Adrian Cruz
Like all parts of search engine optimization, local SEO continues to evolve. This is especially true now, as the evolution of smart gadgets has made it easier to access the internet through various mobile devices.
Unfortunately, due to the rapid growth rate of technology we’re seeing today, most SEO specialists don’t have up-to-date information on everything they can do for local search engine rankings. They just use common tactics like listing on Google My Business or similar directories. This alone does not rank very high.
Want to rank higher in local searches? If so, start using these advanced local SEO strategies.
1. Focus on visibility, not rankings
It’s normal to want to rank well in local searches, but it’s hard to get there when that’s your only goal. And it’s not just top ranks and listings that get a lot of traffic. This is what makes Local SEO so unique.
Focusing on visibility means mastering and controlling the search space. A high ranking is not enough when your competitors are ranked by a vision-driven strategy. Good local SEO doesn’t just focus on getting links and citations like regular search engine optimization does. It also includes visual aspects that business owners typically overlook.
As a very simple example, if your business ranks high on Google My Business but isn’t visually appealing, why do competitors listed after you look more appealing? You may get more traffic by yourself. Note that most local searches are done on small screens, so images and videos are even more important than typical desktop searches.
2. Use Local SEO Keyword Research
You know that SEO requires keyword research. But few people know that local SEO keyword research is different from regular keyword research. The process is usually easier, but it’s much easier to make mistakes.
The good news is that local keyword competition is low. This is why you should choose the right one as it gives better results in a shorter time frame.
Start by brainstorming seed keywords. The formula for this is very simple.[Your service] of [location]” for example:
- fitness gym of New York
- bike shop of melbourne
- Hotel of brooklyn
- grocery store of San Francisco
Combine all your services and products with all the locations you own or service. This will give you a comprehensive list of local seed keywords to use.
Google is very good at identifying location-related metrics, so you don’t need to use exact match. For example, if someone in Brooklyn typed just “hotels”, a list of hotels near where the search was made would appear.
3. Analyze your competition
Competitor analysis is essential to campaign success in all types of marketing efforts. The same goes for local SEO. Identify your competitors and feed them into research tools like SpyFu, Ahrefs and SEMRush. Next, you’ll see the competitive ranks for various local keywords. These are all potential keywords you can target.
You can also analyze the backlink profiles of your local competitors. This will help you find media outlets, blogs and local resources that could potentially earn you valuable backlinks.
4. Carefully Optimize Every Citation
Most people understand that local citations are a very important local ranking signal. A local citation is a reference to your business/company in your online settings. This includes mentions on his industry-specific websites, business directories, blogs or relevant local websites. But what they don’t quite understand is how easily it can be misleading. Getting citations is not enough to get higher local rankings. Also, it has to be consistent.
The big problem is that people often quote without realizing it. If they are inconsistent, the ranking will be lower than it actually is. For example, there may be slight differences in the recorded address, which is an important part of the NAP (name, address, phone number) included in the citation.
If you find an incorrect citation, please do your best to correct it. In many cases, this is as simple as sending an email to notify the webmaster of the error. Also, use the same consistent NAP when creating additional citations.
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5. Improve local on-page optimization
After completing your local keyword research, optimize your website content. Luckily, this mostly means using the exact same optimization techniques we employ in all of our ranking strategies. However, some advanced local SEO strategies may help .
Optimize your homepage first
Contrary to what many people think, you shouldn’t optimize your homepage for local keywords. Instead, you should focus on keywords that apply to your entire customer base. Use the most likely keywords.
If your business is location dependent, like a hotel, add a home page tool that allows visitors to search based on location. Other than that, it’s the same as regular SEO. Then go to your local landing page.
Optimize your local landing pages
You should create different landing pages for each location and set unique local keywords for all of these pages. NAP data should be added to the content.
Also, create geo-targeted content on every landing page. It does this by identifying the characteristics that make the place unique. Highlight positive reviews, including success stories written by local customers. You can also add specific parking and transportation directions along with other relevant location-specific details.
An important point to remember is that all local landing pages should be as useful and unique as possible.
Use schema markup
Schema markup is becoming more and more important in local SEO. This is a structured data form added to your website. Its purpose is to help search engines display more useful results.
For physical locations, you can use different location markup types to quickly view location details, hours of operation, and more. Check out Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to find out how to do it right. Make sure your NAPs are consistent.
Get results from advanced local SEO strategies
Local SEO continues to evolve. Even reading these words is becoming more complex and new strategies are being created each month. These advanced local SEO strategies can help boost your local rankings, but you should always keep an eye on your industry and see what the experts are saying. Check out our latest case studies and adjust your local SEO strategy frequently for the best possible results.
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