If it is one area that tends to get neglected by small business owners, it is local search. Your SEO must incorporate local search and you must be ruthless about it. It is what will give you an edge over your competitors and it is where most potential customers are expecting to find you.
- Google, of course, is the standard by which you need to adhere when it comes to any of your SEO marketing. Google has its Google My Business and you need to have a profile of you and your company out there. It will greatly increase your chances of being found in a local search. If someone is doing a local search on what your company sells, having a verified Google profile will turn you up near the top end of the search.
- Everywhere on your website, you must be putting your name and address. Your location, and phone number, must be on every page, especially any landing pages you may have. Make it easy for searchers to find you.
- Reviews, and great word of mouth, are keys to your local search success. More and more potential buyers are searching for reviews of a business before they decide to visit. There has been plenty of SEO and other online research that is now declaring that people are trusting online reviews more than ever. This is just one more reason to be cultivating good reviews and to continue to pay attention to your online reputation.
- Last, yet certainly not least, you must be geared toward mobility. Your site, by now, must be compatible for mobile devices or you are already way behind your competition. Most shoppers are using their mobile devices to research what they are looking for as they are on the run. Dominating local search is especially important for those retail stores who depend on foot traffic. There will be many times when a potential customer is looking for exactly what you have and discovers that, if you did your local SEO properly, that your only five minutes away.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
