Local SEO Marketing is one of the most effective strategies to boost your website’s ranking on Google, potentially leading to more customers in your direction.
The initial step in Local SEO is keyword research. Utilizing the Google Keyword Planner tool as a starting point is an ideal method for this endeavor.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is an integral component of any digital marketing plan. Without it, your business won’t achieve much success in terms of traffic or rankings on SERPs (search engine results pages).
Your content strategy should be tailored to what your buyer personas are actively searching for and how you can assist them with their problem. Doing this ensures your content is as pertinent to them as possible, which in turn creates the foundations of success.
Ubersuggest and SEMrush can help with this by providing volume and SEO difficulty data for each search term, making it simple to determine whether the keywords are worth targeting. These tools also offer other helpful metrics, such as bounce rate and bounce percentage for each keyword, which may indicate whether a given phrase should be prioritized over another.
On-Page Optimization
Your local SEO marketing strategy should include optimizing a website’s content in order to boost its search engine rankings. This includes keywords, title tags, internal links and other elements.
On-page optimization is critical for your local SEO success, as it increases your business’ visibility on search engines and draws in more localized traffic. This is especially pertinent for physical businesses that provide services in specific cities, regions, or towns.
Keywords are the foundation of on-page SEO, so it’s best to optimize each page individually for its targeted keywords. Furthermore, avoid keyword stuffing which could actually cause Google to penalize your site and rank it lower in SERPs.
Your on-page optimizations should include a title tag that accurately summarizes the content of your page and includes your target keywords. Your headings (H1-H6) should also incorporate these same targeted keywords and related terms.
Link Building
Link building is an essential SEO technique that helps your site appear high in search results and drives direct traffic to it.
Local SEO Marketing necessitates specific techniques for link building, which are similar to those employed with general or global SEO. The key difference is that the sites you seek links from are more locally focused – such as resource listings and local blogs.
One of the most effective methods for building links is outreach. It’s an effective way to cultivate business contacts and position yourself as an authority in your field.
Another way to build local connections is by getting involved in events or community projects. This could include running a scholarship, being featured in the local newspaper, or hosting an event for the area.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a crucial strategy in Local SEO. It’s an effective way to position yourself as an authority within your industry, draw in more local traffic, and build your brand’s reputation.
Local content can range from blog posts and videos to infographics and even social media postings that get shared within your area. This type of material is especially crucial for local businesses looking to rank well for searches related to their neighborhood or service area.
In addition to including local keywords in the titles and meta descriptions of your website and blog pages, you can also utilize content to build backlinks from high-authority local websites and publications. These links tend to be more valuable than standard inbound links, helping boost your local SEO by driving more local visitors to your site.
Another content marketing strategy for local SEO involves writing “Top 10,” and “Best Of” lists relevant to your industry, as well as how-to guides and case studies. If your business is located in an area with plenty of activity, consider partnering with events to sponsor or provide relevant content tailored towards local audiences.