Your Guide to Creating an Effective Local SEO Strategy for Your Business

Local SEO is a great way to get local consumers interested in your business, but many entrepreneurs are unsure how to implement this essential strategy. Some do not even realize how much they stand to gain from this type of targeted local promotion.

Understanding this modern marketing technique could help your business claim a greater share of your local market. These essential tips will allow you to develop a local SEO strategy that will help your business win out over competing enterprises in your area.

Who Needs Local SEO?

Not every business needs to worry about local SEO. If you routinely sell to customers around the world or run an eCommerce business without a physical presence, local search may not be as helpful for you. However, companies in any of the fields listed below should keep a close eye on their local SEO performance.

Home Improvement Companies

Home improvement companies usually only work on homes within a specific radius of their central location, so local customers are essential to them. Some types of home improvement businesses that could benefit from local SEO services include:

• Roofing
• Landscaping
• Masonry
• Tiling
• Paving or Driveways
• HVAC
• Garage Doors
• Waterproofing Companies
• Fire and Flood Restoration Companies
• Dust and Mold Removal Companies
• Fencing and Deck Builders
• Home Builders
• Home Renovation Contractors
• Interior Designers

Professional Services

People are sometimes willing to travel a bit to access top-class professional services, but for the most part, these businesses also serve primarily local customers. The following are just some of the many professional services businesses that might use local SEO services to attract clientele:

• Dentists
• Cosmetic Dentists
• Laser Eye Clinics
• Optical Stores
• Cosmetic Clinics
• Cosmetic Surgery
• Skin Care
• Medical Clinics
• Chiropractors
• Family Doctors
• Lawyers
• IT Companies
• Fitness Studios and Gyms

Restaurants

Restaurants rely heavily on local customers (and especially repeat customers) to secure their revenue. Improving your restaurant’s position in local search results will get it noticed by more people, increasing the chance that they will try it one day when they are hungry. If your food impresses them, they may go on to visit you many more times in the future.

Local Retailers

Unlike big box stores, local grocers and retailers depend heavily on the community for a steady stream of customers and business. Local SEO can help you with sustained visibility in your area and, over time, help create a loyal customer base.

Manufacturing and Distribution

Many manufacturers ship their products worldwide, but if you mainly sell your products within your local community, local SEO services can be extremely useful in helping you acquire more clients. In addition, many consumers and businesses are eager to buy products that are made close to home, so advertising yourself as a local business can serve as an excellent additional selling point for your products.

Benefits of Local SEO

Implementing local SEO will bring a number of benefits to your business, including:

• You Will Increase Your Web and Foot Traffic. Local SEO helps your website get found online, and people who visit your website while they are in the area will often visit you in person as well.
• Your Customers Will Know Where to Find You. With good local SEO, important business details such as your location and contact information are displayed right on the search results page.
• You Will Become Better Integrated in Your Community. Local businesses benefit from closer ties with the establishments around them. Working together with other companies in your area to create a network of backlinks helps you all improve your SEO while also fostering friendly relationships within the community.
• You Will Build Your Local Cachet. Local consumers will frequently return to businesses that meet their needs. The more new customers you win by using local SEO, the more repeat customers you will likely gain as well.
• You Will Be Able to Cut Some of Your Advertising Costs. With an established local SEO strategy in place, your business will have no trouble winning customers and will need less additional advertising to support it.

Creating Your Local SEO Strategy

There are ten successive steps you will need to take to establish an effective local SEO strategy for your business.

1. Take Stock of Your Products and Services

First, sit down and take a good look at your business. What do you have to offer, and what makes those offerings unique? This will give you a good idea of what keywords you should focus on when building your SEO strategy.

2. Audit Your Existing Website

If your website is not performing as well as you would like it to, you need to know why. Review all aspects of your site, paying attention to essential ranking factors like keyword use, site navigability, and internal and external linking. You will undoubtedly find areas for improvement.

3. Conduct Competitor Keyword Research

There are many tools available to discover what keywords your main competitors are ranking for and how highly they rank in comparison to your site. This can help you see if your current niche is overcrowded or if you have a viable chance of making it to the top under your current set of keywords.

4. Identify Geo-Specific Keywords

Local SEO is a targeted strategy, and geo-specific keywords work to define your target. For example, if you intended to target leads in Toronto, you would include “Toronto” at the end of some of your keywords. Local SEO services can help you select specific location-based keywords that give you the best chances of success.

5. Implement On-Page SEO

Prioritizing informative content, using Google-friendly page structuring, and sprinkling your site’s text with relevant keywords can all help your website get found by more leads.

In addition to your geo-targeted keywords, you can use generic location-based keywords that will synchronize with modern geotagging features to target the correct users. For example, if you were to search for ‘SEO agency near me‘ while in our GTA service area, you would see our website listed among the first results.

6. Create Localized Landing Pages

Some companies serve multiple cities, and they need a local SEO strategy that reflects that reality. Businesses with multiple store locations or (service businesses that accept calls within a wider geographic area) should create area-specific landing pages for each city or town they intend to target. For instance, a Toronto business might also create landing pages for Markham, Richmond Hill, and Scarborough.

7. Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Google My Business is a free local business directory, and it is one of the most effective local SEO marketing tools available right now. Update your company’s listing with new information and engaging posts to ensure you are making the most of the SEO opportunity this platform presents.

8. Submit Key Business Info to Directory Listings

Directories such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, Angie’s List, and more can all provide greater visibility and valuable backlinks for your business.

Submit your company name, address, website, and telephone number to as many relevant listings as you can find. This increases the likelihood of interested searchers finding your business and provides opportunities to establish high-authority backlinks that will improve your SEO strategy.

9. Establish a Localized Link Building Strategy

Local links build local SEO and establish a sense of presence in your community. To get them, try reaching out to local journalists or influencers who are popular in your area. These people are often eager for new story ideas and may be willing to feature your business.

You can also try to get your company listed on the website for a local club, organization, or business association.

10. Generate Positive Customer Reviews

A glowing customer review is a huge boost for your business’s local SEO and its general reputation in your area. Accumulate as many of them as possible by encouraging your customers to leave you a good review, especially on high-profile platforms like Facebook or Google My Business.

Get Better Local SEO Straight from the Experts

Creating a local SEO strategy for your business is one of the best things you can do to give yourself a leg up on the competition. Start yours today with professional help from the best local SEO marketing agency around.

WSI Comandix has been working with businesses to improve their local SEO since search engines first recognized the concept. Our expertise in this area is second to none, and we would be pleased to put our skills to work for your business. Contact us today to speak to a representative about your local SEO needs and how our SEO services can help you meet them.

Also Read:

• How Can SEO Services Help Enhance Your Business?
• How to Write Great SEO Content