5-Step SEO Checklist for Local Businesses
If you're a local business owner, the online sphere can seem like a strange and confusing realm where survival depends on how many clicks you get. While the attention economy can seem insurmountable, online search engine optimization is the new lifeblood through which local businesses make their bread and butter.
New users want something simple, secure, and local, and the easier your business makes it for online users to discover your services through SEO, the more likely a user is to choose your company over unfamiliar online competitors.
Restaurants, law firms, beauty salons, florists; everyone prefers the shop right in their own backyard, and that’s only a button click away. But getting noticed by your local community isn't as easy as publishing your website and hoping for the best. Online search engines like Google use an intricate indexing algorithm to match users to your website. If you can't work with Google's sorting systems, then you won't be working at all.
Thankfully, the process of getting your business open to the online market is simple. Follow these steps, and you'll be on your way to making impressions online and gaining the attention of your local community.
Step 1: Create Your Google Business Profile
First and foremost is your Google Business Profile. Your GBP is one of the most important SEO assets you'll have to get your online presence off the ground. When a user searches for something "near me," Google will display local map results within that user's area. These map results are derived from GBP pages, which are often displayed before any websites.
To optimize your profile:
Verify your business ownership.
Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate.
Select the correct business categories.
Upload high-quality photos of your location, products, and team.
Keep your hours updated, especially during holidays.
Post updates, promotions, and announcements regularly.
Your Google Business Profile will often be the first thing a new user will interact with regarding your business. Make sure this information is up to date and easily accessible. And be sure to include links to your main website and your business address. If you catch a user's attention, make it frictionless for them to find more information.
Completing your GBP page and following those points will increase your company's visibility and help build trust for users and online search engines as you continue enhancing your website's SEO.
Step 2: Attract Local Reviews
The internet has been around for long enough now that it's become part of everyone's daily routine. At least one part of everyone's day involves surfing the web. However, that means that users are more savvy than ever. Experienced web users are wary of being marketed to, and even the layperson is suspicious of strange websites and brands they don't recognize.
After you catch a user's attention, you'll have to win their trust, and reviews are one of the best tools at your disposal to do so. Not only do good reviews build authority, but they're also a major ranking factor for local SEO.
Best practices include:
Asking customers for reviews after successful transactions.
Responding to all reviews, both positive and negative.
Thanking customers for their feedback.
Addressing concerns professionally and promptly.
Reviews provide security to the unsure and reassurance to the skeptical. Focus on generating positive reviews on Google and other platforms. This will signal credibility and relevance, making the business a standout in the community.
Step 3: Publish "Localized" Web Content
A steady flow of content helps search engines understand how your business works, what it does, and how to serve your site to new users. To maintain SEO relevance, make sure that your website regularly publishes new content. And to reach people in the area, publish content that your local patrons would be searching for.
Example: Say you run a local flooring service. A generic competitor may publish an article titled "Best Flooring Types for Your Home." While that article may rank, it would have stiff competition and would lack local appeal. To target your specific area, you may instead publish an article titled "Common Issues with Wood Flooring in the Northeast." This topic covers a more specific niche that your business would specialize in if you're located in the New York Metropolitan Area.
Examples of localized content include:
Service pages for specific cities or neighborhoods.
Local event coverage and community involvement.
Customer success stories from local clients.
Area-specific blog posts and guides.
Keep the interests and concerns of your local consumer base in mind when generating content ideas for your website. Giving invaluable information sets your business up as an expert in the field and shows users that you can be of service without them needing to open their wallets.
Step 4: Claim Local Citations and Directories
Local citations are mentions of your business throughout Google and other search engines. The more other well-established businesses mention your company, the greater SEO authority it will have in Google's rankings.
These mentions can include Yelp, Yellow Pages, Apple Maps, Bing Places, local chamber of commerce websites, etc.
Many of these businesses are incentivized to catalog local businesses, so take advantage of them by keeping your information up to date and obtaining as many of those online backlinks as possible early on in your online career.
Step 5: Optimize for Mobile and "Near Me" Searches
Desktop is the default for many online companies, but don't discount mobile. Every day, smartphones become more common, and many people browse the web exclusively with their phones, especially to make a quick search of the local area.
To improve your mobile SEO:
Ensure your website loads quickly.
Use a responsive design that works on all screen sizes.
Make phone numbers clickable.
Include location-based keywords naturally throughout your content.
Add clear contact information on every page.
Google prioritizes websites that work well on both desktop and mobile. A fast and user-friendly online experience will bring those casual clicks toward your site and keep interested locals coming back.
(Step 6:) Get Your Web Traffic Audited
Now that you know how to implement basic SEO best practices and get your business off the ground in the online space, even the top-ranked websites can miss out on growth.
Your website's growth potential can be hidden behind endless charts of analytics and data tables. To find where you're missing out on easy impressions, consider getting a professional SEO audit.
An audit conducted by an experienced professional can uncover technical issues, find keyword opportunities, discover gaps between you and your competitors, and improve your local ranking through specialized search engine optimizations tailored for your business.
At Knack Social, we help businesses of all sizes identify opportunities and create a marketing strategy that will generate leads for years to come.
