Why does my small business need local SEO? Local search engine optimization is often overlooked and this is a huge problem.
This is just another complex problem in the extremely confusing and unknown container of SEO. It is usually placed at the bottom of the “to-do SEO list”.
If you don’t optimize for local results, you may lose a significant portion of your sales, the best of which is: this is very simple. Local searches result in 50% of mobile visitors visiting a store in a day.
Local SEO Numbers & Example
More than 100 billion searches are conducted through Google every month. More than half of them are on mobile devices.
For example, if you are in Athens and want to hire a plumber to fix your tap as soon as possible, the first thing you need to do is to search for “Plumber in Athens (or specific area)” on Google. The search shows “local search box/package”.
The first thing you possibly do is to check the top 3 results and check some comments or testimonials. You are going to notice the highest result because it has the highest score (4.8/5).
Then you might call them, and if they can complete the work, then your search is over. I may call others to quote, but if the first company can meet your needs at a reasonable price, you won’t waste any more time.
Many people call, so it’s important to be in the top 3-5. If you are not here, you are likely to miss a lot of business.
How to start with local SEO – 7 steps
Local search is more than just a search pack. Under the search pack, are the “organic results” personalised locally. Google will try to select the best local sites to show to searchers.
Many people will want to check the company website and ignore the local search package. So it is crucial to be everywhere if possible.
Let’s see how you can start.
Google My Business Listing Set up
Google My Business is an important part of your local SEO strategy. Here you can fill in all the details Google needs to help drive your business into local search.
Most people will finish this in a hurry, complete about 50% of the details and think this is enough.
Step 1
Your first task is to fill in 100% of the details accurately. This is the basis for you to replicate this data across the entire network. The name, address, and phone number (NAP) should be correct here. Please check carefully! Your business details here must be the same as on all other platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Directory, Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.
Step 2
The next step is to verify the page. You can do this in many ways, but an easy way is to send the code to your physical address, which may take up to several weeks, but you only need to put this code on this page for verification .
Step 3
Set up and use a custom domain email. It is extremely more professional.
Step 4
Use only your company name. If your company name is John Doe Plumbing SA, do not add words such as “John Doe Plumbing SA– Athens Best Plumbers” at the end. It is more likely that Google won’t approve your listing.
Step 5:
Fill in long and important information about the company in the “About” section. Make sure it reads well, is descriptive, and links back to relevant parts of your website. Here you can sell your services or products.
Step 6
Upload high-quality photos because it matters. Take advantage of the places, interiors, employees, the work you have done, the awards you have won, the products, etc. where you add a variety of high-quality photos.
Step 7
Virtual tour. You can do it yourself, or you can do it professionally. Option 2 is safer though. Make sure there is plenty of light, and record the best angles of your business spaces.
Summing up
Make sure that the details are filled to 100% and you are saving everything you invest in. You may copy the exact details across the network to keep it consistent.
When you enter your company name in Google or it appears in a local search package, this is the data Google will use. Photos, details, virtual tour, name, email, phone number, etc. This is what the world will see, so take the time to perfect it!
How to boost your Google My Business Listing
Well, Local SEO is just a part of your general digital marketing efforts. Your website structure and design must be user friendly and fast while best suiting your business. If you are a local business in a specific location, the following structure is optimal:
- Your homepage should be the “mirror” of your business. It should contain pictures, videos, and well-written content about your company and its location. It should also include the review/recommendation as well as your address, company name (same as Google My Business), phone number, and business hours.Your other pages should be pages about the services you provide. If you are a plumber, you can provide maintenance, installation and other services. Create a separate page for all of these.
- Your homepage should still be the center with all the information about your business, but your page should be specific to your location/city. Instead of your main navigation being full of your services, it should be your local destination.These pages should be in-depth and describe the services you provide, etc. If you have offices in Manchester and London you can build a page with all the information for each city.
- Make sure that the page about your service is full of unique content, which will benefit the visitor. Your goal should be at least 500-750 words.Use images and videos to help sell your services and strengthen your website. Google prefers unique, high-quality content (which means it is not copied and pasted from other websites).
- Make sure to build a website for mobile devices first. The world is now more mobile than the desktop. You should make the experience easy and seamless. Make sure you are building for the future.As I mentioned above, content and links are used as Google ranking factors. Without the link, you will not be able to rank and get the traffic you need.
Conclusion for Local SEO
It is something that you simply cannot afford to ignore. Local SEO is crucial for boosting the clientele of your business.
The straight forward steps above will help you to make an easy worry free start!
