adopt the new marketing strategies, those trailblazers are seeing a drastic difference if they add search engine marketing into their strategies.

 

If you can get in the top

 

But, how do you do that?

 

1. Optimize Your Website

If your website is not optimized, chances are you’re leaving traffic and money on the table.  There’s a few ways to optimize your website that can positively effect your search presence online.  The most important factors you want to implement are…

 

1. Add a Contact Page

Local search users want to know where you are, how to contact you, your hours of operation, and information that would help them get in contact with you.  You want to make sure your contact page has your NAP information:

 

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Email

 

It makes the user experience even better when the contact information is clickable.

 

2. Add Map

Sometimes when you read an address, you may not be able to pinpoint where it is.  For this reason, Google has the written address and the illustrated maps to show the address.

 

When you add the map onto your website, it enables your customers to visualize the area of town your business is located in, and plan their visit much easier.

 

3. Add Testimonials

Like it or not, reviews are powerful.  People are more prone to becoming a patron if they’ve seen someone else recieve good results.  No one wants to be the “guinea pig”.  If you have reviews or credibility on your site, it speaks volumes for local business owners.

 

4. Add Schema

 

Schema.org was invented to create a common language between the search engines.  By adding the Schema Markup to your website, it makes it easier for search engines to interpret what’s on the page, which improves your indexing and traffic results.

 

This video gives you information on how to add the Schema Markup to your site:

 

 

2. Claim Your Online Profiles

Added onto your website, there are quite a few websites that are tremendously influential to local buyers.  These are a few of the most important lisings:

 

Google My Business

If you’ve ever searched using “near me” (For example “restaurants for me”), and you’ve seen the list of businesses that appear like this…

 

You’ve probably wondered, “How did they get their listing on the Google Maps?”.  Well, Google My Business is your answer.  By claiming your profile on Google My Business, adding the information, and undergoing the verification process, you’ll be able to populate your business location on Google Maps.

 

When your information is on Google Maps, it makes it easier for customers to find you and to learn more about your business.

 

 

Yelp

Yelp is another very widely used online profile you may want to claim.  In some locations, Yelp is commonly used to read reviews, find contact information, and get a general idea of the credibility of a company.  You’d want to see if Yelp is a service your target audience makes use of prior to making a buying decision, and if so, you’ll want to claim your listing.

 

 

Tripadvisor

Similar to Yelp, Tripadvisor is another online profile that helps consumers make buying decisions about local businesses.  It’s good that you control the information going to sites like this because it effects your business reputation, and the effect can be good or bad.

 

Facebook

As one of the widest used websites on the internet, you shouldn’t be surprised to know that people use Facebook to gain insight about the reputation of local businesses.  If you don’t have a Facebook business page setup, it’s important to create one to begin managing your own online reputation rather than allowing customers to take the initiative for you.

 

3. Create Local Content

Content marketing is a major driver of search engine optimization.  Google ranks articles you write that add value based on search volume, bounce rates, click-thru rates, and other metrics.

 

As a local business, you can draw a unique connection by creating content that highlights geographic location.  Some examples could be:

 

• Connecting an industry topic with local sports
• Showing industry specific insight that’s unique to your location
• or, invoking humor about things that are unique to your geopraphic location.
• Build links by interacting with local business blogs

4. Get Reviews

Whether you’re selling products or services on Amazon, Yelp, Google, or Tripadvisor, people are looking for the credibility of your business, and they’re usually looking for the validation prior to making a buying decision.  The star rating has become an expectation.

 

When you’ve performed your service, you should ask if your customers would be willing to give you a review.  Look at this business for example…

 

 

70 reviews at 4.3 stars!  The average consumer would assume “If they’ve served 70 people well, they probably would serve me well too”.  It seemingly lowers the risk of buying when the company has a good reputation that’s shown by reviews.  These statistics from a recent Local Consumer Review Survey by BrightLocal are likely to show you the importance of reviews:

 

• 97% of consumers searched online for local businesses in 2017, with 12% looking for a local business online every day
• 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
• Positive reviews make 73% of consumers trust a local business more
• 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use a business
• Responding to reviews is more important than ever, with 30% naming this as key when judging local businesses

 

Alternatively, if you have bad reviews, you’ll want to respond, and work to make your service a reputable one.

 

5. Build Citations

In case you’re wondering, when I say “citations”, I am not making a reference to traffic violations.  In the local marketing world, citations are mentions of your business (name, email, phone number, and address) in different places online.

 

Citations are important because they are a ranking factor for search engines.  When Google sees other websites making reference to your business, it shows them you’re an authority and you offer value to others.

 

You can build citations by commenting on local blogs, submitting your information to local business directories, or focusing on industry-focused blogs or directories.  This is one such example for San Antonio Marketing Companies…

 

 

You want to be careful that you’re consistently entering the same information across the internet because incorrect citations is a major ranking factor that negatively impacts SEO for local search, and it’s why people hire service providers like us who offer reputation management.

 

Final Words on SEO for Local Search

The goal of this article was to show how to optimize your SEO for local search.  This is not a one-time effort, but an ongoing thing.  After you’re submitted to these sites, you have to respond to reviews and protect your reputation there, update your listings with images, sales and specials, and continue adding content and optimizing your site. If you have questions or concerns about this, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section.  I’d love to help you out!

 

 

If you liked what you saw here and you’d like a free consultation to discuss your business marketing…

 

Give us a call at (210)564-7749 or CLICK HERE AND SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION TO US!  

 

If you’d prefer to learn how to do digital marketing for your business or train someone to perform the tasks in-house, we recommend one Internet Marketing Training program because it’s the best, and you can get SO MUCH free of cost!  For free, you can get two free websites, ten free training lessons towards an Internet Marketing Certification, and access to a community of 1M+ Entrepreneurs.

 

If you decide to go further into the premium membership, here’s the discount link to get it for $19.  You’ll be able to learn local SEO, pay-per click advertising and so much more.  CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT HERE, give it a test drive, and decide if the premium option is for you!

 

Now, it’s Your Turn…

 

Are you a local business?  Have you done these things to make sure you’re business can easily be found by your local community?  Why or why not?  Leave your comments, questions, and feedback in the comments section below.