Local search engine optimization is not a single strategy that you implement to propel your website to the top of the search engine rankings. His powerful digital marketing strategy for business owners who want to sell to local customers that combines a variety of best practices for SEO. Meaning, if you are going to increase your local ranking and make sure you don’t lose your customer to your competitor, implement local SEO strategies. Local SEO is no different from regular SEO. It’s just that we use keywords that are more relevant to the local audience.

Your SEO Checklist for Your Small Business Website

content rules

Search engines love engaging and fresh content. If you want to rank well in local search results, you need to post new, high-quality website content as often as possible. Having a local SEO strategy is essential from the very beginning of your planning process. Plan your content strategy based on keyword research. Your website content should be engaging and useful to your audience. Think of it this way: when many people visit your website using a particular search term, search engines monitor it; it is likely to improve your search ranking. Include your keywords in the title tags and meta descriptions of your web pages. It has been observed that people tend to click on links that have a keyword rather than those without.

Optimize NAP information

After creating optimized content for your local search results, optimizing your NAP (name, address, and phone number) on your web presence is the most important factor. Wondering why? Well, search engines can get your NAP information from anywhere on the web. Therefore, if you have different data on multiple sites, Google may not consider them as a single entity. Other than that, the consistency and number of NAPs is a ranking factor for local search. Also, think of it this way: if people see different business details across the web, they might get confused as to which one is correct. Also, they may end up contacting your competitor who has more consistent business information. A consistent NAP can give you greater visibility in local search.

go mobile

Do you log into your laptop every time you search for something? No, right? Instead, you would take out your phone or tablet and go online to find what you need. That’s what your customers would do too. Also, if your website provides a poor mobile user experience, they would be frustrated. In April 2015, Google implemented a mobile-optimized algorithm and a website that does not meet Google’s mobile-friendly guidelines will result in the loss of mobile search traffic. Not only that, Google penalizes sites that are not optimized for mobile devices. It can drastically hinder mobile search results ranking. Google even provides tools to determine the mobile compatibility of your website. Optimize your site for mobile devices and accept traffic from those small screens. A mobile friendly website is also SEO friendly.

Provide simple, easy-to-use navigation

Website navigation is like a road map to your site. It is a factor that will decide how fast a visitor finds what he is looking for. If people are frustrated leaving your website, your bounce rate will increase. Not only will it affect the engagement of your users, but it will also result in the loss of a potential customer. Spend time thinking and designing a website navigation that is easy for a visitor to find what they are looking for. Plan your website architecture and based on it, create the website navigation. It will help you to be clear about what should go where and which pages should be interconnected.

Link building is a must

Search engines count a link to your site as a “credibility vote.” It means that there is a chance that search engines will show your site to searches for the particular keyword. Links are like trust and authority. You will naturally have few links, but link building activity can increase the number of websites linking to your site and more your website ranking. You can reach websites with high-quality and relevant content that has good authority to link to your website. It will help your small business gain online exposure, attract more customers, and increase your website ranking. Link building demands regular outreach and follow-through. It can be daunting, but in the process, you’re acquiring quality links for your website and fostering new relationships.

Last but not least…

Local SEO is often tricky. An effective local SEO strategy is never really complete. In addition to optimizing your website, social media can also help you improve your search engine rankings. Search engine optimization and the ranking of your website are interrelated. Following these basic best practices will lay a solid foundation on which to build.