Last Updated on: 22nd April 2024, 02:48 pm
In order to improve your chances of being found online, it is important to know how local SEO works and what steps you need to take as an individual or business owner to improve your local SEO strategy and optimize your website for success.
The internet is a powerful tool for businesses to reach new customers. With the increase of smartphones and tablets, consumers are constantly connected to the web – implying they are ready to purchase goods or services at any time.
Local SEO means getting your business on the map so that people in your area can find you with ease. Local SEO starts with proper website optimization, including consistently using keywords and descriptive content throughout all pages of your site.
But the problem is, Local SEO is not as easy as it sounds.
Many Local businesses still find it hard to connect with local buyers for products and services. You are constantly being told to update your business profile to optimize your products, services, and business.
Google and other search engines use the buyer’s location based on their desktop IP address and geolocation for mobile. We all have done searches saying find me (a product, restaurant, or service) near me. And your mobile and voice devices give you the top three choices based on your geolocation.
If your business is not in the three-pack, you probably miss out on many business opportunities.
So, what can you do?
Regardless of the size of your local business, you need to the following five key steps to improve your local SEO strategy to ensure your business is being found by those looking for it.
The Best Steps to Improve Your Local SEO Strategy to Ensure Your Business
1. Correct Business Information
Ensure that your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are correct on all your business listings and social media platforms.
Aside from ensuring that everything is correct, it should also be the same on all listing services for your business. It helps improve your local SEO quickly and increases your online reputation management as well.
A lot of small business owners are not aware that this is a major concern because inconsistencies create low confidence in the search algorithms about your business, which affects your local search rankings—making it hard for your business to be found by your customers.
2. Add Pictures to Your Business Profile
Visual communication is one of the most powerful ways to connect with potential customers. It allows buyers to learn about your business and provides confidence.
And did you know that people click businesses with pictures compared to those who do not upload photos on their business profiles?
If you want to see further improvement with your Local SEO, adding pictures of your business, products, and even the place of business is the key.
3. Request and Response to Your Reviews Promptly
Whenever possible, ask your customers if they would like to leave a review about your business.
If they give you one, you need to be proactive and respond to both negative and positive reviews.
Currently,, statistics show that 86% of potential customers read reviews, with 91% trusting and making purchasing decisions.
We all know that everything in business is not perfect, and no matter how hard you try to avoid it, you will still get a negative review.
Do not consider it bad because if you respond and resolve the issue, you can turn the table around and show how well you handle customers and strive to provide the best possible outcome.
4. Post About Your Business
You can also share the story behind your local business name, products, and services, or anything about your business and add a picture to boost search engine optimization repeatedly.
In business, you are always in the sales mode, and when you post, you can promote yourself, and if you are a B2B (Business to Business) business, you can promote your customers as well.
In the post section, you can talk about whatever is relevant to your business products and services. You get to control the content and whenever possible, try to use keywords that link back and often used in your website.
5. Utilize Question and Answers Tab
Another necessary Local SEO tool that most small business owners often neglect is the Question and Answers tab. This is an area where both customers and owners can ask questions and post answers about products and services.
As the business owner, you must answer all questions as fast as you can. It will provide confidence once again for the consumer and boost how the search engines link you to a local customer.
Be sure to respond to customer questions because even though you own the profile, anybody can post an answer. Make sure you control the narrative.
Improve Your Local SEO Hassle-free
As a business owner, I understand the time constraints of getting these tasks all done.
However, it will be more challenging for business owners to perform these tasks as customers trend revolves around supporting local businesses.
The Simply Be Found offers exclusive marketing and advertising tools that improve your chance of getting found online:
- Maintain, correct, and control all your business information in popular networks (voice search included!)
- Easily add pictures of your business, products, services, and even your employees right within your mobile devices!
- You can easily monitor all your customer reviews and respond to them quickly!
- Schedule and post announcements, promotions, or events and set them to be published on your desired date and time.
- Utilize the Questions and Answers section that sets you apart from your local competitors.
Simply Be Found is an affordable and easy-to-use platform that lets you control and keep all business information.
To know more, visit Simply Be Found and start getting found online today!
