Local SEO For Small Businesses
Local SEO for small businesses can be a major asset. It can help you get discovered online by potential customers searching for the products or services you offer in your area. And, if you do it right, it can help you rank higher in search engine results, making it more likely that people will click on your listing and visit your website or brick-and-mortar store.
All business owners, big and small, can benefit from using SEO service to improve their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). However, small businesses often have a few unique advantages regarding SEO. They can be more nimble and adapt to changes more quickly than large corporations, for example. They typically have an easier time building links and generating buzz around their brand.
Local SEO is a bit different from traditional SEO in that it’s geared specifically toward helping businesses boost visibility in local search results. When people do a local search, they are typically looking for something nearby, such as a “pizza place near me” or a “plumber in Seattle.” When people use these types of searches, they are more likely to take action, such as visiting the business or making a purchase.
SEO Means Business
The goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to improve the visibility of a website or web page in search engine results pages (SERPs). It’s a technique for increasing organic traffic to your site from search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
Search engine optimization can be divided into three main categories:
- Off-page SEO: With this type of optimization, you concentrate on Google search by using methods like link creation and content marketing to make your website better.
- On-page SEO: The objective of this kind of SEO is to improve your website’s title tags, meta tags, and other related elements.
- Technical SEO: Technical SEO is a subset of on-page SEO that deals with the website’s infrastructure. You optimize your website’s technical aspects to ensure it can be found and indexed by search engines.
SEO For Small Local Business Benefits
Many benefits come from using local SEO for small businesses. Here are just a few:
1. Increased Visibility in Local Search Results
Local SEO helps you appear higher in local search results, which is crucial because people who use these searches are more apt to take immediate action, such as visiting your shop or making a purchase.
2. More Traffic to Your Website
Another advantage of local SEO is that it can assist you in boosting the amount of traffic to your website. This is because when you rank higher in local search results, people are more likely to click on your listing and visit your site. And once they’ve visited your site, you have a better chance of converting them into a client.
3. Increased Brand Awareness
Did you know that local SEO can help increase brand awareness for your small business?
People who see your business pop up in their search results will start to recognize your brand. And, the more exposure they have to your brand name, the more likely they are to think of it when they need products or services you offer.
Small Business Local SEO Best Practices
Now that we’ve talked about the benefits of local SEO for small businesses, let’s take a look at some best practices that you can use to improve your chances of ranking higher in local search results.
1. Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
One of the best things you can do to improve your local SEO is to optimize your Google My Business listing. Your Google My Business listing is what appears when people do a local search for your business on Google. It includes your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and more.
To optimize your listing, ensure all the information is correct and up-to-date. You should also add photos and videos and include a business description. The more information you can provide, the better.
2. Use Long and Short Keywords
There are short and long keywords, so we’ll give you an example for each. For a short keyword, you might include the city or region in your title tag, like this:
- Widgets For Sale in Vancouver
For a long keyword, you might create a local landing page with a URL that includes the city or region, like this:
- www.example.com/widgets-for-sale-Vancouver
3. Incorporate SEO keywords Into Your Website Copy
Your title tags and meta descriptions are two of the most important places to include keywords for local SEO. But you should also include them in other places, such as:
- In the content on your website
- In the Alt text of images on your website
- In the URL of your website
- In the anchor text of links to your website
4. Create Local Targeted Content
Another great way to improve your local SEO is to create local content. This could be in the form of blog posts, articles, or even videos. The key is creating content relevant to people in your city or region.
For example, if you’re a restaurant in Vancouver, you could write a blog post about the best places to eat in Vancouver. Or, if you’re a retailer in Toronto, you could create a video about the top 10 things to do in Toronto.
Small Business Search Engine Marketing
Local SEO is a great way to improve the visibility of your small business and attract more customers. Following the best practices we’ve discussed can improve your chances of ranking higher in local search results and getting more traffic to your website. So, start implementing these tips today and see how they can help grow your business.
Contact us today if you need help with your local SEO in Vancouver or anything else related to marketing your small business. We’re always happy to help!
