Five Local Search Optimisation Techniques

With four in every five consumers [1] using search engines to find local information, local search engine optimisation (SEO) is a powerful tool that every small and medium-sized business should be utilising.

Google My Business
As Google prefers to share information with its users that it can personally verify and support, Google My Business has become an invaluable tool for businesses across the world. In addition to helping your site secure a more visible position in search engine results pages (SERPs), your Google My Business listing will also help you to rank well on Google Maps.

After creating and verifying your Google My Business page, you should share relevant content, encourage your customers and clients to leave reviews, and ensure you consistently respond to those reviews in a constructive and authentic way.

Create local content
As search engines consistently become smarter, businesses can now focus on creating content for users rather than prioritising search algorithms to rank better. Creating content around more general topics often appeals to a wide audience, but if you want to appeal to a local audience you will need to focus on more localised topics, including news stories, events and activities.

Optimise your content with support from an SEO agency in Essex
As well as ensuring that your URLs, headers, title tags, meta descriptions and main body content have been appropriately optimised to rank well in key SERPs, optimising for voice search is essential. Searchers typically use more long-tail keywords when conducting voice searches and if you aren’t sure whether your optimisation strategy is primed to set you up for success, partnering with an SEO agency in Essex can provide you with the support and advice you need.

Utilise location-specific pages
If you only operate from one location, your About Us page can be optimised to include local keywords. If you have multiple premises, it’s important to create a page for each one. In addition to including your address, contact phone number and opening hours, you might also want to embed a Google Map into your location pages because this will appeal to both users and search engines. It’s also a good idea to include information about parking availability in the local area and descriptors of your premises that your customers might want or need to know about.

Build inbound links from highly authoritative sources
Link signals are an important factor for local SERPs, so securing a selection of inbound links from relevant, high-quality sources is essential to maintaining maximum visibility. There are a variety of ways to enhance your inbound link profile that your SEO agency in Essex can help you to employ, including working with local influencers and creating first-class content that other sites actively want to link to.

Remember, without a strong local SEO strategy, you might miss out on connecting with as many as 80% of your potential customers.