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It’s no secret that digital marketing has changed the business world as we used to know it. Local advertisements and word-of-mouth are no longer the only options you have when it comes to advertising your businesses.
A large number of businesses all across Australia are slowly starting to realize and reap all benefits of digital marketing. Digital marketing, just as much as social media, has allowed businesses, both small and large, to get higher conversions, and connect with more clients. And all that for the fraction of money they used to pay for more traditional advertising methods.
Digital marketing brings us straight to local SEO. SEO is one of the digital marketing techniques that can help you quite a bit. And local SEO even more so.
So, let’s see what is local SEO and how important is it for your business.
What is local SEO?
To help you better understand local SEO, let’s start by making clear what SEO is.
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a process of improving your website to boost its visibility when customers and clients look for services or products similar to yours in search engines such as Google or Bing.
The better you stand in search results meaning the better visibility your site has there, the more chances your business will have of generating attention and attracting potential customers.
Now, local SEO is pretty much the same but it’s more specific to a certain location. If your business is located in Sydney, Sydney SEO experts will try to optimize your website so that it’s visible locally – meaning Sydney and the surrounding area.
From that, we can conclude that local SEO is a process of improving your site’s visibility so that it pops up in local search results.
Why is local SEO important?
Well think about it, where do you look when you need information? Google, right? Just like you, millions of people all over the world, use Google to find information or search for local businesses. And the majority of those people are looking for local businesses which means they are regularly performing local searches.
If your business already has an online presence, performing a local SEO can improve your visibility, get higher conversions, and attract customers to your brick-and-mortar location and it can help you build trust by enhancing your credibility.
How to improve your local ranking?
Now that you know what local SEO is and how important it can be for your business, we can talk about improving your local ranking in search engines.
1. Keep NAP correct and up-to-date
Getting your name, address, and phone (NAP) right is still important. You know by now that having NAP correct in all directories and listings across the internet is crucial for SEO and especially local SEO.
It’s also highly important to keep NAP information up-to-date. This means that you should regularly update it in case you’ve moved your business or changed your phone number. Having all this information correct and up-to-date can help you improve your ranking.
2. Place your location strategically
Somehow this part always gets overlooked even though it’s very important. You should have your location clearly and strategically displayed on your site. This is important so that your location can be visible and easily found by everyone.
The most strategic spot to display your address would be the homepage. Having your address right there will make it easy for people to find it. People like seeing important information such as location clearly diaplayed, instead of wasting time looking for it in all your content.
3. Consider listing in online business directories
We mentioned directories when we talked about NAP, but what are they and how can they help you rank higher?
Directories are listings of businesses and they provide more information about a certain business. Information such as name, contact information, address, services or products the business offers, associations, and so on.
Listing your business in online directories such as Yelp or Google Business, and even other less mainstream ones can help your business be more visible. The best would be to look for directories that are more specific to your industry and your region.
4. Think Google Maps
Another great thing would be to optimize your site for Google Maps. In case people want to visit your business, they will try to find your location and address on Google Maps. And if they can’t find you there, they won’t bother visiting your business.
That’s a good reason to work on creating a strong presence on both Google and Google Maps. And thankfully, creating a strong presence on Google doesn’t take long. Simply, create a Google My Business page and fill in all your information.
5. Online reviews matter
The best way to build trust and credibility online is through online business reviews. People love reading reviews about businesses they intend to contact or make a purchase from.
It’s precisely these reviews that help them decide whether or not to contact the business at all. It’s also these reviews that can help your business be discovered by more people.
For your business, if you want to rank higher on Google search results, you need to have as many reviews as possible. That’s why it’s crucial to encourage customers and clients to leave reviews.
6. Optimize your site for mobile device
Since we’re living in the future, and more and more people are using their mobile devices to perform local searches, it’s essential that you optimize your website for mobile devices.
Not having your site optimized for mobile devices can reflect very negatively on your business and you can stay well behind all your competitors. That’s why, don’t wait a moment longer, contact SEO experts and have them make your site mobile-friendly.
2023 is near and with it new trends, which means that it’s high time you improved your local SEO. If your page is not optimized for mobile devices now is the time, if your business is not in online directories now is also the time.
Don’t let your competition be ahead of you just because you didn’t know what local SEO is!
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