Local SEO: What Are The Best Ways to Locally Optimize my Site

What do you do when you need to find the nearest pharmacy or hotel? You launch a Google search, right? This means you are already familiar with the idea of “local search”. This is when a person indicates in their search query that they want results (of events, venues, etc) that are nearby. Their query would typically include the term”near me” or the likes.

A survey showed that 78% of customers use the internet to search for information about a local business at least two times a week. So if your business has a brick-and-mortar location, make sure you are visible online.

Local Search Engine Optimization (Local SEO for short) is the best way to do that.

What is Local Search Engine Optimization

Local SEO is the process of optimizing a website until it attains higher rankings for location-specific searches. When a search engine user includes a city or country in their search, they get results based on the target location. Phrases like ‘colleges in Aussie’, and ‘Restaurants in Australia’ are examples of local searches.

The world is changing rapidly. Consumers have a different way of buying now. For this reason, local businesses must harness the benefits Local SEO brings if they will thrive.

What Are The Best I Have for Local Website SEO?

There are a few practical techniques to optimize for local searches. If you do it right, your local business will achieve higher local rankings and visibility. Local SEO also drives leads and sales for local businesses. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be optimizing your website for local searches.

How do you locally optimize your site?

Create and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Google is by far the most popular search engine in the world. In fact, it holds more than 94% of the mobile search market share.

Based on this, creating and optimizing your Google Business Profile (or Google My Business) is important. It is a free web tool designed to help small businesses achieve visibility on Google.

Your business profile will appear when a user searches for your company or something similar. It also appears on Google Maps.

The truth is – there is intense competition between big businesses and small ones. Small businesses are getting choked up by the big players. Utilizing a Google Business Profile can help local searchers find you. It could be your chance to stand out against other competing businesses in your locality.

Here is how it works:

1. A person needs a car repair service
2. They search on Google for the “best car repairer in Australia”.
3. Your Google My Business page pops up.
4. They take note of your contact details and location.
5. They call or visit.

Acquiring local customers has never been this simple! Did we mention that it is 100% cost-free and exceptionally easy to use? Google My Business is no longer an option; it is an essential tool for staying afloat online.

See the screenshot below. It is our Google Business Profile. It has everything a potential customer needs to know, including our name, address, and phone number.

Unfortunately, 56% of small businesses do not have a Google business page. If a customer needs information about your business, you can bet they won’t go checking the yellow pages.

Instead, they type your business name on Google and check the right side of the search results. If they do not find your business, they’ll go elsewhere.

If you are one of the 56% of businesses that do not have a Google My Business profile, it’s not too late to create one.

For those who have a profile, do you regularly check and update it regularly? Since Google permits anyone to make edits, it is imperative to check it out as often as you can. Login and ensure that the following information is up-to-date.

• Name, address, and phone number (Also known as ‘NAP’ information)
• Website address
• Photos (as many as possible)
• Physical location
• Business hours (opening and closing time)
• Any other business information you’ll like to put out.

An optimized Google business profile will definitely rank higher than an unoptimized one. Therefore, don’t just create one, optimize it too. It is a simple yet powerful local SEO strategy.

Fill Listing and Directory Profiles

There are lots of local directories online. The websites display lists of businesses within a specific location or business category. They carry information about each business and help customers find you. Being on a business listing is a great way for local customers to find you.

Ensure that you fill out business listings and directories that are available to serve your location. Include your name, address, phone number, and services rendered in the business directories.

Some popular listing sites are Yelp, Bing Places, and White Pages.

Content is King!

You have probably heard the phrase “Content is King” a million times over. Although it was first said in 1996 by world IT giant, Bill Gates, it still stands in 2022.

Create valuable content on your website for your local audience. You can create local content around trending events and happenings. Search for local keywords and use them. Add location to your key phrases too. For instance, ‘Best SEO company in Australia’.

However, do not use too many keywords in your blog post and pages. It’s called keyword stuffing. You will ruin your local SEO efforts when you do. Instead, include keywords naturally.

You should also add them to your headings, image alt text, title tags, meta descriptions, and page titles. This digital marketing strategy can help you rank higher on Google organic search results.

Online Reviews are Powerful

The online space may seem congested, but your business can stand out through online reviews.

A report showed that 75% of people felt good about a business after reading positive reviews from happy customers. Most of them went further to patronize the business. Customers need value for their money, and genuine reviews help them know they are making a safe choice.

With this in mind, get more customer reviews and display them online. You shouldn’t be limited to Google reviews only. You can get reviews on social media platforms and industry-specific review sites (like TripAdvisor and Trust Pilot).

Review sites offer you greater online visibility and links back to your site. The backlinks you get as a result will improve your domain authority. It also improves your ranking on organic local search results.

Optimize for Mobile Devices

You are probably reading this on a mobile device. You’ll go elsewhere if the content is disorganized or hard to read. Now, consider how many potential customers you’ll lose if you do not optimize your site for mobile devices.

Did you know that 85% of overall online traffic is from mobile devices? In fact, for most people, mobile devices are the only means of interacting with the web. Gradually, users are moving from larger screens to smaller screens. You’ll be left behind as a local business owner if you do not take mobile optimization seriously.

Mobile optimization is simply making your website look good on mobile devices. Optimizing for mobile is an effective local SEO strategy.

Locally Optimize Your Site for Search Engines

Having a brilliant business idea is never enough. Being exceptional at what you do is also not enough. You’ll need loyal customers to thrive. This is where local SEO comes in. This article discusses the best ways to optimize your site locally.

The options we have listed are foolproof and will increase your business visibility in no distant time. However, contact Aussie SEO if you would rather have a professional do it.