Local optimization is an ever evolving field, with complex strategies and tactics. However, it’s one of the most important aspects of SEO for small business owners. Learning how to show up in local search results is one key component in beating your competitors. Although local optimization is multifaceted, there are a few basic principles that business owners should take advantage of to ensure they’re putting their best local foot forward.
Reviews
Getting reviews for your business helps in a couple of ways:
- They impact search engine results directly
- They impact click-through-rates
Which one would you click on? When potential clients see that you’ve been well-reviewed, it’s a trust signal that makes them much more likely to click to your site.
NAP Data
Your name, address and phone number need to be the same across the web. If they’re not, search engines will consider that inconsistency, and it could affect your ranking. There are two components to NAP consistency: on your website, and citations.
Having NAP consistency on your website means making sure every page has the same information. If the phone number in your site’s header is different than the phone number on the contact page, you’re not consistent. You also need to ensure that your schema markup has the same NAP info as the visible contact info on your site.
Bonus tip: DO NOT put things in your schema markup that aren’t visible on the page.
You also need to ensure that your NAP is the same across the web. This means looking at directories, Google My Business and review sites to make sure your data is correct on them all. There’s some great software to help you manage your directories. A web agency can also help take care of this for you.
On Page
On page SEO helps with local search when done correctly. When optimizing for local search, the most important factor is the geo-modifier, or location keyword. What this means in practical terms, is that Google views these two phrases very differently:
- Plumber
- Tucson Plumber
It’s important to include the location that you’re serving primarily in H1s, title tags, body text and image alt descriptions whenever it’s natural to do so. Don’t try to force it if it doesn’t fit, but if you can say you’re “a plumber serving the Tucson area”, that’s better than just saying you’re a plumber.
Of course, there are other factors in local search, and changes happen frequently, but these mainstays have been around for a while, and they’re unlikely to go away any time soon. Focus on getting solid reviews, being consistent with your NAP data, and setting up your on page factors correctly, and you’ll be doing more than most of your competitors.
If you’d like help with local search, or want to know more about how we can help with your digital marketing campaign, contact us online or call us at (520) 622-3731. We’re here to help.
