The search engine optimization industry consists of a constantly developing and advancing scenery. From new techniques to updated guidelines set by popular search engines, Google being the most popular. Even through all this change one technique has yet to fade; local SEO for small businesses.
This is because local SEO for small businesses is always effective when strategized thoroughly and done right. It boosts consumer interaction leading to the demand of your services to rise.
Target local markets.
This is the primary step to take if you wish to direct more visitors to your site, it is also the most influential. Start by answering two crucial questions about your business. What is your market and where is your ideal clientele?. For example, if a roofing business attempts to utilize the keyword,”roofer”, they will be competing with almost every English speaking roofing business out there. However, if this same business uses the keyword,”Queens roofer”, they are not only narrowing down their competition but are also pandering to visitors who are more likely to convert to consumers
Using this method you become closer to dominating local searches and more likely to rank for the keyword, in turn reaching your audience.
Be easy on the eyes.
Title and meta descriptions matter. And if you thought otherwise, you have cost yourself many, many customers.
The art of writing titles and meta descriptions is quite difficult to master. After all, so much is dependent on these two factors.
Before you begin writing remember you only have one shot to get a person to click on your site. You must give them a reason to do so. Your description should be uniform yet eye-catching. The writing should be creative but get straight to the point at the same time. And you have to find a way to differentiate yourself from the sea of other site that lay scattered around your. It is all these collective pieces that make up a great title and meta description. The list goes on, however that is a post entirely of its own. So here is a crash course on the things you can do to ensure your site looks appealing.
Don’t waste pivotal title space on ineffective and pointless words, such as the name of the page.
Instead exploit the area for important information, such as the area in which you serve, your number and/or address.
Keyword placement.
Try to place keywords closer to the beginning of the title and meta description.
Understand the viewers p.o.v.
Search engine sites, such as Google, are constantly updating the guidelines for how their results are displayed. This includes how much area is available for you and how many characters you can fit in.
Think of the title and meta description as an advertisement for your site, because when its all boiled down, that is just what it is.
Exploit online directories.
According to Google, about four out of five consumers use the search engine for local searches. With this said, a baffling amount of small businesses don’t claim local business listings online. The biggest and possibly most vital way that consumers interact with businesses isn’t even harnessed by the very businesses consumers are searching for. Popular directories such as Yelp, Merchant Circle, Citysearch, and others like it play key roles for businesses looking to expand their consumer base.
The biggest player in this field is a Google itself. Google My Business is very important for local businesses considering so many consumers use it. Claiming your Google My Business page grants you an incredible amount of exposure. And through some vigorous optimization you can show up in Google’s 3 pack. It’s a very important steps to take for every business and the verification process is fairly easy. To the add to the benefits, GMB is free.
Once you do this, a similar directory for local businesses is Bing Places for business. Despite the fact that Google has more than 50% of consumers using their search engine, using Bing will also allow you to further your outreach for new consumers.
What the people say, goes.
According to BrightLocal’s annual Local Consumer Review Survey, 84% or consumers consider online review on par with personal recommendations and referrals. And 7 out of 10 people will leave a review for a business if asked for it. Many reputation marketing software and tools are available to assist you in tracking, managing and proactively trying to get reviews. Research them and find which one fits you.
Most of your attention to be directed to your business Facebook page and your GMB page. These platforms are most popular among consumers. Google themselves have stated that the amount of positive reviews left about your business improves the visibility of your business, so collecting positive reviews is critical. All reviews are left public, so potential consumers will see these reviews.
Additionally, whenever a review is left about your business, be sure to respond, no matter if the state of it is negative or positive. Doing this shows consumers that the business cares about their opinions on your business.
Some other things to consider.
What has been stated above is part of the basics in using search engines to grow your business. However much of a good start it may be, it is most definitely not the end. Use local structured data markup to improve your rankings. With local keywords that are less competitive local keywords doing this further improves upon your site visibility. Ensure that your site is mobile friendly. Considering so many people use their phones for searches, this is definitely essential. These factors among other things are sure to improve the visibility of your site, thus generating more credibility and consumers.
