4 Actionable Tips To Boost Local SEO For Your Small Business

In today’s competitive world, businesses, especially small businesses, often struggle to stand out online. Developing and implementing a Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy can improve search visibility within your service area and community. Here are 4 actionable tips to boost Local SEO for your small business that can help you attract more local customers and boost your revenue.

What is Local SEO?
According to Moz Local, 97% of people learn about a local business online. That’s why local SEO is so important and worth the time to optimize your website and online presence to rank higher in search results for local businesses. For example, if you own a bookstore in Seattle, you would want to optimize your website so that it appears when people search for “bookstore in Seattle” or “bookstore near me” if the customer searching is located near Seattle.

Why is Local SEO Important?
Local SEO is vital for small businesses because it can help you:
Reach more local customers: When people search for businesses in their area, they will likely click on a result that appears in the local search results.

• Increase website traffic: Local SEO can help drive more traffic to your website for more leads and sales.
• Improve brand awareness: Local SEO can help you increase brand awareness in your local community.

Here are 4 tips to get you started.

Tip 1: Complete Online Business Profiles
Claim your online search profiles and then build out with relevant information, such as your business name, phone number, website, business images, hours of operation, and services offered. Your profiles are opportunities to appear to customers as a business they want to connect with. Keep these updated so customers will be, too. Reviews and comments are often displayed here, so encourage your customers to leave (hopefully positive) feedback for others to see.

Start with these popular search engines: Here are the popular places people search for local businesses to get you started.

• Google Business
• Apple Business Connect
• Bing Places For Business
• Yelp

There may be additional search sites based on your industry, etc. For example, if you are a general contractor, you may also want to include your business on sites like Angi or Thumbtack. Industry-specific search engines may have subscription fees. If that’s not what you want, stick with the providers like Google Business. At least your listing is free, and then you can choose to advertise or not based on your strategy.

Tip 2: Localize Your Website Content
Do an analysis of your website content. Do you currently have information that includes location-specific details about your business? For example, you’d want to mention that your business is a bookstore in Seattle, including your address and zip code, and maybe even give a shout-out to what neighborhood you are in. Tailor your website content to reflect your local focus. Don’t forget to include location-specific keywords in your page meta descriptions, title tags, image names, and image alt tags, especially on your about us, find us, or contact pages. Including location information in your website’s footer is helpful as well. Localizing your website content helps search engines understand your locality and helps local users relate to you when searching for products or services in their area.

Tip 3: Add Targeted Local Keywords
While localizing your website content is essential, it’s also beneficial to dig deeper into your specialty and also incorporate targeted location-specific keywords. Instead of generic terms, think about precisely what your local customers might be searching for. For instance, for a cookbook bookstore in the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle, target keywords like “cookbook bookstore in Seattle” or “Fremont bookstore” to capture the attention of your local customer base.

Tip 4: Mobile-Friendly Website
These days, no one is tethered to a desktop computer to browse online. In fact, according to Statista.com, in the first quarter of 2023, 45.49 percent of web traffic in the United States was from mobile devices. Given this number of mobile users, make sure your website is mobile-friendly and provides a good user experience. Google values mobile optimization and prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search results.

By implementing these tips for Local SEO, you can enhance your online visibility and be in control of your local search presence. Lodestar Marketing Group can work with you to execute proven strategies to improve local visibility, higher page rankings, and develop long-lasting traffic growth for your small business. Reach out to learn more about our SEO services.