How do you get your local business in front of more possible clients? You could spend thousands on billboards and television ads. You could print off hundreds of flyers. But for most businesses, the answer with the best ROI is actually local SEO. But local SEO is an entirely different beast from traditional SEO, and optimizing local SEO can pose some unique difficulties.
We’ve collected some of the best local SEO tips and strategies for business owners who want to see more success in local search results, but might not have the funds for a full-blown local SEO campaign.
1. Create Place Pages for All the Major Search Engines
If you use Google regularly, you likely already know what a place page is. But did you know that you could also make one for Bing and Yahoo? While these other search engines might not carry quite the weight that Google does, they are still used… and not in insignificant numbers. And doing this is can be done in just a few minutes per search engine. All that’s required is your basic business information, such as the address, phone number, and business hours.
You’ll need to optimize your page with content, though. Make certain that you upload a few photos (especially of your signage), and make certain that your business is listed in the correct category. Wherever possible, also list on your business page the website of your business.
2. Collect Correct Business Citations
Do you know how many times your business is referred to on the web? You should find out! And more than find out, you should seek to increase that number. For example, having your business listed in the yellow pages with correct information can help increase your business’s local SEO! You should also ensure your business is listed with local organizations, like the chamber of commerce, and on rating websites like Yelp, Angie’s List, and MerchantCircle. But be careful! Your business name, address, and phone number must always be spelled the same way in order for all of these to count.
3. Grow Your Online Reviews
How many reviews does your business have online with Google and Yelp? Are they good or bad? Believe it or not, it’s more than just the quality of your reviews which can impact your local SEO, but other review factors, such as number of reviews, and velocity of reviews. The more organic your reviews look to search engines, the better! There are some tried-and-true methods to gain reviews, which include putting review buttons on your website and review prompts on your door or windows.
4. Optimize Your Website
Your business website, if it’s already optimized for SEO, can also help your local SEO! Make certain to provide clear links to your business pages. You should also include local keywords frequently on your website, such as what city you’re in and what neighborhoods you service. Updating your website relatively frequently, such as once a week, can also provide positive signals to search engines.
5. Seek Help
Managing local SEO can be a daunting prospect, especially if you don’t get a lot of foot traffic or don’t have a lot of existing clientele to lean on. It can often feel like you need visitors, reviewers, and traffic simply to begin improving your local SEO. If it ever starts to feel like too much, don’t worry! There are plenty of SEO companies out there which can help your business improve its local SEO for reasonable rates.
You can find help with local SEO here by Clickx, or you might consider looking to local providers. When considering hiring an expert for local SEO, always review their past work, and try to contact their past clients for a more transparent review of their services and successes.