How to get local SEO strategy set up the right way when I’m completely new to it?
A helpful way to instantly get local SEO strategy set up the right way – is to consider that the major search engines (like Google itself) are working as “referral engines.” Think about Google as a tool that is designed to provide the best-matching answers in response to the user’s search requests. From the viewpoint of the Search Engine Optimization at the level of locales, it means that whatever your potential clients/buyers need, you should effectively drive them to taking the final decision to purchase/order on your website, rather than anywhere else across the Web. And the right approach that will help you get your local SEO strategy set up the way of giving you better prominence in Google’s local SERPs, and therefore improve the ability to convert more user clicks into the actual deals.
So, a sufficiently sensible and all-round strategy of local optimization should consider the following areas of your website’s performance:
- Website Structure – it’s essential to have a rock-solid foundation with a well-structured website, fast page loading speed, and mobile-friendly user experience before you actually get down to local SEO implementation.
- Body Content – should be your most precious SEO asset, that helps you stay out under heating local search competition, and makes it possible to become relevant to the most frequent keyword-based search queries you’re actually optimizing for.
- Content Marketing – delving deeper into your content opportunities, for example, when running an informational blog to support your main local business website can help you with much better ranking progress that can be gradually elevated over time.
- Credibility/Authority – means that high ranking positions in local search are strongly correlated not only with internal/external link profile of your website, but at some point can be effectively driven with specific landings and category pages created to demonstrate customer reviews, testimonials, case studies, and portfolio of your happy clients/buyers.
Basic Checklist to Get Started with Local SEO
Of course, SEO is far not easy to master, particularly when you’re completely new to it. But understanding your current situation and following a clear, logical order is the key to taking the best-fitting actions timely, right? So, here are the foundational actions that are fully accessible with just a bit of research.
- Pass registration and verify Google Search Console.
- Claim the existing or create your first business listing with Google My business dashboard.
- Organize your main target keywords by each landing, category, and relevant service page.
- Try to target mainly long-tail keywords and hyper-local search terms (i.e., embedded with the name of city, town, or region you’re targeting locally).
- Optimize your Page Titles, Headers/Subheaders, Meta Descriptions, Image ALT Tags (with image filenames too), as well as Link Anchor Text – and make them all rich with your core keywords and long-tail combinations (when applicable).
- Run routine check-up procedures to inspect the main target search terms you’re employing with your on-page content (for example, using a good old Google’s Keyword Planner tool, or Ubersuggest, KeywordTool.io, etc.).
- Create social profiles and submit your NAP data to local directories and business listings. Keep it always consistent – and you’re done!
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