It’s true that many online businesses do not focus on local search optimization because they think that it’s only applicable to business in their own cities or towns, but this could not be further from the truth. There are thousands of people every month looking for products and services that are relevant to their area, so if you’re thinking about how to optimize your online presence, you should definitely give local search optimization a shot! Here’s how to optimize your local SEO in Chatswood.
Ensure your website is optimized for mobile
Businesses that have mobile optimized websites convert a higher percentage of mobile traffic than those without. It is important for your website to be responsive for search engines because it is likely that searches will come from small screens, making it much harder for your site to appear among organic search results. This is where Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) come into play. As its name suggests, AMP pages are optimized for mobile and are designed with two goals: make it faster and easier for searchers on smaller screens and also provide news publishers with an opportunity to monetize their content. All-in-all, AMP should be one part of a much larger mobile strategy—but if you only want to focus on one area right now, AMP is a good place to start.
Map your location accurately
Search engines like Google use something called local search engine optimization or local SEO which is a special set of rules that help your business rank higher in local search results. If you don’t optimize your website for local searches, it won’t be shown when someone does a local search for your product or service. This often means leaving money on the table – if people are searching for your products or services online, and they can’t find you, how are they supposed to buy? One way is by Map your location accurately. We’ll discuss…
Don’t be greedy with local keywords
Try to focus on high-traffic searches that you know your business does well at. So if someone is searching for local plumbers, you might also be a contender for plumbing services or even just plumber. Make sure that your website is optimized for both these and other local keywords. When targeting local keywords, it is common practice to include city names (such as Auckland plumber or Wellington plumber) but be careful with how much weight you give them on search engines like Google – make sure they don’t appear too often otherwise you may get penalized.
Use the right content
Content is the most important factor for local search success, so it’s best to start your optimization efforts here. The most effective way of attracting customers from your area is by creating amazing content that actually speaks directly to them and their needs. You need content with a relevant focus on your local area, written by people who understand the community intimately. Remember that what works for big city centers probably won’t work for smaller towns, so cater your content directly towards those specific communities and their needs.
Don’t create duplicate content
One of the best ways to get your website ranking highly is by giving it a high domain authority, which is achieved by getting links from other websites. However, you should never create duplicate content, because that’s basically cheating. Google has gotten pretty good at sniffing out duplicate content, and you could end up hurting your own rankings. Keep reading for some great tips on how to avoid plagiarism while also boosting your domain authority.
Watch out for user reviews
Today, people trust reviews from other consumers more than they trust products and services themselves. In fact, 88% of consumers claim that their buying decisions are influenced by peer opinions. So, it’s crucial for businesses to have high-quality reviews on sites like Google, Facebook and Yelp. Many business owners tend to focus on national search engine optimization strategies because they think most of their customers will come from out of town. That’s a good strategy for businesses targeting a broad audience; however, local businesses should take advantage of all opportunities for local search engine optimization.
Get social with online directories
Getting social with online directories can help local businesses gain greater visibility on search engines. Just about every major city has its own version of Yelp and social media tools like Facebook Places and Foursquare are great for grabbing a user’s attention and driving foot traffic. Become familiar with your local search engine optimization (SEO) scene, then see if you can get your business included online.
