Local SEO is a way to get your business website ranked on Google‘s first page and other search engines for keywords specific to your location. There are plenty of reasons why your business needs great local SEO. To know more about it click here.
This can be very beneficial for businesses looking to gain customers in their local area. It allows them access to a much larger customer base than they would have otherwise had, driving up sales and revenue.
From increased visibility in search engine results to more customers, the benefits are clear. However, if you’re a small business owner on a tight budget, you may be wondering how to make this happen.
You don’t need to splash out hundreds or thousands of dollars on SEO; you just need the right techniques. In today’s post, we’ll cover five local SEO strategies that you can implement without breaking the bank. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Optimize your website for local search
The first and most important step to maximize when you want to improve your local SEO is optimizing your website for local search. If you aren’t doing this already, start today. This means that instead of targeting a broad range of keywords like “marketing,” you rather focus on more specific searches such as “San Diego marketing services” or “Tampa marketing firms.” By targeting searches like this, you’ll be able to rank higher on search engines and attract more customers.
Use video marketing
If you have yet to use video marketing for your business, now is the time. Videos are an excellent marketing tool because they allow you to convey your message in a visual, engaging way. It’s a great way to rank higher on search engines, and it can lead to more conversions than just text alone because people want to see the source of the information they’re reading.
What if you don’t have any video content to use? If this is your case, you may consider using free stock videos. If you’re not interested in creating your own stock video, you can find videos on many other sites. By finding compelling, relevant videos, you’ll be able to improve your local SEO while also making it easier for potential customers to find the information they need about your business.
Build local citations
Another important step in boosting your local SEO is building local business citations. One of the main factors that Google uses for its ranking algorithm is trustworthiness and authority. When they see that your business has been cited all over the internet, they immediately recognize it as a trustworthy site. This is excellent news for you.
One of the best citation-building techniques to use is to claim local profiles on popular sites like Yelp and Manta. This way, when someone searches for “accountants in my city,” your name shows up right away. If you can claim the local profile on sites like these, your local SEO will improve significantly, and so will your revenue and customer base.
Add your business to Google My Business
Google’s free web tool, Google My Business, makes it easy for local businesses to manage their online presence and keep customers updated with the latest news and announcements. It also helps Google understand more about your business, which is a big factor in your SEO rankings. By filling out all the details on Google My Business, including a description of your business and photos of the inside and outside of your location, you’ll be improving both local SEO and overall SEO.
Write local content for your website
Writing unique content meant to improve local SEO may not seem like much fun, but it can really boost your online presence in search engines such as Google and Bing. By writing better articles, blog posts, and website copy targeted to your location’s needs, you’ll be able to rank better when someone searches for keywords related to your business in your specific city or town.
Local content is a unique way to attract new customers because it gives them information about their own neighborhood. This is exactly what they’re looking for when they search “San Diego marketing services.” Most customers will want to hire a local business where they live, so the more information you can provide them about your location, the better.
Utilize social media
Social media has become an integral part of everyday life for millions of people, so it’s no wonder that social media platforms are also great platforms to reach your local target audience. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram are all excellent sites to utilize when you want to boost your local SEO.
By creating business profiles on these sites and sharing photos, videos, and status updates about your business or industry, you’ll be making it easier for people to find your website (and rank it more highly on Google).
Don’t forget to link back to your own website. By including your URL in all of your social media profiles, you can improve local SEO while also getting more eyes on your content.
Participate in local events
Another way to improve your local SEO is by participating in local events, including conferences, seminars, workshops, meetups, etc. By showing up at these places and handing out business cards or postcards with your website information on them, you can attract new customers who are hungry for the services you provide.
Utilize Google Maps
By utilizing Google Maps, you can let people know exactly where your business is located. When potential customers are searching for “accountants in Long Beach,” they’ll be able to see that you’re only 20 minutes away from them. This small detail can make them decide to visit your business instead of someone else’s.
To make Google Maps work to your advantage, simply search your business name and location on the site and claim the local listing as soon as possible. Once you do this, Google will ask you to fill out a form with information about your business that may be used in search results. This includes the operating hours of your business, images of your location, and more.
Get reviews
Last but not least, getting customer reviews is another excellent way to improve both your local SEO and your overall SEO. When customers read positive feedback, then they believe your business is credible and trustworthy.
They also want to leave their own review after they’ve had a good experience with your business, which means you’ll be able to attract more customers in the future. Plus, Google loves online content, so it’ll rank your site higher in search results when it sees lots of customer reviews.
There are a lot of different strategies that can improve your local SEO. While you may have to spend a little money on local citations and Google My Business, there are also free ways to uplift your search rankings, such as social media, writing local content, and getting customer reviews. Implement these tips today and you’ll soon start to experience the benefits of boosted local SEO.
All it takes is some time, creativity, and determination to take care of these simple tasks that will help boost your local SEO and generate more sales. We hope our tips were helpful; we look forward to hearing about how they work for you.
