We’ve already told you about the effectiveness of large-scale SEO optimization, but we’ve never talked about local SEO. In fact, local SEO is just as effective as large-scale SEO, and sometimes it can be even more effective at increasing website traffic. In this article, we’ll tell you the top 10 ways to improve local SEO.

Why do you need local SEO optimization?

Most business owners only use extensive SEO optimization to attract more traffic to their website. However, in this day and age where more people are using smartphones instead of computers, local SEO optimization becomes much more important as users are more likely to use local search.

Local listing pages

The first step to improving local SEO optimization is to create local listing pages. This can be done through Yahoo Local, Bing Local or other popular listing directories. To do this, you need to create a profile in one of these directories, then verify that you are indeed a business owner. Each directory has its own method of verification — in one case email confirmation is enough, in another case the service will send a special pin-code, which you need to enter on the site for final verification. In addition to these large catalogs, there are even smaller services, but to put your ads on them will be no less effective solution. For example, you can create listings on YP.com, Yelp, Foursquare, and industry business directories. In all profiles, it’s important to include as accurate information about your business as possible so that users don’t have any conflicts. 

Blog on the website

Another good way to increase your website’s search engine visibility. By creating content on your blog that will utilize local keywords and search terms related to your website and business. In addition, blogging allows users to get useful information about your business and keep them on your site longer, increasing the chance of converting them into potential customers. It’s also important to share content on your social media profiles to further expand your audience reach. 

Website Optimization

Optimizing your website is critical to improving local search. Several businesses can rank at the top of the top search engine results if they just have a solid on-page optimization, so it’s important that you take the time to properly optimize yours. Otherwise, you will have to share the first spot of the top of the issue with several sites and your spot may drop when you improve the optimization of your competitors’ sites.

Optimizing for mobile devices

It’s much easier for people to make a search query from their phone or tablet than to log into a computer every time to do so. However, some websites are not optimized for mobile devices, so it is extremely inconvenient for mobile users to use and visit such sites, which negatively affects SEO. To improve SEO and increase the number of visits to your site from mobile devices, make your site a user-friendly, adaptive design.

Reviews

Having positive reviews from customers builds the confidence of other users in your website and your services. It’s important that you collect reviews about your business in the right way, and not just by pushing it on customers or adding unfavorable incentives. You don’t need to pressure or bribe customers, but simply provide them with a list of review websites and let them know that you would like to hear their feedback. Contrary to popular belief, customers actually leave more positive reviews if you simply ask them to. Asking customers can be done via email or a pop-up message after a purchase.

Consistency of NAP information

When creating business listings, it’s important to be consistent when it comes to your NAP (business name, address, and phone number). It should appear in all directory listings in the same way it does on your website. For example, if you spell «Street» on your website, don’t abbreviate it as «St» in any of your business links. Following this consistency will help you improve your local SEO dramatically. It’s also a great idea to audit all of your business listings and eliminate any inconsistencies. This is a great way to help clean up your NAP profile and ensure consistency across the board.

The Right Social Media

Some websites and business owners try to maintain their profiles on all the popular social networks, which negatively affects the quality of content. It is important to develop the right social networks with your target audience, which will promote your website and bring more organic traffic there. If you sell products and services related to creativity, the best platform to promote would be Pinterest, but if you sell financial services, this social network is clearly not the right one to promote. Once you decide on a social network, it is important to develop a suitable content plan and set up a publishing schedule. 

Visual content

Visual content is much easier to digest, so users will consume such content for longer and may become your potential customers in the future. Use videos, images, infographics in your website content. Also, attractive content has a positive effect on building link mass from other sites that will link to your content. 

Improving user experience

Unusual designs, animations and extra features won’t help your site perform well in local search. You need to focus on the user experience first, making sure that the user can easily and quickly navigate and find the content and information they are looking for. Top rankings and all the traffic in the world will not benefit your business if your visitors leave immediately due to frustration. A clean design and easy navigation are key. The goal of any website is to call users to a targeted action. This could be physically visiting the shop, making a phone call, filling out a contact or inquiry form, or making a purchase online. Maximize all of these actions to make potential customers feel comfortable.

Tests and optimization

Even if you think your site is working perfectly, it is sufficiently optimized and all SEO components are met, run tests and constantly optimize your site to stay ahead of the competition. There is no limit to perfection, so always look for opportunities for improvement, run tests and don’t be afraid to make changes, because even the smallest changes can help you improve your local SEO.