Complete Local SEO Guide to Improve Local Search

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Complete Local SEO Guide to Improve Local Search

If you own or operate a business, chances are you’ve heard of local SEO. You may know it’s important to ranking in local search results, but not know how to go about it.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help. This complete local SEO guide will give you all the tips and tricks you need to improve your local search ranking.

Local SEO is vital for businesses that rely on local customers, such as brick-and-mortar stores, service companies, and restaurants. In fact, 97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses (Source: HubSpot).

What is local SEO?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches. These searches take place on search engines like Google and Bing, as well as on directories like Yelp and Angie’s List.

Local SEO is different from traditional SEO because it emphasizes 3 elements:

1. Relevance: Optimizing your content and META data to match what local customers are searching for

2. Distance: Promoting your business as the closest match to what the customer is searching for

3. Prominence: Boosting your online presence to show up more often in search results

Why is local SEO important?

Local SEO is important for any business that wants to be visible in local search results.

Consider this: 46% of all Google searches are for local information (Source: Google). And of those local searches, 78% of people will visit the store within five miles of them (Source: Think with Google).

If you’re not ranking in local search results, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to attract new customers.

How to improve your local SEO

Now that we’ve answered the question “what is local SEO,” it’s time to give you some tips on how to improve your local SEO. Here are some simple, but effective, ways to optimize your site for local searches:

1. Claim your Google My Business listing:

One of the first steps to improving your local SEO is to claimed your Google My Business listing. This is a free listing that allows you to control how your business appears in local search results.

To claim your listing, visit Google My Business and search for your business. If you see your business in the search results, click on it and then click on the “Own this business?” button.

If you don’t see your business in the search results, you can add it by clicking on the “Add your business” button.

2. Optimize your Google My Business listing:

Once you’ve claimed your Google My Business listing, it’s time to optimize it. The first step is to add as much information as possible, such as your business name, address, phone number, category, and hours of operation.

You should also add photos, videos, and a description of your business. The more information you can provide, the easier it will be for customers to find your business and decide to visit it.

3. Optimize your website for local keywords:

One of the most important methods for improving your local SEO is to optimize your website for local keywords. These are the keywords that potential customers in your area are searching for when they’re looking for a business like yours.

For example, if you’re a pizza restaurant in Los Angeles, you want to optimize your site for keywords like “los angeles pizza,” “pizza in los