Your business is the most important thing right now. If you give it your all, it will not only rank locally or internationally but also help you pay your bills, yes, buy you a posh car, a condominium in an affluent neighborhood, raise a beautiful family and even buy you a yacht if you ever crave for one. Personally, I do!
However, nothing comes easy. For you to achieve all those things, if they really matter in your life, you must put the effort to learn the basics and fundamentals of local SEO. For that reason, I have spent several months to come up with this guide on local SEO.
Be sure to learn EVERYTHING there is to know on this subject. Of course, everything starts from somewhere. As such, let’s start by defining what local SEO is.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO involves optimizing your website with the aim of increasing the flow and the number of clients who visit your site. If done properly, local SEO will ensure you also increase the chances of searchers finding your site easily.
To be able to do local SEO professionally, you need to understand a number of things associated with the term. Such terms include identifying and finding local keywords, you should also be able to optimize your website’s Google My Business Profile as well as building robust NAP citations.
Why is Local SEO important?
I might want to start by saying that this part will contain some fascinating statistics I have gathered. These statistics are not just random numbers but well-founded figures that show the true situation.
Let’s start …
→ Over 89% of people who search for something online using their Smartphones, MacBooks, desktops, or any other internet-enabled gadgets for that matter, do so at least once in a week, with some doing so even twice.
→ Fifty-eight percent search for products and services online on a daily basis from the comfort of their couches.
→ More than 76% of consumers usually search for products and services using their phones or computers locally through the search engine. Once they find the product they are searching for, most of them focus on how closer to home the merchant is.
→ Over 46% of all searches done online have what many refer to as local intent or Search Engine Roundtable.
In other words, people look for products and services that they think will be available within their proximity. Clients are not going to type, ‘buying a condominium in Los Angeles’ if they are living in Soweto, SA or in the Australian Andes.
Instead, they’d rather type on their Google search tab something like ‘finding a condo in Soweto or in Andes or something that will help them find whatever they are looking for locally.
→ With that in mind, 72% of all those who search for a product or service online, prefer to visit a store they will find near them, usually within five miles or thereabout.
→ What is more, slightly over 29% of all Google SERPs usually have ‘local pack’ in their results. This is what SEO experts refer to as RankRanger.
Aren’t those statistics mind-boggling? Well, they are, but they are not meant to scare you. In fact, the aim is to encourage you.
With these statistics, it is now clear that if you do your local SEO professionally, you will not only increase traffic to your site but also place your business in the forefront, where every client who comes in sees it clearly.
PS: Searchers from your locality will not find you if you have done shoddy local SEO work on your website.
You can only equate the situation with setting up a brick and mortar shop at a strategic point such as at a bus terminus where almost every traveler has to pass no matter what. The physical shop will definitely serve all clients who pass through the terminus, whether they like it or not.
However, for the clients to buy from your ‘strategic’ shop, you have to stock it with what travelers may need. So, that is what we are talking about here–stocking your website with local SEO, something that is attractive or is in the mind and hearts of the local people.
Now that you know what local SEO is and how important it is, I believe you might also want to know how it works or how it’ll work for you.
How Does Local SEO Work?
When done properly, local SEO works just like normal SEO. When you search for something on Google or whatever search engine you prefer, the search engine takes a few seconds to scan through its various indexes.
The aim for the scan is to provide you the correct and what the search engine presumes is the most appropriate answer to your query.
However, there’re quite a number of things that make the local SEO unique. For that reason, Google or the search engine utilizes quite a number of features to help websites optimized for local SEO to rank locally. Here are some of those ‘unique ranking factors’:
• The location of the client who is querying the search engine.
• Whether the website has set up Google My Business Profile.
• The use of various keywords as required.
• Types of keywords available in the Google My Business Profile.
• Online review sentiments.
• Number of shares on different social media platforms.
• Number of visitors checking in from your local area.
• The business’s Google Maps Star Rating.
• NAP citations.
Local SEO Vs National SEO: What is The Difference?
Put simply, local SEO is optimizing your keywords for local readers or searchers who are looking for products and services in their local community.
That is why phrases such as ‘technician near me’ or ‘open Public Park in NYC’ are geared towards helping searchers find what they want wherever they are.
National SEO on the other hand does not contain ‘location-specific’ terms such as Brooklyn, SF or Belfast. Instead, keywords are aimed at helping searchers find what they want. The question of where to get whatever they want comes afterwards.
You should note with concern that the search volume for national keywords is excessively much compared to that of local keywords (the ‘near me’ or ‘Boston cafeteria’).
The Google Map Pack
In this section, I will share with you more intriguing details on what you need to do to be able to optimize your site locally or to conform to Local SEO rules. Some things that I’ll cover under this section are:
→ What Google Map Pack is.
→ How the Google Map Pack works.
→ The various ingenious ways you can track your Google Map Pack Rankings from your website.
→ Some impeccable yet hard-to-find tools for local SEO practice.
→ How you can rank easily and fast (organically) for local keywords.
Introduction to The Map Pack
The Google Map Pack, or what others call The Local Pack, is made of three local results geared towards finding or locating your site and showing it to potential clients. You can pull the map together with its entire list of locations from Google Maps.
To help you understand this concept, take an example of a simple local search, ‘Motor vehicle mechanic in Manchester.’
To give you the results, Google places a Map Pack at the topmost part of the search results. Under the Map Pack will be the normal Google search results.
Under the Map Pack will be the normal Google search results.
It is important to note that while the search engine considers several factors when ranking your site for local SEO keywords; it focuses on certain factors more than others.
For instance, while things such as the use of valuable backlinks can help your site rank locally, more is needed.
Certain specific factors such as NAPs are essential for ranking on local SEO compared to national SEO.
Google or the search engine does not only give you results that show a specific region, state, or city. Instead, if the search engine believes your search requires a set or pack of local results, it’ll give them to you whether the keyword is local or not.
PS#1: That means, chances of the search engine giving you a Map Pack are inevitable if you searched for something like ‘Barber in Washington DC’. However, it is equally important to remember that for you to maximize your site’s ranking for local keywords, you should include ‘store or expert + city’ keywords.
PS#2: The generic ‘expert’ or ‘store’ keyword will most likely get many searches (large search volume). On the other hand, ‘expert/store + city (location)’ keywords will definitely receive fewer searches.
However, it is also good to know that although generic keywords get many searches, there are tons of websites optimizing for such keywords. The result is that it turns out to be very difficult for many websites to rank, especially those that are starting.
How To Track Your Site’s Map Pack Rankings
This is where local SEO starts to get interesting. The good thing about this step is it opens a large door of opportunities in front of you. Nonetheless, you must do many things right for you to enjoy the benefits of local SEO from the start to the end.
To start with, you must benchmark your current website state. In other words, you must evaluate your website with regard to the use of local keywords. In addition, you need to know the state of your website when you look at it from the Google Map Pack.
Checking the state of your website on the Map Pack is not a onetime thing, though. You need to keep checking the performance of your website from the Google Map Pack.
However, it is also important to note that although ‘local’, the practice of Local SEO is not a small thing. In fact, it is a huge endeavor.
In other words, you are likely to get very different results if you searched for the same thing in an area that looks similar but slightly different. .
For instance, you will get different results if you type on your search bar, ‘barber shop’ in Belfast’s 1st Avenue and ‘barber shop’ in Belfast 2nd Street.
That means all the results the search engine is going to give you will strictly be tailored to the specific location where you are standing or searching from.
It is true that you may be in Mumbai when typing the query, but Google, or the search engine for that matter, will give you results depending on what you asked specifically.
What is more, that same search, done a few meters or miles away, is likely to bring you a totally different website on the Google Map Pack results? Alternatively, the results will be the same, but not in the same order as the previous.
To be on the safe side when testing for Google Map Pack, don’t depend on the results from a single location such as NYC. Instead, you need to check from different locations, even if the locations are a few miles apart.
The downside of checking for your Map Pack from one location is that you will only be able to see results from a small sample, while you cannot really know how and if you are ranked in the ‘real search world.’
For that reason, you need to understand and actually be super granular with the way you take your local rankings.
With those deliberate efforts, you are able to know and see how your website ranks not just in a small area within a big city but across the whole area, which can be a city or the larger local area.
After talking to a few friends who have learnt the best way to monitor their site’s Google Map Pack, I have noticed something I didn’t know initially.
These experts argue that for you to understand and actually track Map Pack correctly, you have to use some premium tools in the market.
Personally, I recommend Local Falcon. This premium tool can help you identify, monitor, and analyze how your site performs with regard to the implementation of the local SEO. The tool is ideal for providing detailed information on your website’s Map tracking.
Although superb, Local Falcon is not the only tool that can help you in conducting Map tracking. Local Viking is another good tool you can try. This too, performs a good job. It is true that there may be other premium Map tracking tools, but the two aforementioned are the most common.
So, where do you start in your quest to check or track for your website’s Local SEO and Map Pack ranking?
First, the ideal starting point is choosing and setting up your website’s business name, commonly known as Business Profile. Because the feed is generated by the search engine, via Google Maps, you really need to depend on setting up Google My Business profile.
Second, choose the keyword(s) which you want to evaluate. In other words, you cannot check for many keywords at the same time. Instead, you have to check for a specific keyword at a time.
Third, after identifyingthe keyword(s) you want to check, it is time to define the area (how far or close) you want to check. You can set a radius of 5 miles, 10 miles, or even 15 miles.
PS: Remember, the results you will get will depend on the defined location or the area, which you choose.
The grid is usually set at a 7 by 7, which according to local SEO experts is the starting point that gives correct results on how your business ranks within an area.
Although the basic setting is 7 by 7, you have the liberty to stretch the grid up to 15 x 15, which gives you the ability to see the real edges on how your business/site ranks within an area.
Ideally, you’d expect the tool to perform its function. Within a short time, you are able to see a visual interface before you. Thanks to the visual interface, you are able to see your site’s rankings for the different geographical locations you keyed in earlier.
Interestingly, you are able to point out to which geographical location your site ranks for certain keywords and which ones it doesn’t. In the end, you will embark on finding the root cause of why some keywords are not ranking in certain spots around your local area.
In many cases, the tool shows an in-depth analysis of how your site performs starting from the furthest point of your inserts (evidently, further from where you are querying from) before narrowing down to spots closer to you.
If you see that the area close to you (querying spot) has bad rankings compared to the spots far from the querying spot, do not worry. Many times, the issue is you have a competitor close by who is doing all they can to outrank your site knowingly or unknowingly.
Additionally, it may be that your competitor’s location is more central compared to yours. In such a case, Google or the search engine would prefer choosing your competitor over your site because of the location.
That is the reason why Google would direct a user to your competitor who is nearby if the user posing the question is using a mobile gadget.
To that point, you should depend on the tool to see areas where although you should be ranking, you are not. Once you find a spot where you believe your site should be ranking yet you do not, the next step should be looking for the site that is outranking you.
However, if you are okay with number two, there is no need to look for your competitor. You can easily know where your competitor is situated from the map by checking on the listings of the addresses from the map.
The interesting part of this tool is that the moment you place the competitor’s geographical location at the rankings map, you are able to see the various reasons why it is difficult for your site to hit the number one spot on the ranking page.
Local Organic Rankings
Do you run a local business? If yes, then you don’t want to miss the benefits the Map Pack will give you. The traditional results on how your site performs locally matter a lot to you and you can get those results right at the Map Pack, precisely the place below local pack results.
Some web-prenuers think that Map Pack is nothing. The truth is, there is more to Map Pack that you need to understand. In fact, most local searches have proved to have very strong commercial intent.
Because of their commercial intent, it is absolutely important that you make sure your site is optimized for local keywords. That means you also need to ensure your rank for local SERPs as well.
The other thing you need to beware of is the subtle difference between Map Pack results and local results that show just below the Map Pack. The point is; local results are the same across all Google SERP.
Because you want nothing but local organic ranking, then you must first practice basic On-page SEO. The other thing that will help you rank for local organic keywords is to ensure you use your keyword(s) strategically.
That said, you must ensure you use the main keyword in your title, URL, at the intro, at least once as a subheading, several times on the body (depending on the length of the blog post), and at the conclusion.
The other thing you ought to do to increase your chances of reaping big for local organic rankings is to invest time and resources in creating backlinks.
After all, the practice of ensuring you make it for local organic rankings is not different from ranking for other keywords. However, the only special thing about this practice is how you track the rankings.
Note that the format of keying in the keyword I mentioned earlier ‘store + city’ results in a fraction of the possible local searches. Hence, apart from ‘Dallas barber’, you may want to maximize your tracking for related phrases such as ‘Barber near me’.
For instance, if you intend to track your site’s local organic ranking for ‘barber or mechanic near me’ for searchers looking for the product or service in Dallas, you only need to type the specific location inside the rank tracking tool you decide to use.
Interestingly, you can have a much better idea on how your keywords rank around the city’s different spots.
Keyword Research For Local SEO
After discussing all the details of what local SEO is, how important it is, how it works, local SEO vs. national SEO, and how to monitor and evaluate the Google Map Pack, it is time to delve into how you can conduct local SEO keyword research.
How will you find the right keywords that will guarantee you local organic rankings? That is a million-dollar question that every site owner must face head on, and there’s no better place that can teach you how to do that than this blog.
Local SEO keyword is a straightforward process. You do it once and you are done. You are not going to need many lectures or require several hectic processes.
Unlike blog format that requires fresh keywords every time you come up with a topic, local SEO keywords are simple; you search once and upon finding the right local keywords, you will not be needed to find additional keywords for the rest of the time.
Having mentioned that, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not going to find the right keywords for local SEO. In fact, local SEO keywords are as important as traditional SEO practices, thus you are going to do proper keyword research for local keywords.
As mentioned, the process is not as complicated and demanding as traditional SEO practice.
So, you are going to require a list of all the possible keywords searchers are using when they want to find local businesses (the list is usually short).
The first step would be to use a tool called Yelp Suggest. Like Google Suggest, Yelp Suggest gives a number of keywords searchers might type near your area. However, you will only be sure how the search responds to the supposed keyword after you’ve typed it on the tool.
Unlike Google Suggest, Yelp comes with a unique ability of suggesting something you did not intend to get. For instance, suppose you typed ‘Chinese’, the tool might go ahead to suggest something such as ‘Asian Fusion Cuisines’.
Therefore, although Google Suggest is not bad at all, Yelp will go an extra mile to provide you with real-time keywords that people are searching within your vicinity. Another good example is when you type the service you think people would want near them.
For instance, you can type ‘Chinese Food then add near me’ or ‘Chinese San Francisco’ or whatever city you are. The number of results Yelp will present will surprise you. There is more to local SEO searches that you need to know.
Local Voice Searches
Google, or the search engine, has transformed a big way. According to a recent survey, more than 20% of all searches carried out using hand-held devices are voice searches. In other words, people are advancing their way of looking up whatever they want on the internet.
They argue, ‘If I can use my voice to get the results, why waste time typing?’ True to their argument, it is needless to waste your precious time typing on a keyboard when you can get the answers using your voice.
Although voice searches and typing give the same results, the difference is that most voice searches are longer compared to typed searches.
One of the reasons for this difference is that the latter is more natural than the former, and people tend to express themselves better and more candidly when voicing their searches.
Here is an example of how voiced searches are more natural and straight to the point than typed searches:
→ Typed local keyword search: ‘gluten-free burger London.’
→ Voiced local keyword search: ‘gluten-free burger in London that is available right now’
And you will realize that chances of B getting many and on point results are higher than A.
Besides, chances are, many people will be able to add a few other details on their voiced search quickly and without wasting any more time than typed searches, which takes a longer time.
Here is a perfect example of what one is likely to add, something that is likely to give results that are even more candid: ‘gluten free burger in London that is open right now.’
Hitherto, developers have not come up with a special tool that will help you find the right voice keywords. However, that does not mean that you sit and wait or you don’t have a choice.
Remember that Google’s Keyword Planner will definitely give you the volume of the keywords people are searching for in a particular geographical area. That is a good starting point.
Therefore, if you have already gathered a few keywords for your local area, you are good to go. But do not stop at that.
You need to keep hunting for new local keywords your neighbors would be interested in. Start with A Website, a feature in the Google Keyword Planner that you can capitalize on.
To use this effectively, you will need to peruse through your competitor’s homepage and while there, the search engine will suggest a couple of local keywords whose base is on some terms that pop up on your competitor’s home page.
Local SEO Ranking Determinants
After a lengthy discussion on how sections of local SEO work, it is now time to look at factors that determine the performance of your site for local SEO keywords. For your site to rank for local keywords, the following are some factors that will play a huge role:
Google My Business–Profile
The first factor that will determine how your site performs for local keywords is how you have customized and arranged your GMB profile. If you want to rank for local keywords and any other keywords for that matter, you must ensure the content on your site’s pages is arranged properly.
In addition, the links that point to your site must come from credible sites and do not carry broken messages. However, you may ask, what is Google My Business Profile?
As the name suggests, this has everything to do with your website. You should provide as much credible information as possible to let the search engine and those searching for information on the internet know what your site is all about.
Everything you key in your GMB should match what your website stands for. What is more, every information you feed into Google My Business profile must conform to the site’s Name, Address and Phone (NAP).
Upon inserting all the necessary and right information on your GMB profile, which matches what is in NAP, the search engine classifies your business as legit and goes ahead to redirect customers your way. The opposite is also true.
What does that mean?
Put simply, if your business has one address in Google My Business profile and another on your website’s main page, that is already an obstacle. In fact, that is the first red flag, and it’s going to cost your business dearly.
Does that mean your business should not change any of its information such as location, physical address or telephone number? Hardly! Businesses change physical locations and telephone numbers often times.
The message here is:- in the event that your business changes its physical location, telephone number, and other details such as the email address or its senior staff (if this information was captured on its GMB profile), the new information needs to be updated as soon as possible.
Besides, Google does not like it when the right information has two versions. For instance, Google may deem the information different, even contradictory if you use the word ‘Street’ on your site’s GMB profile but ‘St’ on your website’s address or contact page.
It’s true that the writing of the word(s) differently will not hinder the deliveryman from bringing your order to the front door. However, it will not please Google, which is changing rules on how to rank sites for local searches each day.
Name Address & Phone Numbers (NAPs)
Although I have touched on this a little, there is no harm in emphasizing. Filling your site’s name or business name, address and phone number is key. But how important is NAP(s) to your site’s ranking for local SEO?
First, the search engine uses NAP(s) to confirm the authenticity of your business information that you’ve provided.
Remember, Google acts as the regulator and the searcher’s custodian, thus it does all it can to verify the information you provided.
Therefore, the more often Google sees and points out to NAP citations, the more the search engine will trust your business. Besides, if your NAP citations don’t change much, the more confident Google will be towards your business.
For Google to continue trusting and building confidence in your business, you might want to consider having your NAP citations in as many reputable sites as possible.
That way, the search engine will not raise any doubts on the authenticity of the information you provided with regard to Name, Address and Phone numbers NAPs because it believes not all those reputable sites can collude to lie.
Local Citations/ NAP Citations
This may look like it is the same thing as number 2 above, but there is a subtle difference. Number 2 above, talks of including NAPs on your site’s contact page and ensuring they appear in the Google My Business profile thereafter.
As for local citations/NAP citations, you have to do a good job. In fact, it involves ensuring you have proper local citations as well as NAP citations.
Like backlinks, NAP citations are extremely difficult to build. That doesn’t mean you cannot build. With good work, you can.
The interesting thing about local citations and NAP citations is that they are incredibly important for you to rank for local organic SEO.
So, for you to build local and NAP citations the right way, here are the steps you should follow:
• Run an audit on your business’ NAPs.
• Ensure NAPs are 100% consistent on every platform starting with your website.
• Make sure NAPs are recorded on your GMB profile.
• All business directories that are within your local area and elsewhere.
• On all local business listings
In other words, what I’m trying to say is that ensure your business information is present in every part that records local businesses and that the information provided is 100% correct and consistent.
It is utterly important that the information is available on any place, which mentions local businesses online. Whenever these local listings mention businesses, yours shouldn’t miss.
To help you do the citations properly, you can utilize a couple of premium tools that are in the market. Two among those premium tools that I have seen work are Loganix and WhiteSpark. However, no one limits you to these two.
Whichever tool you decide to use, make sure you have these two things before you embark on listing your business’s NAP citations:
• Any former NAP information.
• The current, up-to-date NAP information.
However, you do not have to worry about number one if your business has not had and changed any NAP information in the past. If it has, you need to have the information because the tool is going to de-register and update it to the new address.
If you cannot provide former NAP information, your business will end up having two or more contradictory information listed online.
What would you do in the event your business has incorrect NAP information out there?
Fix Incorrect NAP Information
Let’s say you have gathered a list of NAP citations, which are incorrect and perhaps not consistent. It is time to ensure you put them right. Otherwise, your business will still lose on its ranking for local SEO.
It is important to know that if your business is old and you’ve taken many years without doing NAP citations audit, it will take you a hell bit of time. Yes, you will need to set aside a substantive amount of time before you actually crack it.
Now that you’ve collected the NAP citations that need updated, sit down and do the job ASAP. However, it is also good to know that there’re two main NAP citations that require much of your attention, namely:
→ NAP citations that you can change yourself such as NAP or Yelp.
→ Citations, which other people or another person can change whether you know them or not. An example of such a citation can be a mention on certain local resource such as a page or listing.
In the event of the first option, it can be a headache changing every information until the end. For that reason, you need to make use of tools such as Bright Local or Yext.
If it is information that you require someone to give you or for someone to change manually, then you will be forced to personally write several emails to those people requesting them to either avail the information or change the information in your behalf.
Local Content
Creating local content refers to crafting blogs that matter to your audience. Don’t write things that people in your locale don’t need. In case you haven’t started, ensure you start a blog on your main business, which is your website.
A blog not only elaborates a particular topic in detail but also informs your audience on what they need to do. A perfect example is this blog on Local SEO that are now reading.
What is more, host or post your blog on your domain? For instance, it is safe to host your blog on ‘www.yourwebsite.com/blog’ rather than going for ‘blog.mywebsite.com’.
One of the biggest advantages of hosting your blog on your website is when it comes to getting links and backlinks.
As your blog grows, you are bound to get credible links and as the blogs get links, your business’s main page will also get to benefit as opposed to if you hosted your blog otherwise.
It is also good to remember that links to and fro your site are among the important factors for your business ranking for local SEO. Therefore, you don’t want to miss out on links coming your way.
Back on the blog posts, ensure that many of the posts you create mention as many local cities, towns, and areas as possible.
This way, you will be telling Google that you are concerned about informing local searchers on what is happening around them.
Local functions, news, and all that is happening around the people will not only interest the local audience but also help you achieve your goal of ranking for local keywords.
Is there an upcoming event such as an election, a tournament that is happening in your neighborhood, or a community event? Mention it meticulously on your posts. People will be more than thrilled to see your business mention the happening.
Mention or interview local experts, government and political officials, opinion leaders from your community and influencers, but do not overly mention about your business.
On-Page Optimization for Local Businesses
As you may beware by now, On-Page or On-Site Optimization is key to ranking not only for national (traditional On-page SEO) keywords but also for local keywords.
So, after carrying all the necessary steps in optimizing your site for on-page SEO (placing the keywords on the title tags, first paragraph, subheading, body, and conclusion), you need to move to the next step.
Write Unique Content
Every page of your website should have unique and plagiarize-free content. There’s no shortcut to that. But if your site focuses on different cities such as London, Manchester and Leeds, then pages consisting content on these cities should be separate.
What is important is that you avoid duplicate content. However, you can create several landing pages for cities, even those that are far away.
Use Schema
The other unique way to ensure your business ranks for local keywords is using Schema Markup. Although Google no longer relies on Schema Markup to rank sites, it is still an important tool for local businesses, especially when it comes to review markups.
Just like any SERPs, these review markup stars have the unique ability of turning your results, which would otherwise be boring, into Rich Snippets that are eye-catching.
Use Cliffhangers in Your Title Tags
What this simply means is you start a conversation by using a strong statement that gives benefit to the readers. The other thing: that you must ensure the title to be at least 50 characters (500-600 pixels).
Local Link Building
Have you ever heard of an ancient saying, ‘No man is an island’? It is true to businesses. While some people argue that when you go alone, you are bound to go faster, the opposite is also true. Local link building is important, especially when there’re various businesses.
Dental clinics, barbershops, pizzerias, locksmith centers, and others serve people in your local community. These businesses have a strong touch with the same people every day.
Establishing links with these businesses is a surefire way of increasing your business’s chances of ranking for local keywords.
The following are some important people or businesses you can tap on at the start:
→ Wholesalers
→ Distributors
→ Contractors
→ Suppliers
→ Neighboring businesses
Although you may want to capitalize on personal relations, I’d rather you dig further by looking at specific pages on their sites where you can link to. The page(s) you choose should be able to relate to the local people.
Earlier, I spoke about sponsoring an event that will take place in your town. People often overlook this, but it is a powerful way of building strong links.
Can you imagine what will happen the next time: a big, even a national brand mentioning your business as a co-sponsor of a local event? That would be a powerful way of establishing local/national links.
The other thing you can do is to carry a guest blogging campaign. I know this is not easy because often times you must find a business that is in your niche, but it is also a powerful tool in building local links.
One thing you need to remember about guest blogging is that you need to go for established local businesses that already have a handful of clients. Otherwise, you would be benefiting your competitor more than your business.
Reviews and Testimonials
Positive reviews and testimonials are key not only to Google but also to your local reader. When a new client finds out that his/her next-door neighbor used your services and left a positive comment, it not only adds credibility but ups their urge to trust your business.
Besides, Google realizes that your business is real. Do not worry about a few negative reviews. Such reviews help you better your services whenever you can and casts away doubt in others who may think that the reviews and testimonials are manipulated.
Final Thoughts
Perhaps you have seen that local SEO is not as hard as you thought. Well, one good thing I love about local SEO is that it is an additional knowledge to traditional SEO, which is why you’d want to see your local business thrive by ranking for organic keywords.
After ensuring you do all that you’ve learnt on this blog, keep creating new content on your site. Remember that Google and your clients regard consistency. Have a content creation strategy. It can be a post daily, which is not easy, weekly or biweekly. Whichever way, consistency is key.