Did you know that roughly 46% of Google searches have local intent? So, how do you harness the power of local SEO for success? We’ll outline several quick ways you can boost your local SEO game and climb in the rankings.
1 – What is Local SEO?
Local SEO or Local Search Engine Optimisation is an incredibly efficient way to market your local business online. It helps business to promote their products or services to the locals in their surroundings at the exact time they’re looking for them online. A variety of methods achieve this, and some of these methods completely differ from the otherwise standard practice of SEO. Some new methods are easily managed through specific ‘Local SEO Tools’.
What is a local search?
Imagine that you are on the hunt for a hairdresser. A local search would be a query such as ‘Hairdresser nearby me’ or ‘Hairdresser [location]’. These types of questions have a so-called purchase intent behind them. This presumes that Google knows your location and that the search has that above-mentioned intent. This is precisely why investing in local SEO is important alongside standard SEO.
2 – Increased Focus on User Engagement
Do people engage with your business regularly? If the answer is no, you’ll want to work on this for 2020. User engagement is one of Google’s most potent metrics. They like to see businesses with high levels of user engagement around the company’s key offerings.
In terms of local search, this engagement could relate to how often people comment on or share a specific product, as well as the words they use. Engagement could also be measured by how many people leave positive reviews on your Google listing. Start promoting user engagement by making routine suggestions, pushing notifications, promoting daily updates, or deploying action links in your text.
3 – Entity Authority
How popular is your business with your customers? Are they talking about you all the time, or do they barely mention you? Google may start ranking your business’s entity authority based on these factors.
You need to ensure that your business is at the heart of the global conversation and demonstrates its authority. This could mean promoting across multiple platforms, encouraging customers to leave reviews, or pursuing high-quality brand mentions on Twitter, Instagram, and other popular social media platforms.
Bottom Line
Local SEO has always been extremely competitive, but 2020 is bringing in some significant changes. Staying on top of these changes and incorporating them into your strategy as soon as possible helps to ensure you stay ahead of your competition.
