As a local small business, improving your online presence is crucial for attracting more customers from your local area. Boosting your local rankings can significantly increase your visibility, driving more traffic to your website which in turn can lead to a boost in direct enquires.
Over the years we have seen Google rankings change businesses for the better. Having a bit more online exposure can bring more revenue which in turn helps you grow. To get to the top we use an art form called SEO. While SEO is an ongoing process which involves hours of research and investing. There are a few easy things you can do as a business owner to better your chances of dominating the local search rankings.
Below are ten easy and effective strategies to enhance your local rankings for your small business wether online or a physical location.
1. Optimise your local Google My Business Profile
We recommend these to all our clients, if you don’t already have one a Google My Business (GMB) profile is simply your business location on google maps. You’ll notice that when searching for a business local to you, google will present you with a map and each location has a full profile, this is one of the most powerful tools for your local SEO.
A fully optimised GMB profile will help your business appear more in relevant local searches and Google Maps, making it easier for customers to find you. Additionally, a well-maintained profile with accurate information, engaging photos, and positive reviews enhances your business’s credibility and attractiveness to potential customers.
Below are some tips on how to optimise your profile.
Steps to optimise:
- Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate and consistent.
- Choose the most relevant profile categories that suit your local business.
- Write a informative and compelling business description, sell yourself!
- Upload high-quality images of your business, products, and services (not to text heavy).
- Build up your reviews and always reply to them within 48hours.
2. Naturally include keywords in written content.
By including naturally written keywords into your websites content search engines can better understand the relevance of your business to its users. Which in turn, increases your chances of appearing in local search results when potential customers in your area are looking for the products or services you offer. By focusing on local keywords, you can target a more specific audience, ensuring that your business is visible to people who are more likely to visit your location.
How to use them:
- Research and incorporate keywords that include your city or region (e.g., “Best Web Designer in Nuneaton”, “Web Design Nuneaton”).
- Use these keywords naturally in your website content, meta descriptions, and titles. placing important keywords towards the start of your titles.
- Create location-specific pages if you have multiple locations. For example “Nuneaton Plumbing Services”
3. Make sure your website is optimised for mobile devices.
Google loves a good mobile experiance and with a significant portion of local searches conducted on mobile devices these days, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial.
Mobile optimisation ensures that your site loads quickly and is easy to navigate on smaller screens, which can reduce the amount of visitors that bounce from your website and increase the likelihood of them buying from you. Additionally, search engines prioritise mobile-friendly sites in their rankings, giving you an edge in local search results.
4. Build up local citations for your business.
Local citations, which are mentions of your business’s NAP (Name, Address, Number) on other websites, play a role in local SEO. Consistent citations across various well known platforms help search engines verify your business information and a paint a bigger picture of you, boosting your credibility and in turn improving your local search rankings. Citations also make it easier for potential customers to find your business information on trusted directories and platforms they already use.
Where to build citations:
- Local business directories (e.g., Cylex, Yellow Pages, and local Chamber of Commerce websites).
- Industry-specific directories (Suppliers, Trade Directories, Clubs etc).
- Social media platforms.
5. Create high-quality local content on your website.
Producing high-quality, locally-focused content can engage your audience and demonstrate your business’s relevance to the local community. This type of content not only attracts local visitors but also helps search engines recognise your site as a valuable resource for local information, boosting your rankings. Additionally, it can establish your business as a local authority, fostering trust and loyalty among your audience.
Content ideas:
- Blog about local events, news, and community happenings.
- Create guides and lists related to your area and industry.
- Feature local customer testimonials and success stories.
6. Regually use and engage on Social Media.
Social media platforms are powerful tools for connecting with your local community and driving traffic to your website. Active engagement on social media helps build relationships with your audience, encouraging them to visit your business. Plus, social media activity signals to search engines that your business is relevant and engaging, which can positively impact your local search rankings.
Social media tips:
- Post regularly about your business, local events, and relevant news.
- Interact with your followers by responding to comments and messages.
- Use location-based hashtags to increase your posts’ visibility to local users.
- Be apart of local groups and business communities.
7. Build up local backlinks to your website.
Backlinks are simply links from reputable local websites that signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant within the local community and your industry.
These backlinks can enhance your site’s authority, leading to improved local search rankings. Additionally, local backlinks can drive referral traffic from other local sites, further increasing your visibility and potential customer base.
How to earn local backlinks:
- Reach out to local bloggers and news sites to write about your business.
- Sponsor local events or charities and ask for a link back to your website.
- Collaborate with other local businesses for cross-promotional opportunities.
8. Ensure all your business details are consistent across the web.
Making sure your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web is consistant is essential for local SEO. We call this NAP and Inconsistent NAP information can confuse search engines and potential customers, leading to lower rankings and lost business opportunities. By maintaining consistent NAP details, you reinforce your business’s legitimacy and make it easier for search engines to verify your information.
How to maintain consistency:
- Regularly check and update your NAP information on your website, social media, and directory listings.
- Use tools like Moz Local or Yext to manage and correct your business listings.
9. Gather and utilise customer reviews.
Customer reviews are a powerful form of social proof that can influence potential customers’ decisions and improve your local SEO. Positive reviews enhance your business’s reputation, making it more attractive to searchers. Search engines also consider reviews as indicators of trustworthiness and popularity, which can boost your rankings. Engaging with reviews by responding to them shows that you value customer feedback and are committed to providing excellent service.
Encouraging reviews:
- Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google, Facebook, Bark and other review sites.
- Respond to reviews, both positive and negative, to show you value customer feedback.
- Feature positive reviews on your website and social media, brag about yourself!
10.Create and implement local Schema markup on your website
Schema markup, also known as structured data, helps search engines better understand the information on your website. Implementing local schema markup can enhance your business’s appearance in search results, making it more likely to attract clicks. This detailed information can include your business’s address, phone number, hours of operation, and customer reviews, all of which contribute to improved local search visibility and user engagement.
How to add schema markup:
- Use a tool like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate the necessary code.
- Add the schema markup to your website’s HTML, focusing on your NAP, business hours, and customer reviews.
- Test your schema markup with Google’s Rich Results Test tool to ensure it’s correctly implemented.
- For WordPress users you can install Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP which is supper simple to use and free.
Our Conclusion
Boosting your local rankings doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. and you don’t need a flashy web agency to tackle the basics. but by implementing these ten easy steps, you can boost your online visibility and attract more local customers to your small business.
Regularly monitor your progress and adjust these steps as needed to stay ahead of the competition. Remember, consistency and engagement are key to successful local SEO.
If you need any help or more advice on how to boost your business’s local ranking, we are always here to assist. We also design and build websites that rank locally and offer comprehensive local SEO services. For more information, feel free to contact us at 024 7745 6698 or visit our contact page.
