Web SEO: 6 Ways to Easily Master Your Local Ranking
Most web SEO strategies focus to improve your site’s visibility; improving your ranking and general visibility online. The main aim of building your online presence is to convert your online audience into loyal customers. While online stores offer opportunities to reach international markets, you cannot ignore local clients.
Web SEO metrics
Clients in your business location are likely to read about your business online and visit your physical stores. Hence, as you build your website’s visibility, you must consider its visibility at the local level. Here are some strategies that will improve your web SEO’s local visibility.
List Your Business in Local Listings and Websites
Ensure that your business is listed in all local directories, newspapers, and websites. Do not ignore social media groups that list local businesses such as Facebook groups. Many of your target clients may use social media listings or discussions to find service providers in their area. After securing a place in all major listings, crosscheck the information to ensure that it includes accurate contact details.
Check if the name, building, specific location, phone number, website, and email address are spelled correctly. Once you have accurate listings, develop a timetable for updating the information on each listing. Many business owners easily forget to update their business information, especially after moving to a new location. The timetable will help you keep the information accurate for your clients.
Web SEO … Build Your Visibility On Social Media
Social media is one of the most powerful tools for building your online presence. While clients have connections in all parts of the world, they tend to form groups and forums based on their location. Hence, your strategy for local visibility must include a comprehensive social media strategy. The plan should include all social media platforms. Ensure that each bio has a link to your website.
Check the links constantly to ensure that they are working. Your focus on each platform should be to increase the number of followers or connections and keep them visiting your accounts or pages. Post relevant content on your website daily and share it on your social media platforms. The content should be relevant and useful to your local clients. Respond to your follower’s comments and queries as fast as possible to keep them engaged.
Hire Experts
You may have handled all your SEO functions internally for years with a certain level of success. However, if your business is still unknown in its location, you may be making some mistakes or applying the wrong strategies. It is always advisable to hire an SEO company to help build your brand visibility unless SEO is your core function.
Work with a reputable SEO company to ensure that you get the most effective and latest tactics in local SEO. You need to vet each company before making a final decision. You can pay a high price and remain at the same level of visibility. Check other clients’ ratings of the company to get an idea of its reliability and professionalism. For instance, you can read online ratings of The HOTH from other clients before hiring their services.
Review Your Website Pages for Local Visibility
If you designed your website for a general online audience, it might be time to review it and include local content. Some of the posts on your website should include local events and information about the area. Include keywords in your post titles with your business name and location. Ensure that all pages have your business contact information including the physical address, telephone numbers, and email.
The same information should appear on the contact page. Ensure that your services or products are outlined on your website. In other words, visitors should identify your services and location easily when on any page of your website.
Encourage Your Clients to Review Your Business Online
After offering your services or selling products to your clients, encourage them to leave honest reviews about your business. You are guaranteed to have some negative reviews, but if you offer quality services or products, most of them will be positive. The goal here is to keep your clients talking about the business on all platforms. Give them an option of posting their comments on your social media pages as well. You can also ask them to email their ratings or reviews and then post them on your website.
Many authentic reviews improve your brand’s visibility on review sites and search engines. Avoid posting false reviews at all costs because they will eventually water down your efforts to build a strong brand. Remember to respond to the reviews. Many business owners ask for reviews and end it at that. Appreciate the feedback and promise to improve your quality or address any issues attached to negative reviews.
Web SEO … Build and Maintain Local Media Coverage
Social media and local listings are great platforms to build your local visibility. Additional platforms include blogs and local media. Local media companies target readers and viewers in the same area where your business is located. All have websites and blogs where they update the locals on the latest events and news. Take advantage of these platforms as well. Start building relationships with media companies to advertise or mention your business on their websites and blogs. Engage local bloggers as well in similar conversations.
Many bloggers review companies in their area as they share local content. Request them to include your business in their reviews and remember to comment on their posts and reviews. Encourage them to include links to your website as long as they run high-ranking blogs or websites.
The bottom line
Business owners can build strong brands online that reach local and international audiences. The secret is to utilize all platforms available to improve their website’s visibility. Selling your products and services to the local market increases your chances of growing your business fast. Local customers are likely to become repeat customers because they can get products from your physical stores without any shipping costs.
Social media, local listings, local media, and blogs are great platforms for building your website’s local visibility. Review your website to ensure that it has accurate information about your business. Also, be proactive in sharing local content and asking customers to review your business online.
Web SEO
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So what’s the conclusion? The conclusion is there is no conclusion. There is only the next step. And that next step is completely up to you. But believe in the effectiveness of collaborative innovation. And put it to good use in adapting to changes in your business environment.
It’s up to you to keep improving your learning and experience with innovation and creativity efforts. Lessons are all around you. In this case, your competitor may be providing the ideas and or inspiration. But the key is in knowing that it is within you already.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new lessons.
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Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing, and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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