5 Key Components Of Local SEO

October 6, 2018

0 Comments Britta

It’s a known fact that many businesses can fall into the habit of overlooking the benefits of local SEO. Their brain is geared towards SEO as the bigger picture, with all attention focused on rising in the rankings for their keywords. However, there are several benefits of local SEO. For example it’s particularly useful if you’re a small business looking for more online exposure. Here’s a look at 5 key ways you can optimise your business for local SEO:

  1. Google My Business

When people search for a business in a specific area, it’s Google My Business that makes your company appear at the side in the search results. It’s a free tool where you can input your company information such as image, location, number and address. Not only is this telling Google that your business exists so it appears in search results, but it’s also useful for potential customers – making it easy to click through to your website.

  1. Mobile-Friendly Website

More and more of us are using mobile over classic desktops, in fact between 2016 and 2017 the number of visits from mobile devices grew from 57{9fb0654fabafe3eb2142419377744cf09654524ebd57bdd35d137438191cdeee} to 63{9fb0654fabafe3eb2142419377744cf09654524ebd57bdd35d137438191cdeee}. This means, now more than ever, businesses need to make mobile-friendly websites their top priority. Many local searches take place on a mobile so if you haven’t invested in making your website looking great on mobile as well as desktop, then now is the time.

  1. Google Maps

Google Maps uses SEO to gather search results. Because this is local SEO, the fact that someone may be closer to a competitor than you is not something you can control, for example if someone is searching for Thai restaurants in Central London and you’re based in the outskirts, you won’t appear near the top. However, Google looks at a number of things such as your Google My Business listing, local keywords and your star ratings to determine how high up in rankings you’ll show. Agencies like Red Cow Media can improve your local keyword rankings to influence Google Maps perception of your business. A tool particularly useful if you’re a novice at SEO.

  1. Using Schema

Local Schema is a tool that’s greatly beneficial to local SEO. Schema essentially displays rich information in search results. It’s used to help search engines like Google understand your website’s content. It’s a free service, so there’s no excuse not to take full advantage. Any digital marketing agency would be able to assist you with the steps if needed. It can help you fare better in local searches as it gives search engines more of an idea of the area you’re in, and what you do.

  1. Keep Citations The Same

Inputting your business information in directories can help with your rankings. The key thing to remember is that your company name, address and phone number needs to be completely consistent across all directories. Incomplete citations can reflect badly when it comes to Google, which may cause you to rank lower. Don’t just stick to Bing and Google, use other directories such as Yahoo, Yelp and Apple Maps. You can even find niche directories if you’re in a specialised industry.

The Overall Benefits Of Local SEO

Any business can benefit from local SEO, but small independent businesses especially should take advantage. From local tradesmen to restaurants, by taking a few small steps with local SEO, you can greatly improve your rankings in search engines.