Everybody who is anybody knows that SEO stands for search engine optimization. Some even know that the term refers to the process of helping a website get more visibility on the Internet. But what does any of that really mean?
If you are a website owner, odds are you have attempted to Google local SEO and gotten all sorts of confusing definitions on what it is, what it isn’t and why it’s not even important enough for you to worry about. However, the truth of the matter is that local SEO is not as confusing as some would like to make it out to be. However, it is vital to the ongoing success of your business. Here’s an easy guide to help you learn what you need to know about local SEO and how you can employ it in your marketing scheme in order to increase your visibility with your local customers and boost sales.
In today’s digital world, searches for local businesses no longer happens in the Yellow Pages at home. It happens on a mobile device while they are on the go. They simply plug a keyword into their smartphone or table browser for the product or service they are looking for and then hit search. The mobile browser then sends them a list of local businesses that offer what they are looking for as well as their locations, hours of operation and even their websites. Local SEO efforts ensures that your business is present in these search engine results pages, you need to engage in local SEO practices so that your customers can find your establishment.
There are a number of ways that you can do this, all of which are fairly easy and don’t require any specialized knowledge in marketing, coding or other discipline. For example, one of the biggest things you can do to boost your local SEO profile is to submit your business to Google Places and Bing Maps. Having profiles set up on these platforms ensures that the search engines know about your business and can provide those details to interested customers. All you have to do is to visit both Google Places and Bing Maps and claim and complete your profiles. The process takes just 15-20 minutes apiece and the benefits are immeasurable.
Another thing you can do to boost your visibility with local customers is to add your contact information to the bottom of each page of your website. If the information is there, each page will be indexed with that information, which will then make your website and business more valuable to searches conducted in your area.
Last but not least, having your business listed in local business directories will ensure that it is displayed when keywords are used to find businesses that offer the products and services you offer in your area.
As you can see, local SEO is far from just “a thing”. It’s a collection of things that work together to help your business become more visible to your target audience. If you own a business, having a website isn’t just a luxury anymore. And neither is local SEO. If you are still confused about the things you need to do to boost your ranking within your community, talk to a virtual marketing expert today. You’ll be glad you did.
