For the last decade, search engine optimization strategies have been at the top of the food chain when it comes to online marketing, and the same holds true today. However, whereas before SEO services were focused on national or international outreach, today, local search optimization is the name of the game. As Search Marketing Daily writes, by 2018, spending on local search optimization is expected to increase by 52%. More and more web users are looking for local goods and services online, after all.
Just as many businesses struggled with the concepts and the time and resources required to implement a smart SEO campaign in-house, many are asking “what is local SEO, and how do I do it?” If this sounds like you, keep reading.
Three Simple Steps for Making Your Local Search Optimization More Effective
- Get Smart with Your Keyword Research
- Optimize Your Website for Mobile
- Learn to Deal with Good and Bad Reviews Online
As The Huffington Post writes, just because SEO is transitioning to a local focus, that doesn’t mean you can take your eyes off of smart keyword research. Say, for example, you’re a fishmonger in Seattle. Just as “Seattle fresh fish” was an important search term on a national scale, so, too, is a focus on this type of high value keyword crucial to generating more traffic from your local market.
According to Pew Research, more than 90% of Americans own a mobile phone. Further, as a study from Search Engine Watch shows, 46% of all mobile users say they use their phones to search for local businesses, like yours. In other words, you need to make an effort to ensure your webpage is available to the ever growing mobile community. Bringing in a designer to build a responsive webpage for your business can have a huge impact on your local search optimization.
Would you be surprised to hear that you should actually encourage customers to review your business online? That may seem counter-intuitive, especially considering some of the terrible things web users are known to write, but as Business 2 Community suggests, good or bad, your reviews represent an opportunity. If they’re good reviews, you can thank your customers for their patronage, demonstrating to other web surfers how gracious you are. On the other hand, by showing customers with bad reviews that you want to work with them to solve their problems, you can turn potential PR nightmares into PR success stories. Reviews are a win-win for you.
As can so clearly be seen, local search optimization is going to be increasingly important to attracting your local market as time moves forward. Put these tips to use in your campaign, and with a little patience and a whole lot of perseverance, you will start to see results. References.
