Introduction
Small business owners are often tasked with doing everything themselves, and as such, they have to wear a lot of hats. That’s why I’m here: to help you save time and money on the things you don’t need to be spending it on! And today we’re talking about the basics of local SEO for small businesses.
1. Customer reviews are more important than ever.
With the rise of social media and review sites like Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor, customers have a voice in their local communities that’s louder than ever before. This means that when you engage with them on these platforms by responding to their questions about your products or services, thanking them for their feedback, and asking if there’s anything else we can do for them you’re not just building customer loyalty; you’re also building trust among potential customers who may not have heard of your brand yet.
It’s no secret that word-of-mouth referrals are one of the best ways to grow a business; but if you want people talking about how great your company is (and referring others), then making sure those interactions go smoothly is key!
2. The businesses that rank well on Google will have to have a solid strategy for mobile devices.
Why has Google made such a big deal about mobile search?
The answer is simple: it’s the future of search. As more and more people switch from desktop computers to mobile devices, they expect to be able to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily on their phones or tablets.
If you don’t optimize your website for mobile devices, it could cost you customers. Failure to take action on local search can put your business at a disadvantage when customers look for services or products in your area. In fact, if you’re new to local SEO (and therefore unfamiliar with best practices), this should be one of your first priorities! The most important thing to remember is that Google is constantly changing. The search engine giant makes updates to its algorithm all the time; some are small, but others have a big impact on how you rank in the SERPs. It’s important to stay up-to-date on these changes and make sure your website is optimized for them.
3. Strong local SEO means you’ll need good website content, too.
The most important part of your local SEO strategy is your website content.
Your site should be packed with valuable information for your potential customers, and it needs to be well-written and optimized for search engines. If you don’t have original content on your website, then Google will see that as a sign that there’s nothing interesting about the business or service being offered there–and if there isn’t anything interesting about what someone could find when they visit, then why would anyone bother clicking through?
It can seem like an uphill battle at first (especially if English isn’t your first language), but once you get into the groove of writing quality content every week or so and start seeing results from those efforts in terms of increased traffic and sales you’ll wonder why anyone ever went without good SEO practices in place before!
4. You need to get your business information in front of people as accurately and consistently as possible.
If you’re new to local SEO, this is one of the most important things to understand: You need to get your business information in front of people as accurately and consistently as possible.
This means that you should be sure that all of your listings across platforms are consistent with each other. For example, if someone searches for “the best pizza place in town” on Google Maps, they should see the name of your restaurant show up first (assuming yours is really the best). If they go onto Yelp or TripAdvisor and search there for a similar query like “best pizza places near me,” it should be one or two clicks away from being able to find out more information about where they can actually go eat said pie at said establishment–and then hopefully make an online reservation or call ahead so they don’t have long wait times when they arrive!
5. Your website needs to be well-structured and easy to use.
If you’re a small business owner, your website is likely one of your most important marketing tools. It’s where customers can learn about your products and services and find out how they can work with you. If it doesn’t work well, it could mean lost sales for your company.
Here are a few tips that will help make sure your site is easy for users and search engines to navigate:
Make sure it’s easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for on the site by using navigation links that lead them directly to the pages they want or have been searching for (e.g., if someone searches “how much does a wedding photographer cost?” then they should be able to get directly to an estimated price list).
Ensure all pages load quickly so people don’t get frustrated waiting around while trying to read content or make purchases online. This also makes pages more likely to get indexed by Googlebot faster so new content gets crawled sooner rather than later!
Local SEO can boost your business’s reputation and attract more customers, but it takes time, effort, and money to do it right; make sure you’re investing in it for the long haul.
Local SEO can help your business get more customers because people are searching online for local businesses before they even think about visiting them in person. If you’re not showing up on Google when someone searches for a service like yours in your city or neighborhood, then you’ll be missing out on potential clients who could become loyal repeat customers if given the chance!
Conclusion
We hope this article has demystified some of the more complex aspects of local SEO and given you a better idea of how it works. If you’re looking for more information on the topic, we recommend checking out our other blog posts on local search best practices. And if you still have questions about how to get started with your own local SEO strategy? Don’t hesitate to reach out! We’ll be happy to help answer any questions or concerns that might arise along the way.