Your local SEO game has to be strong because you have some very steep competition in the form of other small business owners. Some of them may even be in the same niche as your business. However, we’re going to give you a few quick tips to help you improve your local presence.
- Verify and Fill Out Your Google My Business Listing
Yelp and other local searches will work best if you have claimed, filled in and verified your Google My Business listing. You want your business’s local address, phone number, operating hours and a link to your business’s website listed. Ensure everything is clear, correct and to the point.
- Publish a Few Google Posts in Your Business’s Profile
A little over a year ago, Google rolled out Google Posts for people to use through their Google My Business profiles. Google Posts allows business owners to post information, events or general updates about their business through their Google My Business profile. These posts appear in the search engine pages. You may want to consider highlighting good reviews so it’s one of the first things your potential customer sees.
- Develop Consistent Citation Distribution Across Several Channels with Authority
Google takes the authority, volume and consistency of your citations across dozens of channels on the web and uses them to determine your business’s ranking in local searches and Google Maps. A citation refers to a published version of your business’s name, website URL, phone number and address. These citations have to match the information on your Google My Business listing to show consistency. If they don’t, it can hurt your rankings. Whitespark and Yext can help you determine your citation accuracy.
- Get Social Proof of Your Service and Business Quality
Social proof plays a pivotal role in your local ranking factors. Things like testimonials, reviews and even case studies in your business’s favour can help sway potential customers. You could offer reviews as a way for both you and your customer to have link building opportunities. They get free publicity if you feature them on your page, and you get valuable feedback that showcases how well your business works for the customers.
These four quick tips can help you optimise your local listing and get noticed by potential customers in your city and in surrounding cities. You’ll be able to gain more customers, sell more products and leave your competition in the dust.
