Can you outline the leading local SEO opportunities for me to start optimizing for?
Yes, I know several dominating trends and some local SEO opportunities that are currently seen on the edge of the modern concept of Google’s organic Search Engine Optimization. The thing is that the major search engines (like Google itself) keep evolving their already sophisticated ranking algorithms – that’s why both nationwide, and local SEO opportunities are also constantly evolving. And every website owner should have all these major improvements and shifting trends always on track – simply because ignoring them may quickly end up with the website or blog falling into the darkest depth of the SERPs, far beyond the first page of Google’s organic listing. That’s why below I’m going to quickly run through the most important shifts in the regionally targeted online search, in line with the leading local SEO opportunities that lie within.
Revamped Approach to Keyword Rankings
Of course, the main target keywords you're actually optimizing for are still important. Note, however, that this year gradually brings a more advanced technology and therefore a brand-new approach to semantic and personalized search. As a result, local SERPs are now driven more by the searcher's recent browsing history, current location and device type. Also, remember that additionally, specific keywords are now losing their preeminent importance when compared with semantic context.
Local SEO Opportunities
A good opportunity is that you can now target more situational searchers, geo-specific results, and a greater amount of long-tail keywords catered to each searcher's personal environment. As for negative one, now tracking keyword rankings becomes more complicated, I should admit.
Lesser Importance of Citations
No need to say that citations and mentions of your NAP data have been among the central pillars of local SEO. Nevertheless, the total power and amount of business citations will now gradually lose their momentum. And let's face it – from the viewpoint of optimization for local search and regionally-targeted small business websites this takes off a bit of stress.
Local SEO Opportunities
If you're just starting out with ranking locally, you will have to sweat the citations under any circumstances. But a piece of good news here is that you can still spy on your competitor's link profile to expose the best sources of citations already employed there. And remember that you might as well try to leverage currently existing relationships with local webmasters and top influencers.
Rising Domination of Voice Search
No wonder that this technology keeps gaining in popularity, but now it already becomes directly integrated into voice search interfaces, such as Google Now, Siri, Cortana, etc. Given that voice recognition is clearly here to stay forth, now it's the right time to start at least preliminary considerations about voice search optimization, particularly from the standpoint of local SEO.
Local SEO Opportunities
Among the others, I would strongly recommend prioritizing long-tail keywords and LSI-based search terms. We should also use now Schema.org markup to provide context, as well as XML needed to provide all necessary microdata (for example, with a sitemap). Focus on creating FAQ-like content sections, amid concentrating on conversational query research – and you're done!
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