Local SEO: The Ultimate Guide to Local SEO

The Ultimate Guide to Local SEO

Posted 3 years ago by Max Komonov

Google knows when its users are searching f辞谤听a听local business. The users will enter local search terms that describe a听type of听business and听a听geographic area. Examples of听local search terms are 聯plumbers near me聰 辞谤听聯junk yard in听Athens, GA聰. When Google detects a听local search term, it听will display local search results.

Local search results include business listings in听addition to听traditional organic search results. Appearing in听the听business listings is听more valuable than ranking in听the听organic listings.

Google has developed specialized algorithms f辞谤听determining which local businesses have the听best reputation. Local SEO is听the听process of听ranking a听local business in听local search results.

Local SEO is听a听niche specialty field. Very few SEO professionals and听even fewer web designers understand what a听local business needs in听terms of听online marketing. If听you own a听small local business, working with generalized SEO advice can waste thousands of听dollars and听produce few results. You need to听focus on听local SEO strategies and听ignore the听rest of听what you hear about online marketing.

You Need A听NAP

The most important part of听local SEO is听your NAP. This acronym stands f辞谤听Name, Address, and听Phone Number. match perfectly every time your business is听mentioned online. The more mentions you get and听the听longer a听history your business has online, the听higher you will rank in听local search results.

Local SEO is听based on听publishing your NAP all over the听internet. Each listing of听your NAP is听called a听citation. The more citations a听local business has, the听higher it听will rank in听local search results. Citations primarily come from business directories, government listings, and听social media accounts.

How To听Get Citations

Google looks f辞谤听government listings that prove your business is听real. For example, the听Secretary of听State publishes a听list of听corporations registered in听the听state, and听local governments publish a听listing of听the听business licenses that they have issued. Google counts a听consistent NAP recorded in听public records as听a听very high ranking factor.

There are many high quality local business directories that you can list your business in. Google My听Business, Bing, Yahoo Local, and听Facebook Places are major directories. Many small businesses have had bad experiences with Yelp and听other directories that offer paid services. It听is听better to听stick to听high quality free directories.

If听you belong to听the听local 辞谤听any听other business associations, make sure that they publish a听member listing and听have your NAP listed correctly. You can also request that your NAP is听cited in听any听press mentions, and听that your NAP is听included in听your author bio whenever you guest post.

You should keep a听spreadsheet of听all of听your citations. Once a听month, run a听search f辞谤听your business details and听see if听you find any听new citations, 辞谤听any听citations that need to听be听corrected. Record the听new citations, and听do听the听necessary work to听correct inconsistent citations.

Future Proof Your NAP

An听important thing to听know about the听NAP is听that Google will SEVERELY penalize your rankings if听you change any听of听these three business details. You need to听put deep thought into establishing a听name, address, and听phone number that will not change f辞谤听the听foreseeable future.

For businesses that operate from a听brick and听mortar location, you will automatically use your street address and听business phone f辞谤听your online business listings. If听you are a听service business that travels to听your customers, then you have options to听consider. You can either use your home address and听personal phone, 辞谤听you can establish a听virtual office.

Do听You Need A听Virtual Office?

Many people want to听use their home address so听that they can claim a听home office deduction. However, a听virtual office is听also a听deductible business expense and听you can still take the听home office deduction. Some people have a听virtual office, a听co-working membership, a听home office, coffee shop work days, and听business lunches. These are all tax deductible, and听your travel is, too!

There are several strong arguments f辞谤听using a听virtual office f辞谤听your business address:

Privacy听鈥� Widely spreading your home address could make you and听your family a听target f辞谤听criminals.
Zoning听鈥� Your home address will be听zoned residential, and听this will cause problems when you need to听apply f辞谤听business credit and听licensing.
Liability听鈥� You need to听establish an听LLC, set up听a听business bank account, and听get business insurance. In听order to听protect your corporate shield, you cannot mix your personal and听business bank accounts 辞谤听points of听contact. Therefore, you should not use your home address.
Marketing听鈥� If听you do听not live in听the听middle of听your desired geographic market, a听virtual office gives you the听chance to听improve your local search results. For example, if听you live in听the听suburbs and听want customers from the听inner city, you should establish a听virtual office in听the听city. Google ranks you highest when the听searchers are close to听your location.
Permanence听鈥� As听mentioned, Google severely penalizes changes of听NAP details. You might have to听move your personal address multiple times over the听years, but a听virtual office will remain as听a听stable permanent address f辞谤听your business throughout all of听your personal transitions.

In听addition to听a听virtual office, some businesses choose to听use a听virtual phone number f辞谤听their business. Many of听the听same arguments in听favor of听a听virtual office can be听made f辞谤听the听use of听a听virtual number.

If听you choose one phone number that is听just f辞谤听your business, and听that is听the听only phone number that you use online, then it听is听easy to听track the听calls coming from your online marketing efforts.

Some people choose to听carry two phones, which makes it听easy to听fully deduct the听cost of听the听business phone. Other people choose to听forward the听virtual number to听their personal phone and听just claim the听virtual number as听a听business expense. There are also some virtual numbers that run as听apps on听your personal smartphone.

The Local Business Website

Local is听mobile

The majority of听local searches are conducted on听mobile phones. If听your website does not meet Google鈥檚 speed and听usability requirements f辞谤听mobile search results, then your business will never appear in听the听majority of听local search results.

You must have a听, and听Google Search Console must verify your website as听user friendly. If听your website does not meet these requirements, it听will not rank in听local mobile search results.

Google mobile search example. .

You want to听design f辞谤听mobile first. Keep your site simple and听push the听visitors to听quickly contact you via phone, email, 辞谤听messenger.

Universal elements

Every page of听your website contains the听same header and听footer. Your header and听footer should contain your NAP, business hours, email address, and听social media links. This gives a听visitor everything that they need to听contact you no听matter where they are on听your site.

All local business sites should include a听聯Contact Us聰 page that publishes the听company鈥檚 NAP, offers an听email form, publishes a听map of听the听service area 辞谤听brick and听mortar location, and听links to听all social media accounts. This page should also contain a听few paragraphs of听content targeting local keywords.

If听you are a听service business, you should have a听联厂别谤惫颈肠别蝉聪 page. If听you are a听restaurant you should have a听聯惭别苍耻聪 page. If听you sell products, you should have a听联笔谤辞诲耻肠迟蝉聪 page. This can just be听a听portfolio of听product photos that provide a听representative example of听what you sell. It听does not need to听be听kept up听to听date with current inventory.

If听you choose to听have an听聯About us聰 page, use local keywords and听link to听local organizations that you belong to. Make it听about your community roots and听involvement.

How to听choose &听use local keywords

In听order to听determine the听local keywords you should use on听your small business website, type the听city and听state where your business is听located into Google. The search results page will contain a听knowledge box in听the听upper right hand corner. All the听way at听the听bottom of听this knowledge box will be听a听section that is听titled 聯People Also Searched For聰. This will be听a听list of听neighborhoods and听nearby towns.

Click the听link that says 聯view 10+ more聰. Go听through the听list and听write down the听names of听all the听locations that you serve. These are your local keywords. Create a听section of听your website titled 联尝辞肠补迟颈辞苍蝉聪 and听create one page f辞谤听each local keyword. You can also use the听local keywords as听categories f辞谤听your blog.

Setting up听local schema

Local schema is听advanced markup that search engines spiders read. This is听a听newer form of听meta-data that most of听your competitors won鈥檛 have on听their site. A听site that has schema data will generally out rank a听site that does not, so听setting up听schema data on听your site is听an听easy marketing win.

It听is听very important that you list your schema data properly, and听to听validate your schema data using validator.schema.org 辞谤听a听similar tool. Search Engine Journal has published . The process should be听done carefully and听will take a听few hours if听you are a听beginner.

However, the听results are worth the听efforts!

听

About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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