How To Improve Your Local SEO In 5 Hours
Local SEO is a powerful part of a business’s online strategy. Mailchimp informs us that local SEO deals with Google’s proximity factor when searching. Since these results usually reflect the companies in a specific geographical area, it’s crucial to have the right SEO strategy, so people see your business. Here, we’ll look at a few tips and tricks that you can leverage to improve your local SEO in a few hours.
1. Set Up Your Google My Business Page
Google likes to support small business owners by giving them a My Business page. More than just an online descriptor in Google’s directory, it can also represent a real-world location that can show up on Google Maps. Your Google My Business page will show your opening and closing hours, as well as the physical location for your business. Google uses a postcard with a pin to verify your location so keep your eye out for mail!
2. Use Local Business Directories to your Benefit
The internet is a repository for different types of businesses. There may be dozens of directories that your business could potentially appear. You could possibly do this yourself, but it’s a time-consuming process and may require constant updating. Alternatively, you could pay a service like Moz, Yext, or Aabaco to handle this for you. The cost per quarter is around $89, which isn’t too much considering how much time you save. These sites will put your business on the directories where it should go to ensure you have more of a presence online.
3. Get Some Reviews
Reviews have a questionable influence on your local SEO, but it’s safer to cover this base than leave it hanging. Getting reviews may be as simple as contacting a handful of your best customers. Let them know that having a few reviews on your Google My Business site will improve your reputation. However, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t get a dozen or so reviews simultaneously. Try to contact customers to post reviews on your page organically – one or two per week is fine.
4. Get Local Backlinks
As with traditional SEO, your online presence’s strength relies on how others within your community consider you. Getting high-quality backlinks is a crucial part of your local SEO strategy since it allows you to show that you’re a well-respected member of the community. Backlinks can come from something as simple as a blog post on another local business’s site, pointing back to your homepage. You don’t have to get complex about it. Simpler is usually better.
5. Build your On-Site SEO
This consideration is one of the most important. Your Local SEO is a specific location-based method of contacting customers, but you shouldn’t overlook the traditional SEO your website should be doing. Traditional SEO allows you to define your target audience and aim your content towards them. You can do this yourself or hire search engine optimization services from another company. Experts who know what SEO is about can advise you on what you should change and what you should keep.
Not A Marathon, But a Sprint
Overall, your SEO strategy will take time to take effect. These actions can be done in the space of five hours, but it may be a while before they start to have an impact on your business. You might contemplate gaming the system by not having a place of business but listing your home address on Google My Business. As tempting as this might sound, avoid doing it since it could end badly for you. Stick to your local SEO, and before too long, it’ll start paying off.