Three Tips For Getting the Most Out of Your Local SEO Campaign

Three simple practices will get more out of your local SEO campaign: keep your Google My Business profile accurate, track competitor backlinks and reviews, and maintain consistent NAP (name, address, phone) information across every directory where your business appears. Combined with relevant link building and steady review management, these steps drive visibility in Google’s Map Pack and the local search results that convert.

Optimize your Google My Business profile and citations

Google wants to point users to actual businesses, and a consistent contact information is key for local SEO visibility. Be sure to maintain an accurate Google My Business profile. While you can’t quantify the value of strong branding, a consistent brand image will do wonders for your credibility. Local SEO will help you control information in the online world, such as updating your citations on Google and Yelp. It is also important to build links between reputable websites. Relevant links matter more in search engines, so your plumbing company’s link should point to the museum that services your area.

You should also write informative content that targets specific keywords. Your content will increase visibility in search results and improve visibility amongst middle-class users.

Watch user behavior and review profiles

Pay close attention to user behavior. Research shows that 80% of mobile searches convert into a purchase. Local SEO puts your business in front of a customer at the exact moment they are looking for something. It also improves the chances of a customer making a purchase.

Maintaining positive reviews can improve your local SEO campaign, and negative reviews can hurt your business. Positive reviews show consumers trust your business, and trust is one of the foundations of SEO. To improve your local SEO efforts, reply to negative reviews and keep your brand at the top of your list. The traditional ranking factors for organic search still apply to local SEO. Higher organic rankings mean higher positioning in the Map Pack.

Monitor competitors and track SERP changes

Ensure you’re staying ahead of the competition by monitoring your competitors’ backlinks, keywords, and review profiles. BrightLocal can help you do this. Google regularly makes changes to its algorithm, so you have to monitor fluctuations in SERPs to ensure you stay ahead of the competition. You need to be ready for them and react to changes in the algorithm. Once you’ve implemented your local SEO strategy, you can start monitoring the results of your competition.

Why local SEO matters for small businesses

The main goal of local SEO is to reach as many people as possible in the immediate vicinity of your business. Instead of targeting random online traffic, your efforts will be focused on attracting those who are likely to become customers. For example, hotel owners are interested in showing up at the top of local search results. Statistics show that over 80% of local searches result in a sale.

Local advertisements and word of mouth are still important ways to attract local customers, but an online search can be just as effective. Recent research has shown that 97% of online users have used search engines to look for a local business. Moreover, Google reports that 46% of all searches made on its site are related to local businesses. If you don’t rank high in these local search results, you’re missing out on valuable traffic.

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