Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

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Are you tired of struggling to attract local customers to your business? Are you looking for a way to boost your online visibility and reach a wider audience in your community? Local SEO may be the solution you're looking for.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence to attract more customers from local search results. This includes optimizing your website, as well as your online profiles and listings on local directories and review sites. By improving your local SEO, you can increase the chances of your business appearing at the top of local search results, which can lead to more foot traffic and sales.

Why is Local SEO Important?

With the proliferation of smartphones and the ease of access to the internet, more and more people are using search engines to find local businesses and services. In fact, 46% of all searches on Google are seeking local information. That means if your business isn't optimized for local search, you could be missing out on a significant portion of potential customers.

But it's not just about appearing in search results. Local SEO can also help to improve the credibility and trustworthiness of your business. When customers see your business listed on local directories and review sites, it helps to establish your business as a reputable and reliable choice.

How Can Local SEO Benefit Your Business?

There are several ways that local SEO can benefit your business:

Increase visibility: By appearing at the top of local search results, you can increase the chances of potential customers finding your business. This can lead to more foot traffic and sales.

Attract targeted traffic: Local SEO helps to attract customers who are specifically searching for businesses in your area. This means you're more likely to attract customers who are ready to buy, rather than just browsing.

Improve credibility: By optimizing your online profiles and listings on local directories and review sites, you can improve the credibility and trustworthiness of your business. This can lead to more customer conversions and increased sales.

Save time and money: Local SEO can be a cost-effective way to attract new customers. Traditional forms of advertising can be expensive and time-consuming, while local SEO allows you to target specific customers in your area with minimal effort.

How Can You Improve Your Local SEO?

Optimize your website: Make sure your website is optimized for local search by including your business name, address, and phone number (known as NAP) on every page. You should also include your location in your page titles and meta descriptions, as well as in the content of your pages.

Claim your Google Business Profile listing: Google My Business is a free tool offered by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google search and maps. By claiming and optimizing your listing, you can improve your visibility in local search results.

Get listed on local directories and review sites: There are many local directories and review sites that can help to improve your visibility in local search results. Some examples include Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Foursquare. Make sure your business is listed on as many of these sites as possible, and encourage customers to leave reviews.

Use local keywords: Include local keywords in your website content and meta tags. These are keywords that include a location or geographic term, such as "SEO services in Niagara." Using local keywords can help to improve your visibility in local search results.

Encourage online reviews: Online reviews can be a powerful way to improve your local SEO. Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing, as well as on local directories and review sites. Positive reviews can help to boost your credibility and trustworthiness, leading to more customer conversions and sales.

Optimize for voice search: With the increasing popularity of voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, it's important to optimize your local SEO for voice search. This means including long-tail keywords and natural language phrases in your website content and meta tags.

By following these tips, you can improve your local SEO and attract more local customers to your business. Don't let your competitors steal the spotlight – start optimizing your online presence today and watch your business thrive.
local seo
“The MarketingSherpa study asked marketers which form of search had the greatest effect on their marketing objectives. Almost 54% of respondents said that local search had the most positive effect.”

Ready to talk about how our local SEO services can grow your business?

Drop us a line for a free quote today!

When working with Smartlinks SEO Company on your local SEO campaign, you'll get daily comprehensive reports and records that can be reviewed at any time to monitor the effectiveness of your local search engine optimization campaigns.

On a monthly basis, we will send:
  • Video Overview from your dedicated SEO Expert discussing local SEO progress and goals for the month.
  • Keyword ranking report (a tool that allows you to review your rankings at any time).
  • A report of hours and assignments describing what we worked on.
  • Google Analytics reports.
  • -Your local SEO specialist will also be available by phone or email at any time if you have anything to address. The more contact we have with you, the more we can achieve your goals.
46 per cent of consumers use search engines as their primary tool for finding local business knowledge. Make sure your site is one you can find with our local SEO service. 

What Are Citations and How Do They Contribute to Local SEO?

Citations have a role in local SEO, particularly in Google Maps rankings. They inform Google of your brand's description, location, and contact information. Google released a patent referred to as their "Entity Patent" that uses entities (branding) as a means to differentiate your website and how it perceives your brand in the digital world. Each brand is assigned a unique Entity ID number that Google uses to search for and locate instances when its name is referenced. By utilizing citations, you inform Google of your entity's purpose, location, and identity. There are several kinds of citations. In the next section, you will learn about the different sorts of citations and how to implement them in your local SEO efforts.

General Directories

Websites like Yelp, YellowPages, GBP Site, and even BBB would be included in a general directory. This sort of directory has all of the important categories/niches for local searches. Inclusion in these directories is often straightforward and free of charge.

Niche-Specific Directories

Niche Relevant Directories are online business directories that are related to your niche. If you are a plumber, for instance, the directory may be PlumbingDirectory.com. These citations are significant since they are the most pertinent to your category. Relevance is a factor in Google's ranking algorithm.

Geo Relevant Directories

Geo Relevant Directories are typically the most challenging due to their scarcity. Typically, insertion into these directories occurs on local government or chamber of business websites. A geo-relevant directory example would be the City of St. Catharines, ON Business Directory.

Data Aggregators

Data Aggregators are significant information suppliers for businesses. Typically, aggregators purchase information from phone providers and white page directories of new firms, or they receive information directly from organizations and corporations. The data aggregators often collaborate with huge publication directories to provide them with direct feeds of company data. For instance, the aggregator Acxiom transmits business information to YellowBook.com.

Easy method for inclusion in all online directories

It might take an average of six to nine months for all publications to get your information.

ExpressUpdate.com

Acxiom

LocalEze

Factual

411 Directory Support

Your phone provider will provide you with a free listing in the local white pages, yellow pages, and 411 Directory Assistance, which many people are unaware of. Google frequently cross-references the yellow and white pages to validate the addresses of Google My Business listings. If your phone provider does not offer a free directory listing, you can utilise ListYourself.net. The benefit of being included in the 411 is that aggregators purchase this information, therefore you will ultimately reach all publishers.

Web 2.0s

Web 2.0 sites are essentially free blogs hosted on the domains of third parties. They contribute to brand recognition. The beautiful thing about Web 2.0s is that they are free and you can publish a tremendous deal of material on them, including NAP.

Journal Citations (Press Release)

Press Releases are an excellent method for obtaining local citations since they increase service, product, and brand exposure with news organisations. By syndicating a Press Release, you distribute your company's content to news networks and websites with high authority.

Combined Citations

Hybrid Citations are a sort of citation in which you publish your company's information on a third-party website, which often includes a 500- to 2,000-word article about your industry. Then, at the bottom of the article, your company information such as name, phone number, website, and address will be shown. You receive two benefits: 1) a backlink to your site with related content, and 2) brand exposure through the reference at the end of the piece. Citations are an excellent approach to demonstrate your brand and what you do to Google.

A local SEO company that delivers impactful results

Smartlinks SEO Company is a full-service internet marketing agency headquartered in Ontario that provides local SEO services to clients in Ontario and across Canada and the United States.
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