It can be difficult to market a small business to local people when you are starting it. It is possible that you don’t have the funds to place ads in your local newspaper or to contact potential customers.

Implementing a local SEO strategy could bring you new leads and sales, but most importantly, it can also increase your revenue. Are you looking for a local SEO strategy that will grow your business?

Kobe Digital is a specialist in SEO auditing and marketing services in Miami for small and mid-sized businesses in a variety of industries. This comprehensive guide will show you how to improve your local SEO results.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO refers to taking action to improve search engine rankings in local searches.

SEO for small businesses that are focused on one city or town is very different from that of companies with a national presence. 

Your products and services should be appealing to those most likely to purchase them. Although they might not be familiar with your business, many people would be interested in seeing you near them.

Let’s assume you are a plumber in Whoville. You want to be at the top of Google when people search for “Emergency plumbing services near my” or “Toilet unblocking Whoville”.

97% have used the internet to search for a local business. If you can get your local SEO in place, you will be able to gain a significant edge in the market.

14 Tips to Improve Your Local SEO

It can be difficult to boost your local SEO, especially for small businesses with limited marketing budgets.

The good news is that local SEO can be done much more easily than you think. You just need to be methodical and do your research.

In just 14 steps, you can improve your local SEO results.

1. Claim your Google Business Profile

Local SEO is a top priority. Creating and optimizing your Google Business Profil (previously known as Google My Business) is a great place to begin.

Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows you to create an online business presence. This way, when people search for your business name on Google, your profile will be displayed.

This is not all. Your business will be more likely to appear on the Google Local Pack – the box at top of local Google searches.

Google Business Profiles are viewed by 5% of people who visit them. This means that a profile can be set up quickly and get you a phone call or website visit.

2. Register for the online directory of business owners

Google will link to relevant and reliable online business directories that are trustworthy and relevant to your site. This can drive traffic to your site.

Here, quality is more important than quantity. It is better to have one quality business directory than one hundred spammy ones.

You can do some research to find out which online directories are available in your region. It’s a good idea to look at the backlinks of your competitors and find out which business directories they are on. Later, we’ll discuss the importance of analyzing your competitors.

Here’s a tip: Check to see if your local government, educational institution, or government has a directory. These domains are more trusted, so you’re more likely to get a boost.

3. Install internal linking to your website

SEO is all about external linking. But did you know that internal linking can help increase your search engine presence as well?

Google provides additional context to your website by linking to your pages. This gives sections that are less often visited a boost in search engine results.

Four out of five opportunities for internal links are missed. Local SEO can be improved by ensuring that the right links are placed on your site.

4. Check your meta titles, descriptions, and keywords

Meta titles and descriptions are key to improving your local SEO results if done right. These descriptions can be a powerful tool in attracting potential customers to your site.

Your page meta titles and descriptions are your shop window on Google or Bing. People will visit your shop window if it looks appealing.

You should ensure that you have unique titles, descriptions, and locations for each page. Include your SEO keywords and a strong call to action.

Backlinko research shows that meta titles between 15-40 characters have an 8.6% higher click-through rate than those titles.

5. Start a blog

Running a blog is not something you think about when running a business. But, quality articles that are well-written and informative can help you rank higher for keywords and keep visitors on your site longer.

Although Google has not admitted that the time spent on a website by users is a factor in search engine rankings, it has been strongly implied.

6. Mobile-friendly websites are a must

88% of people use their mobile phones to search for local businesses. You must ensure that your website is mobile-friendly if you have one.

Prospective customers won’t stay long if they have to zoom in on buttons or elements that move around the website as it loads. Users who leave quickly can have an impact on your rank in search results.

Google offers a tool that you can use to check if your site is mobile-friendly. You can also get feedback about how you can improve it.

7. Ask for reviews

Local SEO can improve your visibility with five-star reviews. Google and other search engines value feedback from customers objectively, which can make a difference in ranking businesses.

Asking happy customers to leave feedback via your Google Business Profile is one of the best ways to reviews. This will ensure that any positive feedback you receive is displayed prominently when potential buyers search for your business online.

Respond to all reviews, positive or negative. Responding to negative feedback is 45% more likely for people to return to a business.

8. Local keywords are the most important

Let’s say you deliver pizzas. You’ll struggle to rank the keyword “pizza delivery” in Google’s search results.

Focusing on local keywords such as ‘pizza delivery in area X’ or “pizza delivery service in area Y” is the best strategy. It will be easier for you to appear on the first page of search engine results. Google can also use this information to show your business to local users.

75% of people don’t go beyond the first page on Google. You want to get that top spot, so make sure you do!

9. Compare your competitors

You might be asking yourself, “How can I improve my local SEO results?”. One of the best ways is to examine what your competitors are doing with search engines.

Knowing where your competitors rank for certain keywords will help you determine how difficult or easy it will be to outrank them in search engines. Take a look at their websites and see which keywords they are using. Also, notice who is linking to them.

Focus on companies that are similar in size and focus on the same area as you. It might seem tempting to beat Apple, McDonald’s, or Tesco at their games, but you won’t get very far.

10. Create location pages

It’s a smart idea to create separate pages for each location if you offer services in different cities or towns.

This allows you to drill down on specific keywords and increases the chance of ranking for customers searching for ‘X in’.

You should ensure that each page has its content if you have multiple pages. Google may not be able to distinguish between duplicate content and the version it will show in search engine results if there is too much of it. It could show the wrong page to potential buyers.

Nearly one-third of pages on the internet are made up of duplicate content. That’s scary!

11. Investigate your website speed

How fast your website loads is a key factor in local SEO success.

Slow-loading websites can impact how long visitors stay on your site. This can lead to a drop in search engine rankings. A one-second delay in loading a website can result in 11% fewer page views.

You may need a web developer to help you with some of the technical things that you need to speed up your website. A good place to start is to examine the sizes of the images on your pages. It might be time to spring clean if you have 10 MB of photos uploaded.

12. Get better at your NAP citations

Local SEO can be improved by adding links to your website. If you are having trouble getting backlinks, it is possible to list your contact information on other websites.

NAP stands to represent ‘Name, Address and Phone Number’. It has been cited as the fifth most important ranking factor in local SEO by MOZ. This helps you show that your business is legitimate.

You should feature in as many places as possible and make sure your information is correct. If your address or telephone number changes, you need to update your listings.

13. Be a part of your local community

John Donne said it best: “No man (or company) is an island.”

Connecting with people in your community will increase your chances of obtaining backlinks that will boost your SEO and make your brand more visible to the world.

Send press releases to local papers, offer to post on community websites as a guest blogger, and sponsor important events. You will not only get publicity online but also offline!

14. Keep checking your stats

Kobe Digital Search’s last pointer will help improve your local SEO results. Keep an eye on what you are doing.

SEO is not something you can do once and forget about. You need to be on top of SEO and make tweaks to make sure you remain at the top of search engine results.

Google’s algorithm may change. A website linking to you might disappear. Or, your closest competitors could improve their local SEO. This could result in you being taken off the first page.

You can find many great tools that will help you track not only how many people visit your site but also where you rank in search engines. Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Bing Webmaster Tools can be good places to start.

Improve Local SEO with Confidence

Kobe Digital hopes that this guide will inspire you to improve your local SEO results.