Google Local SEO 2018

Let’s start with, What is SEO?

SEO (Search engine Optimization) is a work of discipline and strategies to keep your website on top of SERPs. It is totally a way to get organic traffic to your website and making visible to the audience who are intent towards your services.

SEO encompasses technical and creative elements to drive traffic and improve rankings. There are many techniques to work combined to get success in SEO as;

  • Website Architecture,
  • Web page content,
  • Keywords,
  • Structured URL,
  • Links,
  • Titles,
  • Headings,
  • Structured Data,
  • Schema Markup,
  • Mobile Friendliness and so on…

All these elements should structure as per search engine guidelines.

What is Local SEO?

Thousands of customers use Local search every day to find the best services in the local area. Local Search helps business to get more visibility, increase website traffic and helps to get potential customers. Local SEO is focused on delivering search results for the current location. It shows the location of the business in the current location and near surroundings.

It helps businesses promote their products and services to local customers at the exact time. There are certain techniques must follow to get the website ranked on search engines.

Let’s give me an example:

Local Google SEO

 

On the above image, I typed the search term “Best Digital Marketing Institute Koramangala”. It showed the local Digital Marketing Institutions, addresses and reviews.

When typed in such a way by putting location, Google understands that we are searching for the places near the surroundings and it will deliver the results according to the search term “Best Digital Marketing Institution”.

Google is very quick in response; it will deliver the result in half-a-second with related results. We should opt for Local SEO implementation to make our website in top of these Google results;

7 Local SEO Techniques must follow;

Once search term with location typed on Google search bar, Google’s Pigeon algorithm starts its work to fetch the local data. This search will show us the maps before the blue links regularly present by Google.

Maps place a vital role in local SEO; especially nowadays users are mostly being on mobile phones looking for local business results for their intent services. When they see the local listings as soon as possible they look for the nearest locations rather visiting blue links under the maps. They quickly click on the local listed addresses which are near to them before visiting the store.

Every user performs some ground research before they signup to take business services. They look for the reviews listed on the local listing to find which company providing better services. So we have to perform some Local SEO techniques to make our website visible in Local listings.

Let drill down to each Local SEO techniques one by one;

Google My Business Listing:

Google My Business Listing is the one technique must be followed in Local SEO. List your business by signing up to GMB to make your business location visible to customers. By signing up to these services, Google will send a verification mail to get confirmation. Once confirmation has done Google can show your business location on further searches.

While filling up the GMB listing, we have to showcase our business timings, phone number, business category and a description of the business. This listing is going to impact your business in a positive manner. Make sure that the information you provided is clear and clean about your business.

Local SEO Google my business

 

Links:

The second one is getting links from related websites. This is very similar to SEO, Links plays a major role to increase the authority of the site. Naturally obtained backlinks from well-authorized websites helps to boost our ranking. Make sure that every backlink we are earnings are most relevant to our industry.

On-Page Signals:

This is a bit similar to general SEO practices, make sure that your NAP (NAME, ADDRESS and PHONE NUMBER) are on every page. You have to optimize your site for local search by adding the location in content. Add relevant keywords in the landing page title tag and make sure your region is specified on every landing page.

Keywords with location should be placed in Header tags to make it SEO centric. Make the most relevant URL to the webpage including keywords and your business location.

Mention your business location in content as possible you can, but it should be a natural flow. Image ALT attributes are one of the good places to add our keywords. Using location in ALT tags for a local photograph of a business is a big opportunity you should grab.

Smartphone usage has increased drastically, Keep your website pages mobile friendly. They should be able to find your business quickly.

Citation:

A local citation is mentioning of the business name, address, and phone number on local business directories, on websites and on social platforms. Citations help the audience to discover local business and help to improve local search engine rankings.

Create citations on a variety of important local business data platforms, which can publish this type of data.

Following are the few elements to incorporate in citations:

  • Business name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Hours of operation
  • Driving direction
  • Business description
  • Images
  • Reviews
  • Website URL
  • Links to a Social platform

Local SEO citation

 

Google Reviews:

Next, most important is having a number of good reviews for your services. Reviews will make or break your business.  Encourage your customers who have good experience to give reviews for the services. For every review just give them a reply and welcome them with warm regards. This is how you build a good relationship with customers. Recent days mostly people trust the reviews before they buy any product.

Google Review Local SEO

Posting Pictures and videos:

This is one of the local SEO optimizing technique you must follow, posting pictures and videos related to your business helps customers to understand better about your business. Promote your upcoming events via Google post, it helps to engage your audience with your business.

Social Signals:

Social media presence is one of the element you should not miss in Local SEO. Social interaction is one of the key element looks after by Google’s local algorithm. People mostly use Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest and Instagram. We should remember that we are on Google local listings, Never underestimate Google+ it is Google’s own social platform. Keeps your business listing on Google+, it is going to help you to rank on local SEO.

Use a high-quality logo and high-quality images on Social platforms, dull images give a negative impact on business.  Add some business annual celebration videos or any business related videos on a profile. Never forget to mention your business location on the content you are sharing.

 

Conclusion

Optimizing your local SEO is very important for website traffic, leads and conversion. SEO changes quite rapidly. You never know when Google will introduce new features, updates on its SERP’s for local searches, but you can always keep a count on these changes by taking SEO Training Course. It’s essential to always stay on top of local SEO.

To read other important blogs on SEO, click this link eMarket education 

Keep on Reading our blogs; Learn new things from us; Share with Digital Marketing Aspirants, & of course; Inspire yourself and others. Follow us on Facebook   Instagram & Youtube  for Latest Digital Marketing Trends & Tips. If you wish to start a Digital Marketing Career, then check out our –

Top Digital Marketing Courses in Bangalore with Placements | PPC Course | Google SEO Certification  | SMM Course

Learn Share & Inspire – This is eMarket Education Internet Marketing Institute Success Mantra!