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Small business owners often find themselves struggling to get their businesses off the ground.
One of the main reasons for this is a lack of visibility. If people can’t find your business, they can’t buy from you!
In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for small business owners that are looking to attract local leads through local SEO.
Follow these tips, and you will see a significant increase in traffic and revenue from your local market!
If you want to attract local leads, the first step is understanding the importance of local SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website for Google search with the goal of improving your visibility online.
Local SEO specifically refers to the process of optimizing your website for Google search within a specific geographic area. This is important for small businesses because it allows them to compete against larger businesses that may have national or international visibility.
When your website is optimized for local SEO, Google recognizes your business as being relevant to searchers in your area, and you are more likely to appear in search results when someone searches for keywords related to your business.
The next step is to do your research. You need to understand what keywords people are searching for that are relevant to your business.
Once you have a good understanding of the keywords that are being used in searches, you can start optimizing your website for those keywords.
There are a number of ways to research keywords, but one easy way is to use Google’s Keyword Planner tool. This tool allows you to enter a keyword or phrase and see how often it is being searched for in your area.
Another way to do research is to look at your competitors’ websites. See what keywords they are targeting and try to target those same keywords on your own website.
You can also use tools like SEMRush to spy on your competitors and see what keywords they are targeting.
A good way to optimize your website for local SEO is to create location pages. Location pages are pages on your website that are specifically designed for visitors in a particular geographic area.
For example, if you have an estate agent website, you might create a location page for each city or town that you serve. These pages typically include information about the local area, as well as listings of properties that are available around that area..
Creating location pages is a great way to show Google that your website is relevant to searchers in a particular geographical location.
In addition to using keywords and phrases throughout your website, you should also make sure that your website’s NAP (name, address, and phone number) is consistent across all of your web properties.
Your NAP should be included in the header or footer of your website, and it should be the same on every page.
Including your NAP on your website helps Google to verify your business and makes it more likely that you will appear in local search results.
You should also use keywords and phrases throughout your website that are relevant to your business and location.
For example, if you are a plumber serving the London area, you might use the phrase “plumber in London” on your website. This tells Google that your website is relevant to people who are searching for a plumber in London.
Be careful though as keyword stuffing, which is the act of cramming too many keywords into your website, can actually hurt your chances of ranking on Google. A good rule of thumb is to use keywords and phrases only when it makes sense to do so.
Also, don’t forget to use keywords (including your city and town) in your title tags and meta descriptions of your website.
A big thing many small businesses don’t claim is their Google Business Profile. Your Google Business Profile is what appears in the “Local Pack” results on Google, which are the results that appear when someone searches for a local business.
It’s completely free to create and claim, and it’s a great way to help your business appear in local search results.
When you create it, be sure to include as much information as possible, such as your business hours, website URL, photos, and more. The more information you can include, the better.
You should also make sure to keep your Google Business Profile up-to-date. This means regularly checking to ensure that your business information is accurate and make changes as needed.
One of the most important things you can do to improve your local SEO is to get reviews from your customers. Google uses customer reviews as one of their ranking factors, so the more positive reviews you have, the better.
There are a few different ways to get reviews; the first is to simply ask them for a review. You can do this in person, over the phone, or through email.
You could also set up a system on your website that allows customers to leave reviews. This could be something as simple as a “Review Us” page on your website or a link that takes customers directly to your Google Business Profile.
No matter how you get them, make sure to encourage positive reviews and take the time to respond to all of them – even the negative ones.
Social media is a great way to connect with potential customers in your area. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow you to post updates about your business, as well as interact with potential and current customers.
When using social media for local SEO purposes, be sure to include your city and town in your profile information.
In addition to posting about your own business on social media, you should also make an effort to engage with other local businesses. This could include liking and commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and tagging them in your own posts.
By engaging with other local businesses, you will not only build relationships, but you will also put your business in front of their followers, which could lead to new customers.
Local citations are another important part of local SEO. A local citation is simply an online mention of your business, such as your business name, address, and phone number.
There are a few different ways to get local citations. One is to create listings on directories and review sites, such as Yelp and Cylex.
Another way to get local citations is through backlinks. A backlink is simply a link from another website to your own. Backlinks are important because they help improve your website’s SEO.
A common strategy to get backlinks is to reach out to other websites in your industry and ask if they would be willing to link to your website.
Or you could create high-quality content on your website that other websites will want to link to. This could include blog posts, infographics and videos.
By following these tips, you will be well on your way to attracting more local leads and growing your business!
Local SEO is a powerful tool that should not be overlooked. If you optimize your website and online presence for your local market, you will see a significant increase in traffic and revenue.
If you’re ready to get started on building your business’ online presence or would like some help optimizing your website for SEO, contact Dave at Strategy Web Design at [email protected] or book a call.
