Monday, 23 Dec 2024

Dominate Local SEO: More Challenging In Local Search Environment

ppcguru October 24, 2016

Columnist Sherry Bonelli explains how recent changes to the local search landscape point to an ever-changing discipline that requires increasingly complex strategies.

Local SEO is much more challenging
These days local SEO is more and more  challenging. Why? Part of the reason is that many local businesses have finally realized the importance of doing the local SEO “basics” and are actually implementing those basic local search strategies. This means more local businesses are vying for a limited number of high-ranking spots.

The Web browers Local 3-Pack and Maps
In light of this change, it is even more important for a business to expand their local SEO strategies by using a variety of techniques, like optimizing their Google My Business page, adding localized content to their site, getting listed on online business directories and citation sites and having happy customers leave reviews on Google and other third-party online review sites.

1-Google-Local-3-Pack

Google My Business: still important to local search
Over the past year and a half, Google has made a big push to get local businesses to claim their Google My Business page.

2-Google-Get-Your-Business-Online-Initiative-800x461

Local content
If you want to content locally, you need to focus on putting local content on your website. (This is not optional if you’re a local business.) This may mean writing regular blog posts that mention news, local function and activities going on in your city and surrounding cities, promotions or specials you’re having at a particular business location, creating city-specific pages on your site and so on.online business directories Local citations from online business directories — like Yelp, Foursquare, Citysearch, MerchantCircle and others — are a great way to get backlinks to a local business’s website.

5-star feedback
Online feedback are becoming more important than ever.So, how do you go about getting online feedback? Businesses should just ask!When you ask a happy customer to leave an online feedback, be sure to tell the customer the exact URL of your business’s review site preferences(e.g.,facebook.com/mybusinessname).

4-online-reviews-increase-click-throughs-600x303

Learn more about local SEO ranking factors?
This study shows that more complex (and diverse) SEO strategies are needed to get a local business to rank high on Google and is a great resource to turn to for more ways to improve your local rankings.

Source:searchengineland

Peter Zmijewski is the founder and CEO at KeywordSpy. His expert knowledge on Internet Marketing practices and techniques has earned him the title “Internet Marketing Guru“ He is also an innovator, investor and entrepreneur widely recognized by the top players in the industry.