Local SEO is a critical component of a successful small business. Pay Simple reminds us that local SEO helps local businesses to rank on search pages for a location and even gives them a place on Google Maps. In recent years, Google’s algorithm has switched towards giving users “intent-based” results. What this means is that if someone searches for a particular thing, they get nearby locations first. Those nearby locations depend on local SEO to work since they tap into the searcher’s current location (either on desktop or mobile) and match them with the closest geographical provider. But how does a company do local SEO in 2021? Is there some trick or tip to make it more effective? Here, we’ll examine three of the best suggestions to improve a business’s local SEO.
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1. Build Content Focused on Local Locations
Many professionals would advise businesses that content marketing is crucial to their online success. As WebFX tells us, content marketing can drive traffic to a website resulting in more sales and better brand visibility. However, it also has a place in local SEO. A business looking to leverage local SEO can create content that focuses on its location. What challenges do the residents have there? What sort of attractions are there to see in this locale? Concentrating on your service or product offerings and tying it back to the location is a great way to build the connection without outright telling the reader about yourself. It’s the subtlety that sells.
2. Directories and Maps
Google has options for small businesses to get themselves featured on Maps. Google My Business offers a straightforward interface allowing brick-and-mortar stores to get themselves a presence online. However, Google My Business is just one of the many directories that companies can use to get themselves noticed. Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, and even the local yellow pages have their own listings that will show up in search results. What’s more, the cross-referencing of these websites makes for a much stronger presence online. Occasionally, when businesses start doing this, they’ll get approached by bots and “businessmen” telling them that they could increase their business coverage for a small fee. These should be ignored since they can’t do anything that you can’t do yourself.
3. Build Local Backlinks
After you’ve established yourself on the directories, you should set out to build some backlinks. One of the best backlink building strategies you can get is through guest posting. By reaching out to other local businesses and asking to do features on their web pages, you increase your visibility and create valuable backlinks. Another great place to head for local SEO backlinks is the local Rotary Club. Members are more than willing to network and reach out to others in the community to build their network. Be wary of buying backlinks since these are dodgy and could hurt your local SEO strategy in the long run.
Drive Better Traffic Both Online and On Foot
Local SEO is a subset of the overall SEO strategy. You can potentially satisfy both of these directives and rank for a particular keyword locally and nationally. However, global SEO can be a much more intense game. Many businesses don’t both doing their local SRO themselves and subcontract it to a third party. A local SEO company deals with all aspects of local SEO and ensures its clients rank in searches. If you decide to go this route, you should check testimonials and determine if you’re okay with them working with your business. For the most part, the benefits outweigh the initial costs.
