Local SEO Tips: Help Your Site Rank in Local Search Results
Local search engine optimization has never been more critical than in 2023. According to Safari Digital, nearly half of all Google searches included a local intent modifier last year, and 97% of users searched online to find a local business.
You must recognize these trends if you're a brick-and-mortar business. We’ve created the checklist below to help you start growing your organic presence with local search.
Create Standalone Pages for Each Business Location
Creating a standalone page for each business location will help you generate more visibility in Google maps and local three-pack results. Each location’s page should include several features, which our checklist outlines below.
Local SEO checklist for small business websites:
Include local schema markup with name, address, and phone number (NAP) on every website page.
Ensure every page is mobile-friendly.
Display your hours of operation prominently and include this information in your schema markup.
Ensure all images are high-quality but compressed and appropriately sized for any screen.
Create a directory of locations that includes no JavaScript. Ideally, this should include static landing pages for each location.
Carefully consider your URL naming conventions for location pages. The preferred format is /[brand]-[primary-service]-[city]-[state abbreviation]. For example, a Walmart Bakery in Detroit would be named /walmart-bakery-detroit-mi.
Finally, make sure you link from your global navigation directly to your location directory page. Your directory should be easy to find for both users and search engines.
On-Site Local SEO Factors
Once you’ve created your location landing pages, you’re not done yet. People often speak about Local SEO ranking factors as being on-site or off-site. First, you’ll want to pay careful attention to your on-site local SEO factors and ensure you get them right.
Each location page should have unique and descriptive content regarding the location’s specific business operations. Include any local features the area boasts and high-quality pictures of your establishment.
Next, each page should have the location and target keyword within the metadata and H1 headings. Pay attention to these essential on-site optimization elements for any page.
Blog posts and articles targeting the local region offer an opportunity to reach local prospective customers. Publish local content regularly whenever possible, including details about in-store events and other local happenings.
Off-Site Local SEO Factors
Off-site local SEO factors are equally important but often overlooked. Off-site factors include details about your business displayed anywhere outside of your website. Search engines use these as a verification mechanism to ensure the information on your site is correct.
You must create business citations on other reputable and authoritative websites. Citations list your business name, address, phone number, and URL on business directories and review sites such as Yelp or Yahoo! Business. Business citation building should be ongoing, updating critical citations and claiming as many additional citations as possible.
These citations should be varied and should include relevant niche business directories. Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all business citations. NAP inconsistencies are a red flag to Google, and your local rankings could suffer. So, be consistent with your citations.
Use citation aggregators like Yext and MOZ local for efficiency in your business citation efforts. These sites help you manage and update your business data across many sites through a straightforward interface.
Next, you need to claim the Google Business Profile for each business location and keep them up to date. Select accurate and relevant primary and secondary categories, which are crucial for non-brand search visibility. Highlight core products and services at-a-glance and include high-quality photos and videos such as a picture or video of the business from the outside, multiple views from the inside, images of core products, and employee photos to humanize the brand.
Author unique business descriptions which include local flair whenever possible – avoid boilerplate text unless used as a placeholder while the appropriate text is written. Actively monitor your Google Business Profiles for frequent customer comments or Q&A interactions. And finally, regularly publish posts to each profile, as Google favors active profiles demonstrating business and customer interactions.
You’ll also want to take some time to look into your Google business reviews. Reviews help increase local rankings, so develop a process for regularly obtaining Google reviews (and other off-site reviews) from happy and satisfied customers. Provide links to destinations where reviews are needed, integrate review requests into standard transaction flows, and, most importantly, respond to as many reviews as possible – including the good, the bad, and any others you might encounter.
You must also build business listings for each location on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These profiles should all link to or reference the main corporate page or pages. Encourage community participation to gain backlinks and citations, and make it more difficult for other businesses to emulate your brand.
A robust local SEO strategy also entails building relationships with other businesses offline as well as online to help boost local SEO rankings. Consider sponsoring a little league team, volunteering with the local food bank, or participating corporately in local events and organizations. In addition to being good for your community and boosting your brand’s reputation, this is an opportunity to earn beneficial backlinks and reference community support to attract more local customers.
Are you looking for local SEO services? Eyeful Media is a proven digital marketing agency with the knowledge, experience, and passion to help you bring your business to the next level in local search.