Local Seo
UPDATED: The Ultimate Guide To Local SEO 2023
Crush your competitors with Local Seo.
Local SEO is the term used to describe the process of gearing your website; the HUB of your business, to rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for said searches performed within your area for the product and services you sell. These searches can be performed by customers on more than just Google. They use Bing, Yahoo, Apple Maps too! Although its good to note that Google has an estimated 87% market share, so we suggest doubling down on their search engine a great start and so the majority of this content will be dedicated to helping you rank your business there. This guide will help you understand in-depth Local SEO and leave you in the best position possible to try yourself or understand what to expect when looking to use Local SEO services.
Need HelpWith YourLocal SEO?
Leave a message and our team will be in touch.
Statistics
Customers with their wallets out can't find you.
Of searches on Google are local
Of consumers search for a local business daily
of clients will visit a local business
Get into Google's 'Snack Pack'.
One of the “top ranking factors” of google’s algorithm is “proximity to the searcher” according to Moz 2017 analysis.
So what is the 'Snack Pack'?
The snack pack is the top 3 (previously 7 but resized for mobile optimisation) search results that appear in a boxed area right at the top of the results page. It includes a map with pinned locations of the top three results for your search within a 5 mile radius of your current location, as well as the ‘link, title and meta description’ of those 3 results underneath. Recent research shows that 33% of consumers click on the local “snack pack” results, with 40% going to the regular organic results that are located below. Our strategy is to rank you in both these sections, covering both avenues.
- Google My Business Signals: (Proximity, keyword in business title) 25.12%
- Link Signals: (Inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, linking domain quantity) 16.53%
- Review Signals: (Review quantity, review velocity, review diversity, etc.) 15.44%
- On-Page Signals :(Presence of NAP, keywords in titles, domain authority, etc.) 13.82%
- Citation Signals: (IYP/aggregator NAP consistency, citation volume, etc.) 10.82%
- Behavioural Signals: (Click-through rate, mobile clicks to call, check-ins, etc.) 9.56%
- Personalization: 5.88%
- Social Signals: (Google engagement, Facebook engagement, Twitter engagement, etc.) 2.82%
The snack-pack ranks #1 position in 93% of Google Searches. "its absolutely essential!"
— Seo Clarity
Great… So how do I get there?
1. Optimise your website for Local SEO
Ok so the Snack Pack is great, but you need to be in it to win it! Below we will outline some of the top points to get your business listed there. Firstly make sure that your website is optimised for SEO. Check out Neil Patel’s amazing software and run your site through his checks here.
Ok so the Snack Pack is great, but you need to be in it to win it! Below we will outline some of the top points to get your business listed there.
1.1 Contact Page.
You’ll also need to create a dedicated page for people to contact you on. As well as a contact form, clear “call to actions” guiding the customer to leave their details is very beneficial. On your contact page, you will need to make it clear what your ‘NAP’s’ are.
1.2 NAP's
NAP stands for ‘Name‘ ‘Address‘ and ‘Phone‘. These are the standard practices but we also like to include our email addresses too. See our own NAP’s on our contact page.
1.3 Make contacts details clickable.
You will also need to make your NAP links clickable. Our highlighted NAP’s are clickable links so customers can contact with one click. The fewer steps a consumer has to take before making contact the better.
1.4 Add Testimonials
Reviews from your clients are seen as a huge “TRUST SIGNAL” for your for prospective customers and for Google! Make sure to show your clients reviews on your website and ask clients to leave reviews on Google too. (this helps with the Snack Pack!)
1.5 Schema Markup
So what is Schema? It’s a language that was created to achieve a common language for the top search engines such as Google / Bing and Yahoo. This is quite a technical subject so it’s best to use a WordPress plugin (such as Schema) and follow its steps to add schema to the head of each website page. Once you have added this content you can use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool here to check your workings.
Social
2. utilise youronlineprofiles.
It’s essential that your business details are the same on every profile online and is listed on as many as possible. Especially the main platforms such as Trip Advisor, Yelp etc. It’s also important to note not to ignore any local review sites that there are, as usually after the Snack pack your listing could be followed by a link from those such as “The 10 best Agencies in 2019: Tripadvisor”.
3. Claim your business listing.
3.1 Google My Business
A Google My Business profile is completely free and a vital stage of any Local SEO campaign. It allows you to register on Google’s “business directory” listing the important details about your business. These include images, location, address, website address, contact details, opening times and customer reviews (which we will touch upon later on). We highly recommend filling out your Google Business Listing which can be found here: Google My Business profile. The Google listing also allows you to gather client reviews for your business and be shown on Google Maps which kills two birds with one stone. For the business listing to be active, you will have to complete the following sections: Name, Address, Exact Map Location, Selecting a category that describes your business, Business Phone Number with Website URL and finally verifying your listing. For those with a little more time you can further optimise your listing by adding photographs, opening hours and each service you provide. If you get stuck following this guide, get in touch and we would be happy to help.
3.2 Bing Places For Business too:
Moving onto Bing is a little easier. Firstly check to see if you are already listed or not. This process requires you searching for your business on the Bing Maps section. As in our case, we are listed but a few of the details were incorrect such as the address and pin location. You can then click on the link to the bottom of the screen (is this your business?) where you can claim the existing listing and amend the details.
Statistics
According to Hubspot: 86% of all consumers search for the business location on Google Maps!
— Hubspot
4. Get Reviews From Clients
4.1 Why Reviews Are Important
Bad business is bad practice but thankfully, the internet has put the power back into the customer’s hands leaving bad business with less chance to get away with poor service. 81% of people read reviews and check ratings and 97% of these people say that customer reviews factor in their buying decision so these days, everyone can instantly see how good you are!
4.2 How Can A Bad Review Harm You?
If you have anything less than a 4 or 5-star reviews then this could really hinder your chances when it comes to people selecting your website. A poor rating will put a customer off and studies would show that even if your 5-star review was to drop down to a 4 star one, your revenue call fall by up to 10%.
4.3 Good and Bad.
You will constantly be acquiring new Google reviews, it’s an ongoing process. The more reviews you get then the chance of getting a bad one will increase. No one wants a negative review but that doesn’t mean you won’t get one, when you do, be sure to respond professionally and personally. There are no shortcuts to achieving a positive review, the best way to do so is to provide and quality product or service and always leave your customer satisfied and feeling valued.
4.4 Ask.
When your business is listed properly, it is time to fill the platform with positive reviews. Some customers will leave reviews organically after dealing with you but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Be sure to check guidelines before you ask. For instance, some review platforms will not allow you to offer customer incentives in exchange for a good review whereas others will let you gain a review anyway possible. Try to avoid a sudden influx of review as well as this may appear to be organic. Like we said before, Google reviews should be an organic and steady process. The least pushy way to request a review is to create a Google Review which you can promote to your customers here.
5. Build Citations.
5.1 What is a citation?
A local citation is any online mention of the name, address, and phone number (NAP) for a local business. Citations can occur on local business directories, on websites and apps, and on social platforms. Citations help Internet users to discover local businesses and can also impact local search engine rankings. Citations are important to your local SEO efforts because its signals make up 13% of local pack-ranking factors. Stay consistent when building your citations and ensure that your NAP’s match on every single citation that you build. 41% of the most common ranking issues are down to inconsistent NAP’S within businesses citation profiles, it doesn’t only confuse the customer but it confuses Google as well. See an example of our Yelp citation.
5.2 Great ways to build citations.
Local Search Engines: Now, we’re not saying this technique doesn’t take time but it is important to dedicate some time and resources into registering your business across as many high quality and relevant directories as possible. Online directories exist for the sole purpose of providing as much important information to people interested in your service or product. So take your time and do it properly, the more detailed your submission then the more professional you will appear.
5.2.1 Local Blogs
Local SEO services will always recommend good quality local blogs are well indexed in search engines due to being renowned for being associated with a particular area, place or region. When you manage to gain links from the local blogs, search engines will begin to recognise your business as trusted and relevant within the local search engines as well.
5.2.2 Industry focused Blogs and Directories.
Using this method may not keep you in your local area as not all of them will have a local focus, but they may be counted as citation sources by local search engines. Blogs and directories dedicated to your industry are a popular Local SEO tactic and will often allow you more details with topics and keywords related to your business. You will be able to find directories and blogs with a focus on your industry by searching for terms like ‘(your keyword/industry directory)’ or ‘(your keyword/industry blog)’.
Contact
Contact Us.
Leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.