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With the Covid-19 pandemic still a major concern for all businesses, it is vital that they capitalise on the political goodwill of local communities to rally round and support their local businesses, eschewing the online giants because of shipping delays or even for moral reasons. They can only capitalise on this by ensuring that their local SEO is in tiptop condition and their site is easy to find, using the keyword searches that are commonly used in their area and that the likes of their testimonials, reviews, and Google My Business (GMB) information are of a high standard and up to date. With this in mind, let’s delve a little deeper into 10 ways a business can boost their local SEO.
1: Nurture your GMB page
Mobile and desktop users alike are increasingly using GMB information to assess the likelihood of a business fulfilling their criteria, whether through opening hours, services or via customer reviews. With this in mind, it is vital you nurture your Google My Business page. Keep it up to date, attractive via use of profile picture (your logo), interior and exterior shots (high resolution) and encouraging customers to leave reviews.
2: Create content with a local twist
Find out what searches are leading local people to your site and use these keywords to create local-focussed content. Publicize local events with relevance to your services and attempt to provide solutions to local queries with quality content. You may gain inbound links in the process.
3: Get reviews!
John Hinds from Lojix, a reputable digital marketing agency, says “The importance of reviews is growing year on year and 97% of b2b customers say that reviews are much more important than other types of content”. How many times do you browse for a new series to watch and check the average rating on the likes of Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb? Well, browsers will be doing exactly the same with your business, so provide incentives for reviews.
4: NAP consistency is vital
NAP stands for Name, Address and Phone Number i.e. the fundamental information about your business. Make sure it is accurate and up to date absolutely everywhere it appears. Most local citation builder company offer citation audit and cleanup service to ensure the accuracy of your business information.
5: Keep an eye on hot topics in the local area
Hot local news stories are great to build features around. Be prepared to react quickly to get that content shared via social media while it’s still trending for a quick win.
6: Make FAQ related content pieces
FAQs turned into content pieces can work wonders as they address multiple concerns of potential customers all at once and can guarantee to get multiple visits from the right potential leads.
7: Go for backlinks from partners and sponsorships
Attaining backlinks is a goal that all businesses should strive for, but get the ball rolling with your local partners and sponsors. Get involved with fundraising to get more potential sponsors and ask for valuable backlinks.
8: Don’t neglect social media
Social media is a great way to find your voice and keep in contact with local people and other local businesses.
9: Use Google AdWords Keyword Planner
Google AdWords Keyword Planner is an excellent free tool to help you find keywords that suit your target audience as well as find those with low competition and high search volume.
10: Give your website an SEO overhaul
This might seem a daunting task, but with the help of SEO specialists, you can make sure your entire site is SEO optimized, giving you the best chance of being visible to the right people.
You may also like: What is Local SEO and Why does it Matter to You?
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