As this consumer search behaviour has become the norm, it is important that local businesses adapt their SEO strategy, because local search engine optimisation is the key to success. So if you specialise in regional walk-in customers, SEOfolgreich knows ways and means to shine the spotlight on your business.
Our tips for getting off to a flying start with Local SEO in 2022
The internet has propelled itself to the number one position among the top sources of information in recent decades. Books, family members and friends have been knocked off their thrones and fare rather poorly in comparison with the World Wide Web. Studies show that around 86 percent of consumers first start search queries before buying something.
Accordingly, search engines have become true top dogs and are the place where potential customers can be found. As a local business, it is therefore essential that you position your website so that it appears in the SERPs.
However, since you are not alone in your quest for success, this is not an easy undertaking. You have to assert yourself against other local businesses and use ranking factors to catapult yourself to the top of Google's search results.
In the following section, we have collected the most important Local SEO measures for you, which will give your website the attention it deserves. If you have any questions, you can of course contact us at any time.
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Google My Business Optimisation
The famous search engine Google constantly strives to improve the user experience for consumers. For this reason, Google My Business - GMB - was created. It is a free interface that allows businesses to collect company information in the management tool and publish it on Google.
Relevant data such as the address, contact information or opening hours are stored in the Google Business Profile. The option to add pictures, upcoming events and customer reviews to the post increases the attractiveness of the company. A positive side effect is that you can increase your visibility by constantly maintaining the GMB profile. After all, this offer is counted among the strongest ranking factors by Google.
Complete information on company data (NAP)
The term NAP is composed of the initial letters of the English terms Name, Address and Phone Number. This data is considered essential company information that is of the highest relevance for the clientele. After all, NAP data contains all the information that is needed so that people can find, contact and visit you as a company.
As a result, you should make sure that these details match on your website, Google My Business and other platforms. Misspellings or inconsistencies can cause confusion and drive your customers into the arms of your competitors.
A good overall rating
While one can inspect products and services extensively in a retail shop, this luxury does not exist on the World Wide Web. Customers have to give companies the benefit of the doubt and hope that they will not be hoodwinked with foul tricks. In the meantime, however, a very effective means against rip-offs and fraud exists: customer reviews.
Thanks to the contributions of former clients, potential clients have the chance to get an idea of companies. The experiences and reviews appear as results in the search engine and have a lasting influence on the buying behaviour of the clientele.
As a company, it is important to focus on these customer reviews. Because the reviews not only determine sales, but also have an impact on your reputation. And of course, it is inevitable that some customers will not agree with your service or the content of your platform. However, through an active and solution-oriented customer interaction, you show that customer satisfaction is your company's top priority.
Rating portals
In addition to direct ratings on their own site or on Google, there are numerous rating portals that are used by customers as a decision-making aid. These include, for example:
- Trusted Shops
- Yelp
- Amazon customer reviews
- rated.de
- and much more.
The platforms undoubtedly have a great influence and can determine the success or failure of a business. However, you should not consider these websites as the enemy, but rather focus on the positive aspects. In fact, through these entries you receive backlinks that have an impact on Google's algorithms. Moreover, a positive presentation on these objective websites is more convincing than the ratings on your own website.
Local OnPage Optimisation
Online marketing is mainly about advertising strategies. In contrast, Local SEO focuses on meeting Google's ranking factors in order to be eligible for local search terms. OnPage optimisation plays an essential role. These are measures that deal with the content of your site:
- Keyword analysis: The keywords should be aligned with the search intention and search terms of potential customers.
- Placement of keywords: The keywords must be found in prominent places. For example, in the meta data, the H1 heading, some subheadings and the first and last paragraph of the text.
- Content: Unique content with added value for users
- Structure: Clear structure of the website
- Integration of call-to-actions: links to subpages or external landing pages
Mobile website optimisation
Another step towards local visibility is optimisation for mobile devices. With the big Google Panda update in 2011, the famous search engine put its planned mobile-only indexing into practice. Customers nowadays no longer use computers, but mainly smartphones, tablets and laptops to get the information they need from the internet. With a mobile-friendly design of your website, you address the modern zeitgeist and fulfil Google's requirements.
Local landing pages for different locations
For businesses with multiple locations, a single website is not enough. Better rankings are achieved by creating a separate landing page for each individual location. And of course, the 1×1 of Local SEO also applies to these individual pages: OnPage optimisation, correct NAP data, integration of local keywords, call-to-actions, etc.
Backlinks and local links
The top three ranking factors also include backlinks. These are external links that underpin the quality, added value and professionalism of your platform. They create trust and reflect the authority and dominance of your website. As a locally operating company, it is a good idea to collect backlinks from regional business directories, city and news portals. With the help of bloggers and influencers, you can draw additional attention to your own offer.
SEOsuccessful for your perfect Local SEO
Local SEO is an effective method to increase the visibility of your own website and to increase the conversion rate! The SEOfolgreich team has been working intensively on this topic for several years and is made up of absolute experts and passionate marketers. With our help, you will achieve your professional goals and be able to expand your business step by step.
After all, SEOfolgreich doesn't just make empty promises, but really gets down to business. Give us a little of your precious time and we'll show you how to take your business to the next level!
