The Best kind of Lead Generation: Local Business SEO

Are you a business owner who seeks to grow your business platform and make it bigger? Why not try local business SEO? We have compiled this guide to carry you through the process by helping you understand how to use local SEO for your business ranking. Although there is never a guarantee, the results from using simple SEO techniques can be phenomenal.

What is Local Business SEO?

Search engine optimization is a method by which businesses can expand with a 24/7 online marketing campaign. The world has gone digital and people search for products and services that they need online before approaching or even entering any physical business location. Thus, it is important to be on the internet. With the internet wave, however, it is easy to drown in the clutter and white noise of the internet. This is where SEO optimization or small business SEO comes in. By using keywords, contents and links that search engines understand, your business will begin to appear more in searches for your given niche; and of course if you are turning up more in searches and having more people visit your site, some of which you would never be able to by traditional print media or traditional marketing techniques, the chances of sale are increased rapidly.

Why is Local Business SEO crucial?

Search optimization is important because

• It will help people within your area find you easily and as your presence online increases, you’re influence will increase to neighboring suburbs/areas.
• It gives you a competitive edge in an often competitive market by bringing your business out to the fore among other businesses of the same category in that particular area or location.
• The thirst for online shopping and online searches for local business is growing rapidly, you want to ride the wave not be swamped by it.
• Local business SEO increases your online visibility and gives you a far greater chance of increasing your leads.

Components of a Small/ Local Business SEO

Local Business SEO consists of some important components that you must remember for better results.

1. Keyword Research: This has to do with the short words that an average person will type on any search engine when in need of a particular service. Keywords could be typed on mobile or PC and it could be the advanced form of searching – the voice search. You need to pick the right keywords and attach these to your business for easy identification online.

2. Content: Your content goes a long way in portraying your business to whoever is looking for it. It leaves an impression and will determine whether the person will leave or stay. Your content should have depth, be friendly, attractive and if possible not too clumsy to avoid making readers bore. Aim for content that adds value to your reader.

3. Local Business SEO links: Links are a bit different because it requires you to follow specific guidelines. When creating a link to your business online, ensure that you are not violating any of googles linking rules as Google will most likely punish your website and send you to the bottom of the niche results. Some great links for local businesses are local business directories. These tell Google and other search engines that your website and business are real and an authoritative site.

Factors that Help Local Business SEO

There are some factors that will help your business with search optimization. Adhering to this factors can pull your business up to top lists of search results. The factors include:

1. Get started with your Google My Business account.

This is the first step in local business SEO optimization. You need to register your business on Google, claim a space and optimize it always. This will help your business show up on Google business maps, it will also make your business feature on Google search bar, if found legitimate. To do this, make sure you have quality content, a defined logo, payment methods, customer review section and good response to customer reviews.

2. Create Mobile Friendly Sites

More people are engaged with their mobile phones than they are with a PC, so create links and sites that are mobile friendly and that will beeasy to navigate using a mobile phone.

3. Create Location Pages/Contact us Pages and About Us Page

For businesses with presence in more than one location, you need to create a location section on your site that will spell out the different locations of your business and phone numbers attached to each location for easy contact. You should also provide opening hours and Google map attachments.

4. Create Dedicated Pages

If your business offers more than one service, then you should create separate sections for each service type to avoid muddling them up. This will give way for better order and will make visitors understand what you have on your local business SEO site.

The importance of local business SEO cannot be over emphasised and much more than having an online presence, you satisfy your customers more when they can easily reach you. Since SEO optimization enhances your customer satisfaction, it is something every business owner should consider.