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Small businesses and local SEO don’t have to be inaccessible. Here are some tips to increase your traffic and reap the benefits.
If you have a business that is located in a specific zip code with a fixed address and has some kind of website presence, surely you must have come across the concept of small business SEO.
For many small business owners, SEO is a closed room where you’re standing there trying to look out the window. Well, I’m here to show you that it doesn’t have to be that way, it doesn’t have to be confusing, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive affair.
In my experience, most small business websites not only benefit from local SEO, but it can cost a few hundred pounds and the benefits last for months. In this SEO guide there are some relevant questions and answers that will help you get a boost in rankings and hopefully keep you there for a while.
What kind of small businesses can benefit from local SEO?
For any business, it’s important to understand where and how your potential customers will find your services. The use of Internet search engines to find local services has replaced older typical behaviors such as searching newspapers and print directories. So, it goes without saying that almost every localized business can benefit from local SEO to get in front of those prospects.
Is local SEO different from SEO in general?
There are certainly crossovers between general SEO and local SEO. Many people use general search terms when looking for local services, in addition to loading their search terms with zip codes or the name of their town or city.
Localized SEO comes with a handful of key differences from SEO in general, the most important being a Google Places listing or Google+ page for your business. Claiming this and completing your details 100% correctly will help Google deliver your website or page to potential customers when they use broad search terms and are located in your town or city.
Another important factor in the success of local SEO for small business websites is the use of local referrals in your on-page SEO. What I mean by this is to include your town or city name or zip code references in your page title, description, and on your website in general. If someone is searching for “electricians in Glasgow” and you don’t have any reference to Glasgow in your on-page SEO, it is very unlikely that any search engine will deliver your website to its users.
Based on the above, it’s a good idea to have your full business address in the footer of your website. Doing this will help search engines determine the relevance of your website to the users’ search term and its location.
There is also the use of Schema.org for local businesses, which is a set of HTML snippets that must be implemented by your web master or web design agency. This also helps search engines identify your business and deliver your website to their users for arbitrary searches related to your offering.
What other ways can local SEO benefit you?
Once you’ve got set up with a Google+ page, it’s very important that you encourage your customers to give you a positive review. Reviews are social signals that positively contribute to Google deciding whether to deliver your listing to its users. Therefore, it’s a good idea to include links to your Google+ page and encourage people to connect with you on your website and in other communications, such as emails.
Final thoughts…
Localized SEO for small businesses is a constant and integral part of the success of many local businesses. Hiring an SEO company to do the work for you doesn’t have to be an expensive affair, and the rewards will ensure a good return on your investment.