When you own a business, it is essential to have a solid local search online presence, as this allows more people to find you. And the key to building this online presence is through search engine optimization (SEO).
However, many local businesses can make the mistake of following SEO best practices that are meant for the national level. If you own a local business, you must understand that different rules will apply. So, here are some ways you can optimize your website for local search.
1 – Focus on Long-Tail Keywords For Local Search
If you want your business to be found on Google, it’s essential to focus on long-tail keywords. These are keywords having three to five words, and they generally search for a specific type of business, for example: “San Diego plumbing service.”
If you want to see what kind of long-tail keywords you should use, go to Google’s keyword planner tool and plug in a keyword your business is targeting. You’ll see that the tool will show you what words to use.
2 – Create Relevant Content
Once you’ve identified the right long-tail keywords to target, you must create quality content surrounding those topics. When you’re writing content, make sure you’re using your keywords and that you’re using them naturally. This will allow search engines to identify your content better and help you rank for your target keywords.
3 – Create Local Search Listings
For people to find you on various search engines, you need to claim and optimize your local listing. Plug in your business address and name to search for your listing. Then, claim your listing, give it a complete and attractive description, and verify it. And if you already have a listing, just make sure all the relevant information on it is updated.
4 – Optimize Your Website’s On-Page SEO
If you want to be found on Google, it’s important to optimize your website’s on-page SEO. This involves paying attention to your internal and external links, your title tags and meta descriptions, your headings and subheadings, and the length of your content.
For example, you should use keywords in your title tags and meta descriptions while also using them in your headings and subheadings so that the search engines know that you’re targeting those keywords. Also, you should make sure your content is at least 300 words. Otherwise, your content may be seen as spam by search engines.
5 – Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
To attract more people to your business website, you need to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. This is because statistically, more people are using mobile devices to look for information and services.
Website owners can test their website’s mobile-friendliness by using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or by checking for the mobile-friendly label on their website in their Google Search Console account.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a local business owner, you need to make sure you’re implementing SEO best practices that are meant for the local level. By using the tactics mentioned above, you’ll be able to optimize your website for local search, and you’ll be able to grow your business.
Strengthen your online presence with the help of Cyrusson. We are a boutique marketing agency in San Francisco that will help you in all aspects of your campaign. Book a free consultation now!