This year everyone is staying a bit more local, and technology trends are responding to the growth in local search engine optimization. By locating and leveraging the SEO strategy for a specific audience that surrounds a business, brands can adjust to the community conversation and build more personal relationships with the people who invest in them.
Understand [Local] SEO strategy
A successful traditional SEO strategy starts with targeted keywords. SEO experts then write cont
capture these results. The key here is to make sure that even though keywords are in pages, the content is strong enough to stand on its own and provide real information to users.
Not to mention, traditional SEO has a whole different side to it: technical SEO. But this is another story.
The main goal of traditional SEO strategies is to appear on top of search engine results pages (SERPs). This is achieved through targeted keyword research and improved through extensive writing, backlinks, and more.
Local SEO strategy, on the other hand, is more abstract, although technically it is a subset of general or global SEO.
An SEO strategy (both traditional and local) can help you reach your community on a local and global level.
The focus of local search engine optimization is on reaching more local customers.
And since 80 percent of local searches are converted, it’s important to add local search focus to your SEO strategy.
While the pillars of a successful SEO strategy stay the same when writing for local search, it is important to broaden the focus to a broader SERP anatomy.
SERP anatomy
SERPs are made up of a few key elements: paid advertising, snipits, organic search results, Google My Business (GMB), and map results.
Gaining ground at the local level
When developing a local SEO strategy, pay special attention to the nontraditional SERP elements like GMB profiles and map results. This is what tends to drive local results more than organic listings.
To ensure your business appears in these areas when a user searches for branded or non-branded keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business, it is important to have an up-to-date GMB profile. This profile is linked to card results.
The local SEO strategy includes:
- Create a location-specific copy for your website that includes city names, addresses, contact details, and more.
- Research and use local keywords, not just global ones.
- Add relevant information to your website and profiles so customers can easily find the company.
- Local conversations either take place through reviews on different platforms or through social media.
- Building local connections with other online businesses to get backlinks.
Stay in touch with your community
While textbook SEO strategy is geared towards helping your brand, business, and website gain a foothold nationally or globally, with these five actions at its core, local SEO strategy helps your business, with its local customers get in touch and stay strong.
Now is the time to get involved with local SEO as the market is still relatively small. However, as the global trend leans toward local and community-centered businesses, local SEO is expected to become increasingly popular and important to brands and their digital marketing strategies.