Have you ever searched for a new restaurant in a city on a search engine like Google? Search results will usually be sorted starting from the closest to your location. Well, these search results can appear thanks to local SEO performance. Then, what is local SEO?
In this article, we will discuss what local SEO is and its benefits for websites. Here’s the complete information.
What is Local SEO?
In simple terms, local SEO is a method or SEO optimization process carried out by a business so that it can appear in local searches. Then how effective is local SEO ? In fact, 46% of Google users perform local searches and 29% of those searches will lead to a purchase. There are at least 6 ways to optimize Local SEO:
1. Register and complete a Google My Business profile
Registering on Google My Business is one of the first things to do when doing local SEO optimization . Because, data shows that more than 96% of internet users in Nigeria use Google as their main search engine.
2. Riset keyword
Apart from being influenced by the distance of the business location, local search results are also influenced by website rankings organically. You can increase your website ‘s ranking by doing keyword research to understand what your target consumers want or are looking for. Keyword research can be done with the help of various SEO tools, both free and paid.
Check out the free tool recommendations for conducting keyword research in the following article.
3. On-Page SEO
To make it easier for search engines to understand website content , you must do on-page SEO optimization . The easier the content is identified by search engines, the higher the potential for a website to appear in search results. Check out some on-page SEO optimization tips in the following article .
4. Added NAP Citation
NAP Citation is a quotation of business information on the internet consisting of name, address and telephone number ( Name, Address, Phone Number ). NAP Citation is one of the factors that influence local search results. If business information often appears on the internet, it means that your business is increasingly existing.
Add this business information on all platforms used, for example on websites , social media, and of course the Google My Business account. Also make sure the business information listed is always the same and relevant. You can use a citation finder tool like WhiteShark to perform a NAP Audit , or check that your NAP Citations are the same across platforms .
5. Pay attention to visitor reviews
Imagine if you searched for hotels in your area and found three different places. Two places are rated 4 stars and one place is rated 5 stars, which would you choose? Of course, you will most likely choose a hotel with a higher rating . In fact, as many as 87% of visitors use reviews as one of the reference materials in finding local businesses.
Furthermore, only 48% of visitors would consider using a business rated below 4 stars. Reviews are also one of the indicators considered in local SEO. Therefore, make sure to always monitor the reviews left by customers, not only on the Google My Business profile, but also on all platforms used, for example blogs, social media, and other sites such as Yelp or OpenTable where customers can leave reviews about your business. By optimizing local SEO, you will increase your chances of attracting new customers around your business location. One of the easiest ways to start optimizing local SEO is to complete Google My Business information.
Follow the guide in the following article to sign up for Google My Business . Make sure to fill in information on your profile such as business location, telephone number to call, hours of operation, and other information.
