Local SEO Basics for Your Business

Do you have a local business? If so, then you need to make sure your business is optimized for local search. And we’re not just talking about Google, although that is the most important one. In this post, find out the different ways you need to be local search optimized in order to be discovered by the most customers possible.

Local On-Site Optimization for Your Website

Local SEO starts with your website. There are lots of different ways that you can optimize your website for local search, but the absolute necessities are as follows.

1. Local keywords in the title.

The SEO title of your website is the second most important on-site search optimization factor behind content. If you have a fashion boutique in New York, then you will want the SEO title of your homepage to include both New York and fashion boutique.

2. Address and phone number on every page.

Having your street address and local phone number (not 800 or toll free number) on every page of your website in text format (not an image) is another way to let search engines know where you are located. Some local search directories will use the information on your website to verify your business listings on their site.

3. Contact us page with local details per location.

If you have more than one location for your business, then be sure to create separate pages on your website for each location. These contact pages should include each location’s street address, local phone number, and preferably a map showing visitors where you are.

Local Search Profiles

The next important thing you can do for your local search optimization is to claim (or create) local listings with the top search engines: Google, Bing, and Yahoo. While Bing and Yahoo are like your average directory listings, Google uses their own Google+ platform for local business listings, rolling local and social into one.

The keys to ranking well in these search engine’s local results are having a completed listing and great reviews. Since the number of reviews and average rating are shown in search results, visitors can quickly glance and see which businesses will best fit their needs in terms of customer satisfaction.

Local Directories & Review Sites

Once your website is optimized for local search, then your next goal is to gain local citations. These are simply business listings on local search directories and review sites such as Merchant Circle and YellowPages. You might find that with most of these sites, you have a listing that just needs to be claimed. Be sure to claim or create your listing with the top local directories and review sites so you can add more details about your business including a link to your website, photos, and videos.

There are a lot of these types of sites out there. If you’re not sure where to start, sites like GetListed.org offer helpful citation finders based on your business location and type. Or you can sign up for services like Universal Business Listing which will automatically create your listings for you.

Local Social Media Optimization

Last but not least, don’t forget to optimize your social media profiles for local. While they might not count towards your Google search rankings, they will count towards your social search rankings. Facebook, for example, is slowly launching their Graph Search which personalizes search results for each user based on businesses in their region and whether their friends like those businesses. This means that if you want your fashion boutique in NY to be found by people who are friends with your customers, you better have your Facebook page set up as a local business and include all of the pertinent details.

Monitoring Your Local Results

As you optimize your business for local search, you will want to keep an eye on how better search results are translating for your online business. SumAll lets you plug in your data from Google Analytics alongside data from ecommerce platforms, payment platforms, and your social networks so you can see how your local marketing campaigns are boosting your traffic and sales. 

Be sure to sign up for a free account to learn more about each aspect of your online marketing as it translates to your bottom line today!

Kristi Hines is a freelance writer, professional blogger, and social media enthusiast. You can follower her on Twitter and Google+.