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Semalt: Introduction To Local SEO

Local SEO | SEO Resources For All Skill Levels - Moz

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What is SEO?
  3. What is Local SEO?
  4. Is Local SEO local?
  5. How to conduct a successful Local SEO on your website
  6. Conclusion

Introduction



It is almost difficult not to have heard of SEO or Search Engine Optimization in this modern world. Now used in all fields, it is becoming essential to have some sort of SEO tool imbibed into your website. With it, achieving a competitive edge in your market would be easier. But how can you get started? The answer is Local SEO. It is the most friendly and basic place to start for any business that wishes to prosper online. Follow this comprehensive but beginner-friendly guide from start to finish, and you'll almost call yourself a master of the art. This article covers all there is to know about local SEO, its benefits, and how to get one. 

What is SEO?

Kicking it off with the basics, SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It means the process involving a set of tools for optimizing web content for search engines. But for better assimilation, acknowledge these foundations. 
  1. The most common search engine in the world is Google and hence would be the only search engine referred to in this guide. 
  2. If you ever come across words like search engine bots or crawlers, they are like internet spiders that read through the content on the web and download them into a large index for search engines, i.e., Google, to draw from. 
  3. The only internet content that matters in this guide is yours and your primary competitors. Forget anything that complicates matters. 
  4. Don't overthink things; keywords are not too far-fetched. They are the commonly used words (phrases, sentences, clauses, and questions) that you type into Google's search bar for results. Say you own a website for kitchen utensils and gas burners, then kitchen utensils and gas burners will be your primary keywords, among others. 
  5. The ranking is the fancy word that describes your position on search engine results when your primary keywords are entered into the search bar. The first position means you rank the highest and are almost invisible if you are not on the first page. 
If you have understood the foundational information above, look at the definition of SEO again. SEO is a combination of tools that work together to make your website better until you rank above your competitors or even end up as the first option on Google's search result page. Slowly, SEO involves some tools (Local SEO is one of those tools), and these tools come together to make your website up to the standard that Google has set for great websites. Yes, there is a standard you have to meet - algorithms or Google's requirement for a high-ranking website. So when these tools have made your website up to the standard, it automatically (but gradually) rises the charts until it goes above your competitors or even till you are the first-ranked website. 

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a type of SEO tool that helps you rank high within your location. Get it? Location - Local. The tools adopt certain techniques and methods that tweak your keywords, website design, and other elements of your website such that when your keyword is searched for in a certain location, your website appears to be the best in THAT location. See this example.

Say you own a restaurant in Austin, TX, and someone from China searches for the name of your restaurant. If you use something other than a local SEO, your restaurant will be a great site to order food. But think about how you will send the food over from Texas to China. Thought about that? However, if you employ local SEO tools, the search result will come up as you being a restaurant in Austin, Texas, with a map of how to get there, your opening hours, some of your menu, reviews, contact information, and other valid things customers would need. 
 
That would give the searcher the perception that he or she has to come to where you are to get the great service you offer. Not that you have wrongly targeted their location as your customer base.

Is Local SEO local?

This is a common question that comes along with the concept of local SEO. The word local does not mean that the SEO is less than global or makes you a local hero. It means that the SEO tools employed to make you a celebrity in your local area ensure that you present your potential customers with enough information to find you trustworthy. 

Global or International SEO (the opposite) targets the world, and while it might seem tempting, some business types need to be cut out for a global audience. Take the instance of the restaurant. A walk-in food cuisine establishment in China would likely not be advertising to people in Africa or Australia. The same goes for plumbing services, moving companies, Airbnb services, etc. However, if you own a cloth store or any business not limited to distance, Global SEO is not a bad choice. 

How to conduct a successful Local SEO on your website


Now that you have understood what local SEO is and how it benefits your business, here is a step-by-step guide on setting up local SEO on your website.

Optimize for Google My Business

Now referred to as Google Business Profile, it is the profile that comes up in every search. The profile shows all the relevant information that needs to be seen about a business, including photos, user ratings, address, map, menu, contact address, website, and so on. That way, the searcher or prospective customer can immediately see any information at a glance. The profile also raises customer trust levels and potentially increases clicks. 

Engage on social media and add posts to your Google Business Profile

After you have opened and optimized for Google Business Profile, engage with it and don't leave it stagnant. Post on your social media accounts as well - another local SEO tool. The more consistent you are with posing quality and relevant content on your business profile and social media platforms, the more you'll see an increase in your CTR. 

Ensure your name, address, and phone number are consistent.
Inconsistency is usually a sign of not trusting a brand or a business. So make sure that the name of your business is exact across all platforms; the phone number and email address also should be the same. 

Perform a local SEO audit

While this might be one of the most direct methods to perform local SEO, it is also the most important. You need to audit the elements of your website and social media platforms that are lacking or need more local search engine optimization. These could be the keywords, the headers, links you might need that could be broken, and so much more. A common indication that content is optimized for local SEO is the inclusion of near me as a keyword. 

Follow the right writing rules

The rules don't change. You still need to write original content, organize it with headers, use titles and meta, and so on. Don't forget to post regularly on your blog (if you have one) or consistently market your website. Go back in to check for errors and do a website analysis every once in a while to check that your site is still following Google's algorithms. Finally, while this might not be common, add a location tag to every blog post and web page. 

Create local content

Now may not be the time to post general content for the world. Streamline your blog ideas to a single location. For instance, if you wish to write how to make a white cake, you can turn that into how to make an X cake or how to make a cake in X, where X represents the location you are writing to target. 

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly

Finally but not least of all the points, you have to optimize your website for mobile usage, Majority of the world's population no longer access the internet through their desktop computers, butvia a mobile phone or a tablet. That is why you need to ensure that your website or blog is responsive to the change in screen size. If your potential customers or website visitor have to zoom in and out to see your content repeatedly, you need to make that fix fast. However, don't forget about your desktop website. Both mediums have to be balanced for effective results. 

Conclusion

Now that you have learned all there is to know about local SEO, beginner-level, you can begin to take action towards a better website. Semalt is an innovative SEO company that is well-vast and trusted by thousands of clients to lift their websites from low to higher ranks with local SEO and other SEO tools. They also offer an auto-SEO tool to cover all the essentials you'll need without worrying about the technicalities involved. With a subscription to Semalt's Auto-SEO, you can get all the essential tools at a fair price. Stop stalling; start your journey to local SEO today.