February 2022 - Cloud LGS

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a specific set of search engine optimization tactics that focus on increasing a business’s local visibility with local search results. The primary objective of local SEO is to connect your business with customers in your area who are looking for what you offer.

Who can Benefit from Local SEO?

Local SEO can be used by any business, at any scale and its most common use case is for small businesses with physical, brick and mortar locations — although mobile applications, software providers, and other non-local businesses can benefit from it as well.

How do Search Engines Work with Local SEO?

Websites that are optimized for local SEO can have a significant impact on the ranking of your website in relation to specific keywords. These include location pages and content tailored to location-based searches. Additional content such as online reviews, blog posts, social media profiles, citations, and back-links also create high value.

How Google Regulates Local Rankings?

Google is currently the dominant search engine across more than 97% of the market. It displays local results based on the digital footprint that focuses on many factors including Prominence, Distance, Keyword Relevance, PageRank, and other metrics like domain authority and trustworthy factors.

How Does Google Index Benefit Local SEO?

The Google Index is the collection of web pages that Google has discovered, cached, and stored for indexing. Google crawls the web to find all of the pages on your site and across the web. Having Google index your local content improves your visibility with Google’s local ranking algorithms.

Crawling Local Content with Google Spiders

Google Spiders are automated programs (bots) that crawl the web and add new pages to the Google index. It functions by reading and following the links of a page to discover new links and pages on other sites.

How Do Localized Google Algorithms Work?

Google Algorithm is the complex mathematical equation that Google uses to rank web pages. It changes constantly, and there are hundreds of local ranking factors that Google evaluates to determine where a web page should be ranked.

Google’s Local SEO Ranking Factors

Google Algorithm analyzes several Local SEO ranking factors (on-page and off-page) to find out whether the website contains resources connected to the search term, a specific location like zip code or city, consists of the phrase ‘near me’, whether it contains high-quality information about the topic, associated with GPS data from smartphones and how it’s connected to other websites.

Improve Digital Footprint with the Right Local SEO Elements

When you improve your Local SEO, it can have a significant impact on how well-known and relevant to users’ searches are. Optimizing the right elements of a site’s digital footprint will make them appear higher in more search results for specific phrases or questions people might ask when they are looking around online.

Google's Local SEO Algorithm Includes a Proximity Factor

When people look for businesses or service providers from their local area, Google will take their location into account. This is because of the proximity factor in their algorithm – which means that they figure out what you are looking for and show them results from around where you live!

Example of Google Local Rank Tracking

When you search for “doughnut shop near me” from your office, Google takes your location into account and gives more weight to nearby service providers. But if you try that same search away from the office, you’ll see an entirely different set of listings because we all have our favorite places nearby where they deliver fast!

Local SEO Methods are Effective in Reaching Mobile Users

With the recent growth in mobile internet access, people have been utilizing their smartphones and tablets for local searches. With this rise, Local SEO becomes even more important because it can help your company rank high on searches related specifically to where you offer goods or services and thus reach potential customers in a quick time.

The Local SEO Game has Changed

Local search engine optimization can have a huge impact on where people find you. No longer are you limited to one ranking algorithm that lists your business in the standard Google organic search results and another separate set of rankings for their map pack on top of this, but now it’s possible to have a presence both ways at once!

What's the Big Deal with Local SEO?

When it comes to marketing your business locally, one of the main challenges is knowing what you should focus on to include the business in the Local 3 Pack. The SEO experts know where to start and you can get help from a Local SEO consultant to navigate your business to a higher local search ranking.

Local SEO and Google Business Profile Categories

It’s important to choose the most relevant categories that match your brand or business type. Choosing the appropriate categories significantly improves your business visibility for local searches.

Choosing Relevant Keywords in Your Google Business Profile

The more relevant content you have on your Google business profile listing, the better you’ll rank in local search. You should try to add your primary keyword and secondary keywords in the title, description, and category section of your Google Business listing.

Mention Your Location in the Google Business Profile

It’s a questionable, but effective method to mention your city name or town name along with your business name in the Google business profile listing title and description. Location is very important for Local SEO.

Optimizing Local Photos on Your Google Business Profile Listing

It is important to optimize photos on your Google business listing. When possible always try to use high-quality photos that will be attract new users. Even better, try to capture these photos from a cell phone in the location of your business.

Keep your Google Business Profile Listing Updated

As part of GMB SEO, you should keep your Google My Business listing up-to-date by adding or removing information. Also, you should keep your listing information accurate.

Do Not Overuse or Stuff Keywords in Your Website and GMB Listing

Overusing or stuffing keywords in both your website and GMB listing will only hurt the relevancy of your website. It may even land you in a penalty situation.

Perform Keyword Research Concentrating on Local Audiences

Keyword research is important for local search visibility. It is especially important if your business is a local service such as a plumber, dentist, etc.

Get Top Rankings for Google Local Search Terms

As Google’s local search ranking algorithm is becoming more and more sophisticated, you can improve your website’s chances of ranking in the top results by focusing on relevant and high-volume local keywords and long-tail keywords.

Get Backlinks from Local News Websites, Trusted Forums, Etc.

Backlinks from other local authority sites are important for local search visibility. You can get backlinks by distributing news stories, press releases, and participating in forum discussions.

Build Local Citations in a Consistent Format

Citations with a consistent standard across the web play an important role in local search. You should start this process by collecting your existing citations in a specific format.

Claim and Optimize Local Listings in Popular Directories

You can drive more traffic to your website by claiming your local listings in major directories. It is time-consuming work, but you can get the benefits for years or even decades.

Improve your Website's Local Trust and Authority

You can help Google understand the relevance between your website and a search query by improving your website’s trust and authority. A great online presence will also help you to get more natural, or organic, backlinks.

Link to Genuine Local External Sites from Your Website

It helps to improve your site’s trust and authority. You should link out to other relevant websites that you think will help your visitors with information.

Avoid Link Schemes and Over-Optimization of Anchor Text for Better Results

As Google is getting smarter, it detects the patterns that point to unnatural or over-optimized links. You should avoid link schemes and excessive use of anchor text for better search visibility.

Regularly Monitor Your Local Search Rankings

You should regularly monitor your local search visibility to make sure that you are always on top. You can use online tools such as rank tracker to monitor your website’s performance.

Enhance Local Search Visibility in Mobile Devices

The latest versions of the Google algorithm have specific guidelines for the local search on mobile devices. If your website is not responsive, it will lose the chance to get top rankings in local searches from mobile devices.

Blogs, Videos, and Infographics with Location Mentions

Creating high-quality content with a focus on local topics is an effective way to build backlinks from other websites. We suggest you use video, infographics, and regular blogging to drive more traffic to your website.

Reach Out to Local Bloggers, Industry Editors, and Thought Leaders

Earning high-quality backlinks from local bloggers, industry editors, and thought leaders will significantly boost your local SEO scores. These types of local SEO strategies create huge lifts with local search results.

Optimize Your Meta-Descriptions for Better Local SEO Results

You can improve your website’s CTR from the search engine result page by optimizing the meta-description. It is a red box under each listing on the Google local search result page.

Optimize Your Website for Local Directories, Social Media and Review Sites

The more you are optimized on major directories, social media platforms, news websites, and review sites, the more opportunities for local search visibility. You should optimize your website or business listing on these services.

Stay Up-To-Date with Google Local Search Algorithm Changes

Google has a very dynamic search engine algorithm, and it is changing regularly. You should stay up-to-date with the latest Google algorithm changes to ensure that your website is always on top of the local search engine rankings.

Remember to Use Local Keywords in Your Meta-Keywords

You should always target local keywords with relevant long-tail keyword phrases. In the past, these long-tail keywords were ignored, but Google is taking them into account in recent years.

Using Location Names in Your Website Title Tags

Targeting relevant localized keywords can also improve your local search visibility. Searches in your area usually respond better when the displayed verbiage is accurate to their search location.

Local Directory Sub-Categories Improve Your Website’s Rankings

You should use the most essential directory sub-categories to improve your website’s local search ranking. You can also create more specialized directory listings for better visibility.

Use Local Citation for Top Rankings

You can get top local search rankings by getting as many citations as possible. You should build citations from different sources such as industry directories, local newspapers, and magazines.

Reviews from People in Your Local Area Benefits Local Search Results

You can get a lot of benefits from Google Maps by generating local reviews for your business. You should encourage local customers to leave reviews because Google tends to rank businesses with more reviews higher than others.

Establishing a Local Review Marketing Strategy

You should establish a review marketing strategy to your local customers to help improve your local search rankings. You can approach customers in different ways such as email, phone calls, text messages, and social media.

Monitor Your Website’s Local Search Performance

Local businesses need to monitor their website’s performance because any issues can have a negative impact on their rankings. You should monitor the performance of each service you are using for your website to improve its ranking.

Take Advantage of Local Business Information on Social Media

You should take advantage of your business information on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as they play a major role in local search. The more you update your social media accounts, the better exposure you get from local search engine social signals.

Use Google Local Carousel to Improve Rankings

You can improve your local search rankings by optimizing your website for Google Local Carousel. This section is displayed when you search for local businesses, and it includes a carousel or a series of map panels.

Focus on Mobile Marketing for Local Search

More than 50% of people search for local businesses via mobile devices. You should focus on mobile marketing to improve your website’s visibility and rankings on the local search result page.

Mobile Optimization for Local Businesses

You should know that mobile optimization is different from conventional web design. You need to optimize your website for search engines, as well as for human beings. By using responsive design and optimizing for mobile, you will improve your website’s user experience and also its local search presence.

Localized Website Content Should be Relevant

Local businesses need to have the relevant website content. Relevant, updated content can help your website rank higher in the local search result pages.

Monitor Your Listing with Local Google Map Packs

You should always monitor your placement in the local Google map packs. Appearing in local map packs is one of the best methods to earn opportunities with local customers. If you are not able to appear in the local map pack results, try getting more reviews from local customers.

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