What is Local SEO and how will it help?
Location based, or local SEO is the practice of optimising your content to appear for your target location. Google is getting better and better at creating location-based search results, where searchers are looking for a service in their location. Optimising your local SEO strategy for Somerset based searches will help to boost your ranking in your local area, whether you are based in Berkshire or anywhere else in the world.
We all know that Google is incredibly clever, but how clever is it really? If i’m sitting in my kitchen in Somerset and search for ‘restaurants’, Google knows to display me local results. A desktop search will return restaurants in the wider local area, but a mobile search will show restaurants in my close vicinity. Google assumes the intent is different when you’re using desktops or mobiles, those on a desktop are more likely to be researching the local Somerset area while those using mobile search want more immediate results.
Location based search terms do have fewer search volumes, but they are also much more to deliver traffic to your website that has a greater chance of converting to customer.
My tips to get started with local SEO
1). Target local based keywords
One of the most powerful ways to get around your local keyword competitors is by targeting location-based keywords. There are a number of free and paid for sites that can help you with keyword research, for example, Ubersuggest is a great free tool or MOZ is a popular paid for option.
Think about keywords that take into account your location, such as:
- Your postcode
- Your town
- Your area in general
A Berkshire estate agent could use ‘Berkshire estate agents’ or ‘estate agents in Berkshire’ for their keywords and could then include variations of these for a regional SEO strategy. A good example of part of a Local SEO strategy would be to write an article with the title: ‘How to make the most of your Somerset estate agent’.
2). Make use of Google My Business (GMB)
Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool for businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. To optimise your Google My Business for local SEO, ensure that:
- Your Google My Business is accurate and filled out completely
- Your location is owner-verified
- The specific town/city ie that you’re targeting is mentioned in the Google My Business landing page title
- The Google My Business primary categories are consistent with your service/product offering
As well as Google My Business, there are also lots of other regional online directory services that you can use to help build local authority. It’s important to appreciate that Google cross-references these listings to determine your business’ credibility — consistency is key.
3. Create Berkshire or location based content
We have touched on these previously, but It’s a good idea to increase your chances of ranking by creating plenty of Berkshire based content for your website. The most efficient thing you can also do, from a Local SEO standpoint, is create a page for every location you’d like to target. That’s right – every location. Unlike lumping everything into one big “Locations” page, this allows you to target every area specifically in the headline, H1 tags, and other SEO areas. If time and budget constraints don’t allow for this, grouping all locations into one page is a good second option.
4. Make sure your name, address and phone info (NAP) is consistent
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone Number. When Google performs a search, it cross-references your NAP information across a variety of websites to ensure that you’re a legitimate business. Help Google out – and improve your rankings – by making sure that your NAP information is correct across all platforms you use.
Those searching with local intent are usually ready to buy. Your landing pages should always include a prominent call-to-action that reflects this.
Conclusion
Are you a little confused at what all of this actually, and practically, means? That is completely understandable and exactly where a Berkshire based SEO freelancer comes in. You put a lot of time, sweat and money into your business; why leave its online success up to experimentation or chance? While you are trying to grow your business, making decisions without an SEO expert on your side may actually harm your website and therefore your pockets.
If you are looking for help with your search engine optimisation strategy or need to get more visitors to your website, then contact me for a free no obligation chat.
