The goal of local SEO is to improve your online presence so that you get more business from local searches that are relevant to your business. You could say that it's your business's way of shaking hands with the community online. When you use broad SEO you might be up against a lot of global competitors without a clear goal. Local SEO on the other hand helps you get more business right in your own area.
This means that your business should be one of the first things that comes up when someone searches for "best Italian restaurant near me" or "plumber in The Woodlands." According to Google's Guidelines the results of a local search depend on how relevant far away and well known a business is. In short Local SEO makes it easier for people who are only a few minutes away from your door to find you get in touch with you and trust you.
To do Local SEO well you need to make sure that your business listings are accurate ask customers to leave reviews and make sure that your website works well on mobile devices. Why on the go? Many people search for things to do in their area while they're out and about like tourists or locals who are just looking around. You wouldn't want to miss out on possible customers because your site wasn't mobile friendly would you?
One of the best tools for Local SEO is Google My Business (GMB). GMB is like your store on the web. When you search for a business the useful tabs that show up with information about the business reviews and directions are mostly from GMB.
Setting up a GMB profile is free and not too hard but you have to check on it and update it all the time for it to work well. Keep your business hours right post pictures of your goods or services and update posts about sales or events on a regular basis just like you would on your main website or social media pages.
Talking to customers on sites like GMB can also have a big impact. Respond to both good and bad reviews to show current and future customers that you care about what they have to say. This not only helps your Local SEO but it also makes you look like a business owner who cares and is involved. You can find out more about how to set up GMB by reading Google's official setup guide.
Local citations are very important for helping people find your business when they search for it in your area. What are they? A citation is any time someone talks about your business online. It usually has your business's NAP (Name Address Phone number) which are your name address and phone number.
You can improve your search engine rankings by adding these citations to sites like Yelp Yellow Pages and your local chamber of commerce. Every time someone links to your business it tells search engines that it is real and has been around for a while. However make sure that your NAP information is the same on all platforms. If it isn't it can confuse customers and more importantly search engines.
The goal is to build a strong network of links back to your business. This will make it harder for your competitors to beat you. Tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal can help you keep track of your citations and make sure they stay the same. This will help your Local SEO strategy.
Reviews can make or break your local business because people want to know what other people think before they buy something. Imagine that you're looking for a nice café in The Woodlands. You have two options. One has fifty positive reviews while the other has none. What do you think will happen when you drink your coffee?
Getting your customers to write honest reviews on sites like Google Yelp and TripAdvisor is very important. Positive reviews can make you look more trustworthy which can help your Local SEO work better. According to BrightLocal's Consumer Review Survey 87% of people look at online reviews of local businesses. 82% of people said they felt more confident in their trust after reading good reviews.
Wanting to get five stars is great but being honest and making sure the quality is high is more important. Google also thinks that reviews are one of the most important things that affect rankings. So make sure your customers have a good time ask for feedback and most importantly answer reviews right away. Customers and search engines will be happy with your active participation whether it's a good comment or constructive criticism.
They say that the content is king. But not just any content content that is relevant to the area. If you own a small business in The Woodlands making content that speaks to people in your area can help you stand out from the rest.
You shouldn't just fill your website with keywords like "The Woodlands" to get people to notice it. Instead try to make content that is useful and important to your area. You could write blog posts about things that happen in your area work with businesses there or show off what makes your community unique. It can be as easy as adding stories or reviews from local customers to make your content more local.
When your content fits what people in your area are looking for you're not only meeting a need but you're also becoming a part of the community. This is a big part of Local SEO.
Local SEO isn't too hard in the end but it does require a lot of work and real interaction with your community both online and off. These tips can help small business owners in The Woodlands get more customers improve the reputation of their brand and build a strong business ecosystem. Remember that local SEO isn't just about getting people to find you online. It's also about getting them to trust you talk to you and eventually turn those conversations into loyal customers.
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