How to Optimize for Local Search and Drive Online Conversions

When you market your business online, it’s essential to market it to the right audience. Your target audience will become your most valued customers and improve your revenue over time — which is why you should market locally.

Local marketing is crucial for any small business. Many of your potential customers are located in your immediate area, so that’s where you should focus your marketing — and one of the best ways to do that is with local search optimization.

In this blog post, we’ll cover how to optimize for local search to help you reach your most relevant audience.

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7 expert local search optimization tips

The idea behind local search engine optimization (SEO) is to appear in search results for people in your immediate area. There are several ways you can do this, and we’ve listed some of the best local SEO strategies below. Here are seven expert tips on how to rank in local searches!

1. Create a Google Business Profile

One of the most effective tools to use for local searches in Google is Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile allows companies to set up profiles that include basic information about a company — like their name and address. When someone makes a local search such as “cleaning services near me,” Google will often display a local 3-pack at the top of the organic results.

This 3-pack will include three relevant Google Business Profiles, along with a display of local options on Google Maps.   Your business may already have a profile set up through Google Maps, in which case you can claim it by providing proof of ownership of your company. From there, you can fill out as much of your information as possible to get your profile into local search results.

2. Update your NAP info across the web

Another critical element in local search optimization is consistency with your name, address, and phone number (NAP) information. NAP info is some of the most vital material to include in your online profiles because that’s the info that allows users to contact you and convert. For optimal local search results, make sure all your NAP information is consistent.

Don’t list conflicting phone numbers on different sites or write your address differently on your site than you do on Google Business Profile. If Google detects conflicting information, it won’t know which page is correct, so it won’t rank you as high in search results. Not to mention, you could confuse users and deter them from contacting or visiting you.

3. Earn positive reviews

If one thing can drive users to buy a product or services, it’s a good review. You can talk positively about your company all you want, but users will always take your words with a grain of salt. However, when a previous customer gives you praise, it tends to convince others that your company is the real deal.

For that reason, you can aim to acquire positive reviews and testimonials from local customers. The best way to do this is to ask them. Whenever someone buys from you, you can ask them to leave you a positive review.

  As you grow your list of online testimonials, you’ll start seeing far more visitors appear at your store — making online reviews a great way to help you rank in local searches.

4. Target local keywords

Keyword targeting is an integral part of any local search optimization campaign, but different keywords are suitable for different audiences. For local SEO, the best approach is to focus heavily on local keywords. An example of a good local keyword might be “paper supplier in Madison.” It incorporates both the industry and the location, both of which make that search highly relevant to any business that sells paper in Madison.

You can do the same with keywords relevant to your company. If your business operates in more than one area, you may want to consider creating different location pages on your site. Let’s say you fabricate metal in both New York and New Jersey — you can have a page for “New York fabrication” and “New Jersey fabrication.”

5. Design a mobile-friendly website

If you want to improve your local search rankings, your site needs to be mobile-friendly. Over 50% of all Internet traffic comes from mobile devices, and Google ranks sites based on their mobile format. So, without a mobile-friendly site, you won’t rank very high.

You can make your site mobile-friendly by implementing responsive design, which is when your pages restructure their elements to fit the screen where they appear. That way, users will have a positive experience on your site no matter what device they use.   

6. Use online third-party listings and directories

Depending on what your business offers, another possible way to boost your local SEO is to take advantage of third-party websites where you can create listings for your company. For example, let’s say you rent out apartments. You can go to a site like Apartments.com and create listings for any apartments you have available.

Or maybe you provide lawn care, in which case you could create a listing on Angie’s List. Listing websites like these are often some of the first places users go when they want to find a particular product or service in their area. For that reason, when it comes to how to optimize for local search, you should consider using third-party sites.

7. Engage with the local community

A final local search optimization tactic is to engage with your local community, both on and off the Internet. Community is a powerful tool. When people view you as part of their community, they’ll have far more trust in you and be more likely to buy from you.

If your community holds local events that you can participate in, try attending to show that your company cares about the community. For example, maybe you sponsor a local fair. You can post about your involvement online to show your engagement with your local area.

You can also play up your local roots throughout your online marketing, particularly on your website. When you do, you’ll see far more conversions, and your local SEO will skyrocket.

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WebFX knows how to optimize for local search

Need help getting your website to rank in local searches? No worries — WebFX has your back!

We’ve been driving superior SEO results for over 28 years, and we’d love to do the same for you. With our top-tier local SEO services, you can get help optimizing your marketing for all the tips listed above and more. On top of that, you’ll receive a dedicated account representative to work one-on-one with you on everything we do for your campaigns.

To get started with us, give us a call at 888-601-5359 or contact us online today!