Search engine optimization (SEO) is the cheapest way organic traffic. Why? Because it is completely free. And because SEO has so many different facets and subtleties, there are a lot that a lot of people get wrong – especially when it comes to local SEO.
Google is constantly changing its algorithm to improve the user experience. Many people fail to keep abreast of these changes and continue to use outdated SEO strategies that could potentially affect their traffic.
There are many different strategies businesses can use to improve their local search engine rankings and increase their traffic. While many of them are useful and can actually help improve ranking and drive organic traffic, there are also plenty of bad local SEO strategies that can affect your ranking or even penalize your website.
Here are three of them.
1. No customer reviews
Customer reviews are a great way to get more business and improve your company’s reputation. While it can be difficult to get reviews when your business first starts, all you have to do is ask customers. You can do this in person, by phone, or by email.
Good reviews give companies a great competitive advantage. They tell search engines that a website or company has authority, is trustworthy, and credible. Reviews also improve the likelihood that a potential customer will visit your location. This is because good customer ratings improve a company’s visibility.
You should too always Reply to customer reviews. This shows that you value your customers and your feedback.
2. Keyword filling of your Google My Business listing
Every local business needs a Google My Business Listing. If you don’t have one, consider setting one up immediately. Google My Business makes it easy for users to find a business when searching online. The listing contains important information about a business, including hours of operation, services, a link to the website, location, reviews, and more. A company should only have one Google My Business listing.
A big mistake companies make when setting up their listing is populating it with keywords. Businesses do this by adding location and other keywords to the business name. This is a direct violation of Google’s guidelines.
Your entry should always reflect the real name of your company and should never be filled with keywords. It’s just not worth the risk.
3. No mobile optimization
Is your website fully optimized for mobile devices?
Smartphones are more convenient and faster to use – especially when you are on the go. If your website isn’t optimized for cell phones, your rankings will be hit right away. Remember: local search engine optimization and mobile optimization go hand in hand. This is because most of the people these days use their mobile devices to search for local businesses.
Google also prioritizes mobile friendly websites. In fact, it’s a crucial factor in how Google ranks websites. Google is also focusing on mobile-first indexing. This means that Google will use the mobile version instead of crawling and indexing the desktop version of a webpage.
Take that away
There are many ways that small businesses can increase organic traffic. All it takes is a thorough understanding of what it takes to rank. While there are many great search engine optimization strategies that small businesses can use to increase their traffic and reach their target audience, there are also many things they can do wrong. By making simple changes and corrections to your company’s SEO strategy, you can improve your search engine rankings. For more help and information on improving your local search engine optimization, see Click here.