Local SEO is identical to SEO, the difference being with Local SEO, you are primarily targeting keywords in a specific geographic area. It helps target people searching for products or services in a particular area.
Keyword Research
With a rank tracker for local SEO, the first step is to research the keywords you plan to target. One of the biggest mistakes you could make is targeting the wrong keywords. It might be that the demand for the keyword you are searching for is virtually nonexistent.
Therefore, we recommend using Google Keyword Planner to ensure you get the correct information before finalizing the keyword you would like to target. Be sure to view the historical data for each keyword, as most industries will have much stronger periods than others.
Keyword Mapping
Once you have verified the focus keywords, you need to map them to your web pages. If you don’t have an appropriate page, you should create one.
The best SEO practice is creating a separate landing page for each set of keywords. If you find multiple pages that appear to be targeting similar keywords, you should consider combining them into one page.
Google uses its database to find pages that best answer a person’s keywords or questions. They want to ensure the results they deliver primarily deal with the topic they are being asked about. Therefore, producing high-quality pages for each set of keywords is better than creating pages catering to a broad range of issues and areas.
Optimizing Pages for Local SEO
The next step is to optimize the pages you plan to use. Most important is that all of the various elements of the web page are connected to the same set of keywords.
If they appear to cover different sets of keywords, it may give mixed signals to search engines. Reaching out to a company providing local SEO services that can double-check your website may be worthwhile.
URL
The URL should clearly describe the topic of the page. It would help if you only used lowercase letters and hyphens to separate the words.
Title Tag
A title tag is an URL extension; however, more room is available. It is part of a web page’s metadata and helps search engines highlight the page’s primary topic.
It is displayed in the organic search results and is more significant in font, bolded, underlined, and often in the color blue. The space available is 600 pixels, and because each character has a differing width, it’s best practice to use between 50-60 characters. If it is too long, it will be cut off by search engines.
Google gives more SEO ranking weight to keywords at the beginning of the title tag. Therefore you should place your most important keyword at the beginning of it. It’s best SEO practice to separate the words in the title tag using a pipe as it uses the least amount of pixels and appears professional.
Pro Tip: To help improve your listings Click Through Rate (CTR), you could use the emoji of a waving hand.
Description Tag
The meta description tag is an extension of the title tag. However, you can use up to 160 characters. Google does not use it as a direct ranking factor. However, it may impact the conversion rate of your listing in the organic search results, also known as a Click Through Rate or CTR.
The CTR of your webpage is calculated by the number of times it’s clicked on relative to the number of times it has been displayed as an impression. Including the keywords in the description tag can affect the overall performance of its CTR, which is why you should also optimize it.
Content
The content on your page is one of the most important, if not the most, on-page SEO ranking factors. It’s what search engines use to try and answer a query or question to the best of their ability.
If they provide search results with unhelpful information, it may create user dissatisfaction. Therefore, search engines want to ensure they deliver results that comprehensively cover the keyword question.
When creating content for your web page, it’s essential to consider other factors, such as dwell time and bounce rates. Google uses various signals to determine a webpage’s overall quality and if it is providing a good user experience.
It’s essential only to use original content, and it may be worthwhile double checking your content is not duplicated anywhere else on the web. Consider using a plagiarism checker, especially if you have researched content on other websites, to create the content for your website.
Directory Citations
Directory websites were popular when the internet was first evolving. They helped people find websites across almost all industries and locations etc. However, the creation of search engines, particularly the quality of their algorithms, has reduced their significance accordingly.
However, directory websites still gain local traffic; more importantly, they help send positive signals to search engines. When they find the same set of business Names, Addresses, and Phone information (NAP), located across many high-quality directory listings, it helps send a signal of trust and validation.
This is where tools like the local citation finder can play a crucial role in ensuring consistent NAP information across various directories.
When creating local citation listings, it’s crucial to maintain a database of all the logins for future reference. They will be beneficial for any future changes to your company name, address or contact numbers accordingly.
Also, as with any other form of links, quality is the most important. Therefore, it’s best SEO practice to avoid websites that automatically approve every listing provided. The higher-quality websites manually review each listing to ensure it is genuine.
Pro Tip: When completing the summary information for your listings, ensure you create unique content for every listing. It helps increase the likelihood of search engines indexing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is local SEO a one-off thing I need to do to my website?
It is possible to do a one-off optimization of your website. It may give you a boost in the search engine rankings results for some of your keywords.
However, if you want to maintain your visibility and gradually increase it, you should consider local SEO as a monthly, ongoing task to complete.
Why do my rankings fluctuate?
The rankings for some of your keywords may fluctuate for various reasons. The main one is that your competition is also doing its SEO. Therefore, depending on the keywords they are targeting, they may overtake you accordingly.
Google also regularly changes its algorithm; sometimes, it will give certain elements greater SEO ranking weight. It may be a temporary change, so your keywords may revert to their original position later.
Also, user interaction with your websites is crucial in helping search engines determine their quality. That’s why it’s essential to regularly monitor, review and improve metrics such as dwell time and bounce rate.
Should I use local SEO or SEO?
The choice to select one or the other is dependent on your business goals.
However, Local SEO can target businesses in your local area. It can also help to generate SEO results more efficiently due to the decrease in competition.
Conclusion
Local SEO is a fantastic channel to help a business grow, particularly those explicitly servicing a local area. It can also benefit startups that are hoping to gain traction quickly.