How To Improve Your Local SEO Rankings

The internet is a competitive space for many businesses, and local SEO provides them with the power to be seen by their customers. Although it keeps changing all the time, the fundamental impact it can have on your business is a time-tested truth. Many companies don’t quite know how to go about optimizing their local SEO for better ranking results. Here are 8 ways to improve your local search rankings in Google.
 


Improve Your Site Speed

Google declared the speed of websites as one of the contributing factors for the search results visibility. What this means for your local SEO ranking is that if you have good content on your site, but it is slow, the search engine will not display it as a top result. Slow speeds will lead to lower rankings which in turn will lead to lower conversion rates. Check your website speed using various online tools to determine what you need to do to improve your load times for better ranking.

Get More Online Reviews 

Genuine online reviews have fast risen to become a key influencer of search engine ranking. This is because people put weight on the experiences of others with a business or product they are thinking of using, and the data proves it.

A survey conducted shows that 84 percent of people value online reviews as much as personal recommendations. It also indicates that out of ten customers, seven are comfortable with leaving a review when asked. You, therefore, have a pool of existing clients who are willing to provide genuine feedback for free which will improve your Google ranking. Use the various online tools available to get reviews. Monitor your businesses’ mentions on social media to get leads that can provide reviews. Your Facebook page and Google My Business page are critical places you should seek to get reviews from.

Use Google My Business

Your Google My Business page is a valuable asset in influencing your search ranking as Google itself ties the results in favor of listed businesses. Claim your Google My Business page, or have your SEO Agency claim it, to appear in the local search result three-pack section. You will need to optimize it once you claim it to obtain such a result. Bing Places for Business is also a similar service providing similar results that you should take advantage of.

Use Keywords Properly 

Keywords are a useful tool in promoting your search result listing if used well. Start by using long tail keywords instead of shorter ones to improve your SEO visibility. Understand the effect of using informational keywords as well as commercial ones. Informational keywords generate organic traffic, but conversion will be more difficult to attain. This is because those searching for these terms are looking for information without a high intent to make a purchase.

Commercial keywords, on the other hand, provide leads that deliver attractive conversion rates. This is because those who search for these terms have a high intent to make a purchase should they find the information useful for their needs. Leads from commercial keywords also have a higher propensity to leave reviews providing a double boost to your ranking visibility.  


Create Valuable Content

No matter what SEO tactics you use to improve your ranking, there is nothing that will have a significant an impact as fantastic content. Create material that will meet the needs of those who seek information online. When someone looks up a topic your content deals with and feels that it adds substantial value to them, they will leave positive reviews and pass it on to others. The cascading effect will drive up organic traffic and boost your overall ranking and visibility. How frequently users engage with your content influences how high you rank as a search result.

Create Use Natural Backlinks 

Links have a substantial effect on your ranking, especially with Google My Business. Use links within your content for optimization purposes. If you use any photos in your social media marketing, make sure that you link them back to your website as well.


Use Well Crafted Titles and Descriptions

Carefully craft the title and meta descriptions that will be seen as a search engine result. They act as a sort of ‘mini-ad’ to your content and when well done will improve your ranking. Only use useful texts and name the local areas of your business to gain local SEO market share.

Structured Data Markup

Add information about your business, its services, etc. to your site’s code for Google to better understand what your business is about and potentially increase your visibility.

Conclusion

The internet is highly competitive with businesses vying for the attention of customers. There are several ways to influence your local search rankings in Google to stand out from the rest and get more conversions. Implement these tips together in a unified strategy to fine tune your ranking and visibility. 

About the Author

Craig Corbel is the Vice President of Marketing and Design at Solution Web Designs, an agency caters to small and mid-sized companies in the tristate area. Learn more by visiting their website.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Questions for Choosing an SEO Web Designer

Image
5 Questions to Ask When Choosing an SEO Web Designer There is a huge difference between a web designer and an SEO web designer. Choosing the right design team for your business is critical if you want to generate qualified leads for your business. A web designer will make a pretty website. If you are a model who is building a portfolio website, you may not need SEO. Your name will be the only keyword required to find you and the search engines are smart enough to figure that out with proper SEO installed on the website. However, this is not a sound strategy for a business website that should generate customers and have a financial return on your investment. An SEO web designer will make a pretty website strategically designed to generate business based on search engine keyword searches from your potential customers. SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to building a website that meets the criteria for showing up in Internet searches, and especially Google because they are th...
Read more

How To Generate High-Quality Leads For Your Business With An Effective Web Design Service in Long Island

Image
Modern Elements of Web Design Quality web design not only helps reinforce your brand, but it also establishes credibility for you site, which can ultimately generate more leads, sales, and revenue. Long Island Website Designers can help you design a website that displays your business in its best light, gives potential clients insight into the real you, and that is SEO optimized for top search results, which in turn can help produce valuable leads. Leads, in general, are people who are contacting you because they have an interest in buying your company's product or service, including people who come to your site to complete forms to contact you or who dialed your phone number, which they located on your site, to reach you. In other words, these are potential clients or customers who have a need for your product or service and could potentially buy from you in the future. Theoretically, these leads are interested in a follow-up meeting or call, which is valuable to your com...
Read more

Introduction to SEO Copywriting

Image
Websites need to rank on search engines for people to find them. Keywords and search engine optimization are items top web pages use to direct traffic to the site. These pages use many strategies to stay at the top of the search results and beat out the competition. Ranking high on search engines is difficult because sites like Google use constantly changing equations and algorithms to define how the search engine lists each brand or page. What works one day may not work the next. SEO is All About Keywords What is search engine optimization? This phrase refers to using keyword data to determine the top ranking terms for a particular market. Writing with a purpose minimizes unnecessary information and provides concise, clear answers presenting information in general terms that most people can understand. Every industry and product has specific terms and phrases that people associate with it. For instance, an auto body shop might be easiest to find on the web when they use terms...
Read more