What basic tactics and the ways of running Google SEO for local search can you recommend for beginners?

Of course, there are many different approaches to organic SEO, and for local search optimization in particular. But the thing is that the very concept of local SEO has a lot in common with the original broad definition of global (otherwise, nationwide) Search Engine Optimization. Nevertheless, there are several core features and specific actions, which draw the most critical points of difference between Google's "traditional" organic ranking factors and the rest of much more specific tactics and approaches to a precisely-targeted SEO for local search. That's why here I'm going to quickly run through the main components of basic search optimization at the local level, backed with some simple tips & useful suggestions for you to get started right away. All that being said, below let's outline everything you should know to that point.

SEO for Beginners: Local Search Optimization Basics

Google My Business page (GMB)

Before anything else, the first thing to be done with local SEO is getting everything in place with your GMB page. Complete the listing, fill in all necessary business information, in line with running a double-check for your NAP (otherwise, business name, physical address, and phone number) data consistency – and you're finally ready to complete the initial verification procedure with your local business website.

Basic Website Optimization

Once you successfully "informed" Google search engine about your local business website with its clear regional focus, it's time to start optimizing your website at the basic level. Here is the initial to-do stuff for you to set up right away.

• Single Location Strategy – make sure to have a clear focus for your location strategy. Do you have a single-location/home-based commercial project? Are you running a good old "brick-and-mortar business," which just needs better online exposure within its neighboring locales? Or have you recently launched own home-based project of just modest scale? If you have one of those – your single location optimization strategy wouldn't be too different from the very "classics" of organic SEO (i.e., involving mainly basic optimization effort already well-known by every novice webmaster or business website owner).

• Multi-Location Strategy – here is exactly what geo-targeted SEO for local search optimization actually stands for. Given that your endeavor involves a multi-practitioner component (for example, medical business, legal services, etc.), or your company simply serves not only a single neighboring location, but has the similar coverage through several other separate areas nearby – your business website MUST be prominently shown up when the user performs a relevant search within every locale you're targeting with it. Otherwise, that would be your another missed opportunity, most commonly taken by your closest local niche competitors. Luckily, there are some basic efforts you can quickly fulfill and make things much easier with your own SEO strategy in local search optimization. Below is a short checklist that covers the very basics of local SEO.

Ranking Factors

The primary key ranking factor of Google's SEO for local search is the right way of keyword targeting (i.e., based on the actual proximity to the user's search area). That way, when finally determining your actual ranking positions in the relevant list of Google’s local SERPs, the search engine also considers the user’s recent browsing history and the commonest search habits. So, let’s face it – optimizing your website’s main content sections to every single location served with your main business is a MUST.

Competitive analysis can be a very powerful weapon in every business marketing arsenal. But from the viewpoint of SEO and reality of local search driven by cutthroat-level online competition, valuable practical insight on the best findings (or the worst failures) of your niche competitor websites – can often draw the line between a fully successful online business and a local business startup which can't adapt to such competitive environment.

Structure Markup

Make sure to apply for Schema.org Markup, which is actually a strongly desirable mode of data structuring. Such markup will be direly needed by every local website or blog, simply because it can help Google crawling bots readily "understand" what every web page is all about – therefore, providing you much better ranking potential in local search, as there are no obstacles to prevent the search engines from easy, quick and correct indexing procedure.

Backlink Profile

Remember, just like with the standard SEO, the factor of a high-quality link profile created organically (i.e., without getting paid links or manipulating with Black-Hat/White-Hat-based schemes of low-quality link building) – can become even more decisive in local SEO, that can potentially determine your website's ranking positions in Google's local SERPs. Be especially careful, when adding every new outbound link. Should you have any concerns – feel free to run an in-depth website check procedure on your link donor using the right software tool. Or you might as well simply spy on the third-party local business websites owned by your most successful niche leaders – and get in touch with their link sources with the highest DA/PageRank to link to them for massive "link juice" too. 

Next, what?

If you feel completely disappointed, here is what can instantly suggest you taking the adequate action, or at least keep moving the right way towards your global business objectives. To employ such proactive approach, make sure to use at least basic Web Analytics Toolkit provided by the world’s search giant by default. You might as well have a deep-delve into the overall online performance of your top successful local niche opponents. But you may want to instantly grab their best findings (i.e., the way of website structuring, building hyper-localized content categories, getting the right custom mode to create sound service pages tailored to your potential clients/buyers – without spending too much time and effort, right? That way, I recommend using the following online toolkits and useful web analytics platforms specifically designed for smart website owners and even professional SEOs. For a really valuable data-driven competitive insight, I suggest trying one of my use-proven online tools like Semalt Analyzer (by Semalt company), Moz’s Open Site Explorer (by Moz team), Ahrefs (by Ahrefs company), or Screaming Frog SEO Spider (by Screaming Frog). Feel free to choose any – as all these four tools can be used even without necessarily paying for it (or at least have their basic version available in open access) – of course, it’s only up to decide which of them to pick after all.