Because the approach is more relevant to your base of local consumers, optimizing your local SEO implies more website traffic, leads, and conversions. Consider this targeted strategy as a technique to help you compete more successfully against larger national companies with unlimited resources. By focusing on particular local-SEO tasks, you may offset the advantage of larger companies that consistently optimize for broader keywords and depend on brand awareness rather than value propositions to drive traffic.
If you’re ready to dominate local SEO in 2021, keep reading as we reveal our top 5 simple recommendations to rank better in your local search
1. Create a listing on Google My Business (GMB).
Setting up a Google My Business (GMB) listing is one of the first steps to ranking in local searches. One of the advantages of having a Google My Business listing is that it is the modern-day counterpart of being listed in the yellow pages. The second reason is that it is a significant ranking factor. According to Moz’s most recent yearly research, Google My Business listings are the single most influential element in local SEO.
Furthermore, creating a GMB listing is not difficult. However, you must verify that your profile is completely filled out. Google provides you with a visual representation of how full your profile is. Fill in all of the fields to ensure that this metric is at 100%.
2. Emphasize Local Keywords
Targeting local keywords is one of the fundamentals of local SEO. Local keywords are self-explanatory, however, you should still look at long-tail local keywords for your business.
For example, if you own a plumbing firm in New York City, you should examine search volumes for different variants of search phrases such as “plumber, New York City,” “plumber, NYC,” and so on. You might also wish to look for hyper-local keywords like “plumbing services, Manhattan.”
3. Use Local Keywords for your On-Page SEO
Once you’ve compiled a list of local keywords for which you want to rank, the next step is to optimize your site for them. This is a tried-and-true local SEO tip that will be just as relevant in 2021 as it was five years ago. Site optimization is, of course, a separate issue, but here are some onsite local SEO fundamentals.
To begin, ensure that your home page and any service pages include the local keywords you want to rank for in the:
- Headings
- Tags for titles
- Description of the meta
- BodY
- Footer
When feasible, you should also aim to integrate your major local keyword within the URL. When adding keywords, be sure you utilize them naturally rather than keyword stuffing.
4. Produce Content Inspired by Local News Stories or Events
To capture the attention of your local clients, nothing beats producing material that speaks or ties directly to a local problem.
Among the strategies are:
- Creating blog entries based on local news, activities, or events
- Making films about local organizations or issues that your company supports
- If you serve various areas of a region, create location-specific sites on your website with high-quality local information.
5. Obtain Consistent Positive Feedback from Satisfied Customers
Getting your consumers to submit positive reviews for your company not only improves your Google My Business profile, but it also encourages additional local people to buy from you. Getting seen by the public using SEO is only half the battle; you must also convert a viewer into a sale in the face of dozens of rivals. Reviews are lighthouses that guide customers to go and pick your business, therefore make an effort to keep those reviews stacking.
Conclusion
SEO evolves at a quick pace. You never know when Google will add new features to its SERPs for local searches, but you can depend on these updates. That is why it is critical to keep on top of local SEO at all times.
Want to get found quicker? Co Media’s got you covered. We are an advertising and marketing agency in Australia dedicated to growing your digital presence on social media. Book a free strategy session today!
