In today’s world, we are more interconnected than we have ever been. Our digital devices and telecommunications technology weave a web of interconnectivity that is starting to blur the line between real and digital.
Thankfully, though, most things are still based in the real world. Yes, that great, big, and sometimes scary world outside the window from where your computer is. That is where majority of revenue lies.
It is no wonder then that so many companies are now starting to look toward improving their local SEO. What better way to generate revenue for your business than by focusing in on where it matters most? In a world where 40% of mobile queries are intended for a user’s local area, you can bet your bottom dollar that improving your local SEO will give your business a leg up on competitors. So let’s start by looking at what local SEO is and how we can improve it.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It is when search results are based on the current location of the searcher. So when I search for “best pubs in Montreal,” businesses in the vicinity better hope their local SEO is up to par so that I see them first. A lot of techniques from your normal, everyday SEO are going to roll over into local SEO as well, but in the end they are very different things.
Why is it Important?
Local SEO has done nothing but grow in importance over the last few years, and there is no secret as to why. The explosion of mobile technology has given people unprecedented access to knowledge at their fingertips while on the go. While our ancestors had to look at a map, read a guidebook, or ask another human being for advice, these days they simply whip out their phone, tap a few buttons and voilà!
In case you are a numbers person, let’s take a look at some of the staggering figures that Google has put out about mobile searching. To start, 87% of people use their phone on the go, and that 95% of users use their phone to look up local information. To top it off, as of the study, 1 in 3 queries on mobile were local in nature. Any time someone looks up a lawyer, doctor, restaurant, pub, dog walker, or roofer, you can be sure it is a local search, and you need to get your name appearing above the competition.
How to do Local SEO right.
Some local SEO tips are no brainers, such as making sure that your location or locations are clearly visible on your home page, and that your contact page has your city, address, and zip code in an easily visible place. It couldn’t hurt to have your location in the title somewhere either. For example, “The Pub: Montreal West” is a great example of having the city, and in this case the city zone directly in the URL. Other tips are not so easy, so we’ll help you out a little further.
• Create a Google + Local Page
Creating a page in Google + for your business will allow you to show users everything from your menu to photos of your business when they search on the web. If someone searches for one of your keywords, your business will show up, address plotted on the map, with reviews and Zagat summaries all immediately in front of their face. This is a must have for any local business. People will trust other people or third-party company reviews far more than they will your own word – not to mention that everyone loves photos. What are you waiting for?
• Make Sure to Use a Detailed Category
We can’t tell you how much it irks us to see Giovanni’s Pizzeria listed under restaurants instead of tagged with Italian restaurant, Italian cuisine, pizza restaurant, and Italian food. Ensuring you can be accessed by as broad a range of queries as possible is the key to getting found.
• Get Them to Leave Reviews
This is pivotal. Reviews not only encourage people to come to your business, they help with SEO too! The more chatter there is going about on the web about you, the better. So long as it is positive of course. It doesn’t matter how much local SEO you have, it can’t help you if you are a painter that can’t paint within the lines. Create social media pages, encourage people to talk about you and like your pages, or share their experience on blogs. It all helps in the end.
Local SEO is here to stay, and the ever-developing world of mobile technology is only going to further increase the importance of this field. Fine tuning your business to attract local customers is pivotal to success in today’s competitive global market. Lucky for you, there are a few simple things you can do to improve where you stand on the local listings. So don’t hesitate, and get your name out there now.
For help with your local SEO campaign, contact the experts at BlueHat Marketing today.
