Local SEO Made Easy: A Practical Guide

Hey there, small business owner! Ready to boost your local visibility and get more customers through your door? This guide will walk you through local SEO step-by-step, including the specific tools you can use to make your job easier.

Don't worry if you're not a tech whiz - we've got you covered!

What's Local SEO and Why Should You Care?

Local SEO is all about making your business visible when people in your area search for your products or services online. It's like putting up a big, bright sign in the digital world that says, "We're here, and we're ready to help!"

Google My Business: Your Digital Storefront

Think of Google My Business (GMB) as your online storefront. It's free, and it's super important. Here's what you need to do:

1. Claim your GMB listing
2. Fill in all your business info correctly (check out our guide here)
3. Add nice photos of your business
4. Ask happy customers to leave reviews

Then, max out your additional categories, but don't stretch too far. This is actually one of the most important factors for ranking in the Google Map Pack!

Want to make sure your business info is correct everywhere online? Check out our listing management service. It can really help boost your local visibility.

Finding the Right Keywords with SEMrush

Keywords are the words people use when they're looking for businesses like yours. One of the best tools for finding these keywords is SEMrush.

Here's how to use SEMrush for local keyword research:

1. Sign up for a SEMrush account (they offer a free trial)
2. Go to the "Domain Overview" and enter your website
3. Click on "Organic Research" and then "Positions"
4. Export your keywords and save them in a spreadsheet
5. Use the "Keyword Gap" tool to find keywords your competitors rank for, but you don't

Making Your Website Local-Friendly

Now that you know your keywords, it's time to use them on your website. Here's where to put them:

1. In your page titles
2. In your page descriptions
3. In your headlines
4. In your website address (URL)
5. Throughout your content

Your physical location significantly affects rankings, with Google favouring businesses closer to the searcher or city center. Being located in the city you're targeting is advantageous; ranking for a nearby city can be challenging if you're based in a suburb.

Need help making your website work better for local searches? Our local SEO experts can give you a hand.

Helping Search Engines Understand Your Business with Schema Markup

Schema markup is like a special language that helps search engines understand your business better. When you use it, you're giving Google and other search engines clear, organized info about your business.

This can help you show up better in search results and even get special features like rich snippets.

How to Add Local Business Schema to Your Website

Here's a piece of code you can add to your website to tell search engines all about your business:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Your Business Name",
  "image": "https://www.yourbusiness.com/logo.png",
  "logo": "https://www.yourbusiness.com/logo.png",
  "@id": "https://www.yourbusiness.com",
  "url": "https://www.yourbusiness.com",
  "telephone": "+1-555-123-4567",
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
    "addressLocality": "Your City",
    "addressRegion": "Your State/Province",
    "postalCode": "12345",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": 40.7128,
    "longitude": -74.0060
  },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
      "opens": "09:00",
      "closes": "17:00"
    },
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": "Saturday",
      "opens": "10:00",
      "closes": "16:00"
    }
  ],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.facebook.com/yourbusiness",
    "https://www.instagram.com/yourbusiness",
    "https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbusiness"
  ],
  "description": "Brief description of your business and services.",
  "keywords": "keyword1, keyword2, keyword3",
  "hasMap": "https://www.google.com/maps?cid=your-google-my-business-cid"
}
  

How to Use This Schema Markup:

1. Copy the code above.
2. Ensure to add script tags <script></script>
3. Replace all the info in quotes with your actual business details. Like, put in your real business name, address, phone number, and website.
4. For the image, use the URL of your business logo.
5. Update the latitude and longitude to match your location. (You can find these on Google Maps!)
6. Change the opening hours to match when your business is open.
7. Adjust the price range to fit your business. Use $ for budget-friendly, $$ for mid-range, $$$ for high-end, or $$$$ for very expensive.
8. Add the keywords
9. Add your Google business URL

Once you've filled in all your info, ask your web developer to add this code to your website's HTML header. If you manage your own website, you can add it yourself inside the <head> section of your homepage.

Checking Your Website's Health with Screaming Frog

Screaming Frog is a great tool for checking your website's technical health. Here's how to use it:

1. Download and install Screaming Frog SEO Spider
2. Enter your website URL and start the crawl
3. Look for issues like broken links, missing meta descriptions, or duplicate content
4. Export the results and make a plan to fix any problems you find

Tracking Your Local Rankings with Local Falcon

Local Falcon is a fantastic tool for seeing how well you're ranking in local search results.

Here's how to use it:

1. Sign up for a Local Falcon account
2. Enter your business name and location
3. Choose the keywords you want to track
4. See a visual representation of where you rank for different searches across your city

This tool can help you understand where you're doing well and where you need to improve.

Getting Other Websites to Link to Yours

When other websites link to yours, it's like they're giving you a thumbs up. This can help you rank better in search results. Use the SEMrush Backlink Gap tool to find link opportunities:

1. In SEMrush, go to the "Backlink Gap" tool
2. Enter your domain and your competitors' domains
3. Look for sites that link to your competitors but not to you
4. Reach out to these sites and try to get them to link to you too

While backlinks are still valuable, they're less impactful for local SEO than before; focus on getting links from location-relevant websites first, then industry-relevant ones.

Using Social Media to Boost Your Local SEO

Social media can help more people find out about your business. Here are some tips:

1. Post about local events and news
2. Use hashtags with your city's name
3. Share photos and stories from your customers
4. Engage with your followers

Want to make the most of social media? Our Facebook marketing services can help you create a solid plan.

Customer Reviews

Reviews are super important for local businesses. They help potential customers trust you and can improve your search rankings.

Here's what to do:

1. Ask happy customers to leave reviews on your GMB profile
2. Respond to all reviews, good and bad
3. Share positive reviews on your website and social media

Making Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Most people use their phones to search for local businesses. Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to check if your site works well on phones.

Make sure:

1. Your website looks good on phones
2. It loads quickly
3. People can easily click to call you

If your website needs a mobile makeover, our web design team can help.

Creating Content About Your Local Area

Writing about local topics can help more people find your website.

Try creating:

1. Lists of the best local spots
2. Guides to local events
3. News about your neighborhood
4. Stories about your local customers

For ideas, check out our blog. We've got lots of examples of great local content.

Keeping Track of Your Progress

To know if your local SEO efforts are working, use these tools:

1. Google Analytics: Track website visits and user behavior
2. Google Search Console: See how often you show up in search results
3. SEMrush: Monitor your keyword rankings
4. Local Falcon: Track your local pack rankings

Try our business growth calculator It helps you track important numbers like:

• How many leads you're getting
• Your costs
• Your profit
• How well you're turning leads into customers
• How much you're spending to get each customer
• How much money you need to make to break even

This information will help you understand your business numbers and what you might need to change for more profits.

Wrapping It Up

Improving your local SEO takes time and effort, but with these tools and strategies, you're well-equipped to succeed. By following these tips and using these tools, you'll help more local customers find and choose your business.

Remember, local SEO isn't just about showing up in search results. It's about connecting with your community and becoming the business everyone trusts and recommends.

Ready to take your local SEO to the next level? Get in touch with us. We'd love to help your business become the top choice in your area!

‍

‍