Mastering Local SEO: A Guide to Improve Local Search Rankings

If you have a business that depends on local footfall as a signifier of success, local SEO should be a vital component of your digital strategy. Local SEO is a search optimisation strategy that helps your business become more visible in Google search results. 

Beyond footfall, if your business has a physical location, or offers services in specific geographical areas, eg. London, it will benefit from local SEO. In fact, if you search for any important keywords related to your business and a map with listings underneath is appears, local SEO will help your business.

If any of the above applies to your business, read on to find out why local SEO is important, how it works and how to make it work best for your unique brand. 

Google delivers billions of local search results on a monthly basis. If you appear at the top of these search results, you’re more likely to attract new business. Businesses with the best local SEO tend to rank highest for local keywords. In turn, customers are more likely to discover and engage with those companies.

Regardless of what your business is or where you’re located, you can reach a higher number of potential customers through search.

Local SEO works by helping Google understand where your business location and its’ offering. It also hels Google perceive your business as more popular and trustworthy.

First, Understand how Google Works… 

To understand how local SEO works, first we must understand how Google’s search result rankings work. Utilising a number of algorithms to rank sites at lightning speed, a simple Google search involves Google checking the index and returning a list of websites that match your search in organic results. Results are ranked based on their relevance, prominence and popularity.

When ranking businesses in Google Maps and the local pack, Google considers three main criteria:

Relevance: If a business matches the users’ search intent

Distance: How far the search location is from the business location

Prominence: How well-known and well-reviewed the business is

Local SEO Requires a Different Approach 

Google have developed a different pattern for local search results, which means they also require a different approach from SEO teams. Google’s local search algorithm includes a proximity factor from the geographical location individuals are entering searches. 

Local search has been around for a long time, but it was limited due to people only using their desktop computers. With the recent boom in mobile internet access, however, mobile search has exploded, so local SEO has become hugely important for the success of any business offering local products or services and local marketers.

If marketing your business online is new to you or your company, one of the main challenges Propeller have noticed is knowing what to focus on to maximise the results of your efforts.

Create Local Content 

Localised content and local link popularity are key. Build local landing pages for each of your locations. Be sure to include your business name, details including the address and phone number, and optimise title tags, meta descriptions and SEO best practices. Paired with a considered content marketing and link building strategy, this will be invaluable in appearing at the top of search results.

Optimise for Google My Business 

Having your business listed on Google My Business is helpful in itself. This also enables customers that have visited your store to give reviews, another important indicator to Google. 

Engage on Social Media and Add Posts to Google My Business

Content shared on social media platforms are considered by Google’s algorithm. Align social and search by sharing your Google My Business page on social media to bring in more traffic to your listing. 

Perform a Local SEO Audit

SEO is an ongoing process, you will never be ‘finished’ with making improvements to your website. Perform a comprehensive audit to understand where your website stands and what further work needs to be done to achieve your current business goals. 

Ensure Your Website is Mobile-friendly 

Local and mobile search come and-in-hand. With 61% of Google searches being performed on mobile, it is important to make sure your website is optimised to welcome mobile users.

Participate in Your Local Community 

Engaging with you local community will get you more digital PR, organically. Partner with a local charity, volunteer as a company, sponsor local events and appear in your local media as an authority in your industry. This will earn you press, brand awareness and inbound links.

Creating a plan for local SEO has never been easier than with Propeller. Increase your local rankings and boost traffic with the following steps:

Run Local Keyword Research 

Using relevant keywords will help people find your business online. Ranking for these keywords will give highly targeted local traffic to your site. There are a few ways to kickstart this process:

Research Your Competitors

Learn what keywords your competitors are ranking for and find out which keywords you should start using to get more traffic.

Utilise Google Autocomplete 

Make use of free tools available to you. Autocomplete makes it faster to complete searches when you begin to type in Google’s search bar. This can be used to your advantage. Discover valuable long-tail keywords for local SEO simply by testing phrases in the search bar. 

Monitor Local Citations 

Citations are places that mention your name, address, and phone number online. You will typically find them on business directories like Google My Business and social media profiles. 

These citations are important because Google uses them to verify your business information. 

Encourage and Engage with Reviews

Receiving reviews from your customer base gives your business social proof, validating your expertise and giving prospective customers confidence in choosing your business.

In Summary…

Local SEO is a brilliant strategy to incorporate into your SEO plans to get your business on the map, both literally and figuratively. Lucky for you, Propeller offers extensive expertise in this area, and we take pride in helping our clients get to the top of search pages. 

Contact us today if you are looking to boost your businesses’ digital presence with SEO and beyond.