As a local business owner, you may often feel like you are at a disadvantage when competing with global brands. Your reach is limited geographically and your budget is even tighter. However, have you ever considered turning this apparent disadvantage into your secret weapon?
The magic of local search lies in its ability to level the playing field for smaller businesses. Instead of viewing your local focus as a weakness, embrace it as a strength. In this article, we will discuss effective strategies to dominate local search and boost your visibility on Google’s first page, thereby driving both digital and foot traffic to your business.
1. Title and description tags still matter
Title and description tags are HTML elements that allow you to personalize and showcase the content of your webpage. The text within these tags will show up in search results and should be treated as a concise and carefully tailored advertisement.
When crafting titles and descriptions for your web pages, it is crucial to think strategically as they serve as the primary opportunity to attract searchers’ attention and encourage them to click on your links, ultimately leading them to your website. Therefore, it is important to consider and plan meticulously for these elements.
When your title and description tags are either missing or deemed inadequate by Google, Google will frequently create something of its own or rewrite them. Both the tags should accurately depict the content of the webpage and incorporate relevant keywords to make them more prominent on search result pages.
Utilize the provided space wisely by adhering to the recommended length of approximately 50 to 60 characters for title tags and 160 to 200 characters for description tags.
If you are unsure about how your title and meta description tags will appear or the character limit, you can use an emulator such as Yoast’s SEO Plugin for WordPress. This tool allows you to preview how your title and description will appear on both mobile and desktop devices.
In the SEO world, writing titles and descriptions is considered an art due to their crucial role. Given the overwhelming competition in search results, it is imperative that the text you use is both distinctive and captivating while effectively conveying information. Failure to achieve this may result in a decline in click-through rate, ultimately affecting your rankings negatively.
It may not necessarily be a genuine tragedy. Some SEOs even advise surpassing the maximum character count recommended. The space available is valuable, and each character holds importance. Below are a few suggestions:
- Never waste space on page names or words that don’t provide helpful information to the searcher about what your web page – or business – is about.
- If you want to stand out to local customers, include the name of the city your business is in and/or the area your business serves (e.g., “Serving Iowa City and Cedar Rapids”).
- Focus on using one targeted keyword and carefully place that keyword as close to the beginning of the tag as possible.
When your business appears in the search results, you only have one opportunity to persuade the viewer to click on your link. Therefore, it is crucial not to waste characters on irrelevant information that does not convince the searcher that your website is worth visiting.
2. Google Business Profile: Claim and optimize
If your business meets customers in person, Google Business Profile (GBP) is an excellent local SEO tactic to consider. To ensure your company has a high ranking on Google, it is crucial to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile.
In order to claim your Google Business Profile listing, you should visit google.com/business. This is important because there’s a process of claiming and verification that needs to be completed. The purpose of this verification process is to ensure that your business is genuine and legitimate. It is the responsibility of the business owner to claim the GBP listing.
If you are collaborating with a digital marketing agency for your SEO efforts, you have the option to authorize them as a manager of your Business Profile, ensuring you retain control of your profile even if you terminate your association with the agency.
The subsequent step is to enhance – and persistently enhance – your GBP listing by:
- Selecting categories.
- Adding business hours.
- Writing a solid description.
- Uploading photos and videos.
- Creating posts.
- Answering questions potential customers ask.
- Replying to reviews you receive and so on.
- Include any products or services you sell.
Ensure that you thoroughly fill all the relevant sections of your Google Business Profile as it contains extensive information about your business.
Online reviews hold importance.
According to BrightLocal’s 2023 Local Consumer Review Survey, up to 84% of individuals have the same level of trust in online reviews as they do in personal recommendations. Businesses highly value online reviews, especially those with perfect 5-star ratings. Ideally, a minimum of ten 5-star reviews should be obtained for your Google Business Profile. However, the aim is to exceed this benchmark rather than merely reaching it.
Your top priority should be continually asking your satisfied customers to leave reviews, as online reviews are a recognized ranking factor.
According to Google, if your customers give high-quality, positive reviews, it can enhance your business visibility and raise the chances of a shopper visiting your location.
It is important to prioritize obtaining reviews on your Facebook page and Google Business Profile. These platforms carry significant weight as numerous individuals rely on social media to gauge their acquaintances’ opinions on businesses. Hence, receiving positive feedback on your business’ Facebook page can attract potential customers.
Receiving positive reviews on your Google Business Profile is critical as they are visible on Google when someone searches for your business. It is important to respond to every review, whether it is positive or negative, to demonstrate to readers that you, as the business owner, value your customers’ opinions.
4. Build out separate service pages
If you own a service-based business, it is recommended to create separate pages for each service you provide, rather than listing them all on a single page. This allows you to optimize these individual service pages for your targeted location and relevant keywords, offering a more focused approach.
Instead of a line list or a brief paragraph, you now have the opportunity to dedicate a full page to elaborate on each service provided. This allows for more content and greater possibility to optimize the text, benefiting both your readers and enhancing search engine optimization (SEO) for Google.
5. Perfect your local keyword research
How can you cater to the wants and needs of your target audience if you are uncertain about what they are searching for? Keyword research is essential in order to develop an effective SEO strategy.
To begin, you should first identify your local customer base and the specific things they are searching for. Consider the words or phrases they are likely to enter into Google when seeking products or services within your niche.
If you own a flower shop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it is important to analyze the specific requirements and preferences of the local customers in Fort Lauderdale who are searching for floral arrangements.
Here is a suggested way to recognize terms or expressions that they could utilize:
The target customers include individuals who are celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, or weddings, as well as businesses requiring regular floral arrangements. Additionally, people who are expressing sympathy or love, flower enthusiasts, and holiday shoppers are also included.
The search intent includes the following: fresh flowers in Fort Lauderdale, wedding bouquets, birthday flowers, sympathy arrangements, local flower delivery, and seasonal blooms.
By providing a clear description of your target audience and their specific requirements, potential keywords that you could focus on might include:
- “Fort Lauderdale florist”
- “Fort Lauderdale flower shop”
- “Wedding flowers in Fort Lauderdale”
- “Same-day flower delivery in Fort Lauderdale”
- “Flower shops near me”
If you are new to keyword research for a new website, it is advisable to search for long-tail keywords that have a monthly search volume of at least 100 and a keyword difficulty lower than 20.
By following these criteria, you can increase your chances of ranking in search results, as the larger competitors are unlikely to focus on these easily attainable opportunities.
To achieve good on-page SEO, you need to strategically embed the keywords you found through keyword research into your website and Google Business Profile. By doing so, search engines can easily locate your business and give you recommendations. Watermill Flowers serves as a great example for implementing this technique effectively in local SEO.
Search engines are specifically seeking this type of content, as it provides immediate confirmation to users that they have arrived at the appropriate webpage for their search purpose. Employ this identical approach for your own website, and experience increased traffic and conversions, which is undoubtedly pleasing for any business owner.
6. Publish a robust library of local content
Content is highly important and is utilized by at least 70% of marketers as a part of their overall marketing strategy. Considering its high success rate of 91% according to Semrush, it is worthwhile to devote time and effort to creating content. The most effective approach is to increase the amount of content written and publish it on a more frequent basis.
By prioritizing the creation of a local content collection, you are not only improving your search engine optimization, but also establishing connections, fostering engagement, and becoming an essential component of your community. This tactic enhances your local SEO strategy, distinguishing your business as one that is deeply rooted in the local culture. It is an effective method for achieving prominence in local search results and cultivating enduring customer relationships.
These simple tips can guide you in incorporating your business into the local community.
- Identify local topics of interest. Find out what your community cares about. Are there local events, cultural traditions, or seasonal considerations relevant to your business?
- Create blog posts and expert guides. Focus on informative blog posts and guides that address these local interests. Whether it’s a guide to the best dining options in your area or tips on buying a house in your state, these resources can position you as a local expert.
- Keep content fresh and updated. The local scene is always changing, and so should your content. Regular updates, new insights, and timely articles keep your content library fresh and relevant.
- Balance evergreen and time-sensitive content. Cater to immediate local interests while also providing lasting value. Striking a good balance enhances your position in local and regular search results.
- Feature local insights and stories. Share success stories, testimonials, or insights from local customers or clients. Real experiences resonate with local audiences and add authenticity to your content.
What is the key to their success?
- Prioritizing on-page SEO best practices like adding keywords to meta descriptions.
- Finding the optimal equilibrium between evergreen and time-sensitive content.
- Publishing expert guides that help young people improve financial literacy.
- Featuring local stories and insights to spark community connections.
By following a similar approach and targeting appropriate keywords, your business can enhance its online visibility and attract potential customers specifically searching for your products or services, resulting in securing a top spot on Google’s coveted first page for the competitive keyword “debit cards designed to help teens.”
Optimizing your meta descriptions and selecting the right keywords can significantly affect your local SEO success.
If you want to achieve the same success as Young and the Invested by publishing numerous articles per month, you can rely on Wordable to do the hard work for you. With just one click, you can export Google Docs to WordPress.
A true win-win scenario is that you will never lose the on-page SEO efforts you have worked hard to incorporate.
