Whether you have multiple locations for your business or you serve a particular community, local search engine optimization (SEO) should be a priority in your marketing strategy. By making sure that you’re coming up in Google for relevant searches by your neighbors, you can increase website traffic and conversions.
Search engine optimization is an effective marketing strategy that can work on both a national and local scale. For today, we’re going to focus on what you should include in your local SEO strategy. We’ve designed a checklist to guide you through creating a local SEO strategy that will help get the right eyes on your business.
How to create an effective local SEO strategy
Let’s look at the basics of local SEO. It refers to making sure that your website and content rank high on a search engine results page (SERP) for relevant keywords that are being looked up in your community. For example, if you own a physical therapy clinic with locations throughout central Florida, you want to come up high on the SERPs for “leg manual therapy in Seminole.”
An effective local SEO strategy can help you get the results you want, meaning brand visibility, click-through rates and conversions. It also boosts both website and foot traffic. But an effective strategy has to cover all the bases. Here’s a checklist for creating a local SEO strategy:
- Optimize your Google Business Profile — Your Google Business Profile makes sure that both Google and potential customers can find and understand your business in the first place. Optimizing your profile will make sure that Google sees how you’re relevant to local searches and recognizes you on both the SERPs and Google Maps. Optimizing your Google Business Profile includes updating your information, describing what you do and choosing the best business category.
- Research keywords for content — A local SEO strategy is nothing without content that can show up on the SERPs. Optimizing your website with high-quality content means using keyword research to see what people in your area are searching for. You can see how you can appeal to those searches through site core pages, blog posts and resources that target the right demographics and popular keywords.
- Perform a site audit — How does your site actually function once the link is clicked on a SERP? Use a site audit tool to determine any technical issues of your site that might interfere with not only the user experience, but also Google’s ability to find your webpages. This could mean everything from broken pages to not being mobile friendly. A site audit helps you address technical issues for an optimized site that Google will see as credible.
- Gather reviews — Your reputation is everything, especially for local SEO. If your neighbors don’t trust you with their business, why should anyone else? Why should Google rank you high on its SERPs? One of the best ways to boost your brand’s reputation is by gaining reviews on Google and social media. Engage with each one in an appreciative and professional way, even if it’s negative. You can use a listing management tool on Semrush to see all of your online reviews.
- Set up a tracking campaign — Local SEO strategies should constantly be referred back to and tweaked for maximum effectiveness. See what’s working and what gaps need to be filled. Tracking your local SEO provides you with the insight you need to continue improving and growing your brand visibility on search engines. You can track your visibility on target SERPs and see how your listing positions change over the course of a campaign.
At BURG+CO., our SEO services help you check every box on this list, from keyword research to optimizing your website for mobile users. With an effective strategy tailored to your industry, area and demographic, we can help your listings climb the SERPs.
Want to attract new visitors to your website through local SEO? BURG+CO. can help
Increasing traffic to your website plays a role in increasing conversions and leading to new clients. However, it’s difficult to attract visitors to your site when you don’t know what to do. Fortunately, this is what we specialize in at BURG+CO.
Our team has years of experience in helping businesses improve their digital presence to attract new leads and retain existing ones. If you’re looking to perform better in search engine results and attract more visitors to your site, we’re ready to talk to you to see how we can help. Contact our team today for more information about digital marketing or to schedule a complimentary consultation.
