Local SEO Improvements

Max McFarlaneGoogle, SEO

get your business on google maps

After all the hard work of building your website you need to let the world know you have a business. Even better, a local business where they can come in and get your goods from. But is not only customers who need to find you,  search engines need to pinpoint you on the map.

And how do you do that? Boosting your SEO.

These are the steps that you should take to boost your local Search Engine Optimization:

  • Produce a Google+ local page (My Company Page), fill it out accurately and also get it verified
  • Focus on your site’s SEO
  • Build helpful and appropriate links
  • Talk to all of your clients regarding leaving reviews and testimonials
  • Business Schema

Running a brick-and-mortar business doesn’t mean that you ignore the online market. According to a research by Google, 75% percent of people searching for business finds it with a local search query.

google-my-business-local-seo-edinburgh

 

The Benefits of Local SEO

Since we have accessibility to information online all of the time, thanks to mobile technology, i.e. mobile phones. It makes sense to look online for local businesses to get directions and even compare deals. Some of the benefits of Local Search Optimization:

  • Establishing your brand name and your brand authority online
  • Sustains your offline advertising and marketing initiatives
  • Drives website traffic to your shop, including both foot traffic and online web traffic
  • Assists improve your online visibility and also existence

Google Local Company Pages

Your very first step when developing an online visibility and also improving your local SEO is to create a Google business page. A Google+ local page is a directory site listing for Google+. Some of the information to list this web page is the business’ name, address, site, contact number and hours of operation. This is the basic details that consumers wish to know regarding your shop.
Those are the details that Google uses when individuals search for your business using Google Maps. It additionally lets potential customers to assess your business, which is key when developing brand authority. If you already have Google+ brand page, you can “merge” it with your Google+ local pages.

Setting a Google local page is simple. As a matter of fact, all you need is a Google+ profile. You should verify your Google local company page in order to obtain any value from having one.  There are two alternatives for validating the page: from a phone or a PIN number on a postcard. If you are planning to verify quickly, by phone is your best choice. If you do decide to obtain verification by postcard, you will have to wait to get your card in the mail. As soon as you do, just follow Google’s instructions on the card, and also utilize the PIN number when required.

An essential thing to remember when it comes to submitting your Google business local page is to ensure that the details you are submitting are 100 percent precise. The details on your Google business page should match the contact page that you have actually established for yourself on your website. This is essential as any type of advertising and marketing you need to have the same address on your Google business page and also your website.

Any mismatched info can stall the confirmation process.

On-Site Local Search Engine Optimization

With your Google+ local page, you need to work on your on-site Search Engine Optimization. Things like schema markup, title tags and also meta descriptions. Try Raven and Yoast’s tools for schema markup. Geo-tag your images. Meta descriptions should offer some kind of call to action, i.e. “Order Now”
Uploading well-written and valuable short articles is just one of the best ways to bring in quality traffic to your website. The posts ought to add information that your potential customers will find it helpful. Last but not least, make sure that your website is responsive to mobile searches.   There is a higher increase on mobile searching than desktop searching.

responsive-web-design-local-seo-edinburgh

Local Links

You should build links structure to boost your local Search Engine Optimization and also increase your online presence. No matter the number of modifications that Google has made to how it ranks websites, the base still focuses on links. This is why link structure is always vital. The main point to remember is that you want your links to be organic. How?:

  • Searching for local particular niche indexes
  • Creating local partnerships
  • Using any one of the partnerships that you have made within your community
  •  Providing price cuts or special deals

Ask For Costumers Reviews

Client testimonials is a very important step in raising recognition for your brand. You should always encourage every one of your clients to review your company whenever feasible, however, don’t be afraid to get adverse responses. Negative reviews will give you a possibility to interact with consumers that had a disappointment and also discover methods to improve your client’s experience and ultimately your business.Google+ local page makes it simple for consumers to leave testimonials. The review will show up in the listings when a customer searches for you on Google Maps. Nevertheless, do not just restrict your client evaluates to Google+. Ask them to leave testimonials in all the social platforms you are in like Facebook or FourSquare. These are all terrific review sites that thousands of individuals make use of every day.

customers-reviews-local-seo-edinburghBusiness Markup

Check that your business has schema markup in place and all the details are correct. Markup your business information for a local company,  begins with your business information: schema.org/LocalBusiness.

You can DIY, simply ask your webmaster to add the relevant tags to your website or give us a call and we’ll be happy to guide you through it.

Remember, running a business nowadays isn’t limited to renting premises on the high street just…any business needs an online presence. and having a website is not the end of it either. Optimizing your website with the right words, making it easy to find by search engines and most importantly by potential customers is the key word and the main difference between a business and a successful business.