A brief guide to improving your local search rankings and outcompeting your local competitors.

What is local SEO?

By definition, local SEO is a type of search engine optimisation that focuses on increasing a website’s search visibility so that it can be found in the local search results.

Essentially, optimising local SEO is about being the top result of nearby online searches.

You’ll see this when you type in a business into google along with a location. For example. “Bakeries in Liverpool”, or “bakeries near me” if your GPS location is turned on. The snippet box of 3 results is the local section and where you want your business to be if you want to be the go-to for your geographical area.

Why is local SEO important?

When your local SEO is optimised, it allows people to find your business more easily within the local geographical area.

Even if you don’t have a website, it can drive more traffic to your business through geographical leads. However, the more information you do provide, such as; business hours and contact details, the better your chances of ranking high and being selected.

One study found that more people clicked on the local search results box and again on those with more reviews.

On occasions when the local results didn’t get clicked, the organic search result did (in between the paid ads and the local snippet).

Meaning, that there is no harm in aiming to rank high for both sections.

How is it different to normal SEO?

Both types of SEO are similar in the fact that when you optimise it, it determines your ranking for a given term. It’s just a matter of whether your website ranks in the general search results or local search results.

That being said, it does require all the same things to be optimised to rank high but with a local angle to it. For example, building local links will build your business’s local authority within the area.

What about the ‘near me’ section of Google?

Over the past few years, searches for “near me” have been on a progressive rise. For example, “seafood restaurants near me”. This is whereby GPS location and Google come together to show the customer the available options they have in the nearby vicinity.

‘Near me’ searches can be very powerful as they insinuate a customer’s eagerness to seek and buy a product/service in the immediate future. There is no direct way to improve your rankings in this section, however, as long as your locations are visible to Google and customers, Google takes care of the rest.

Create a Google My Business profile

First and foremost, the best way to maximise your chances of being the top result in local searches is by creating a Google My Business (GMB) profile. Even if you haven’t opened your business yet, there’s an option for ‘Opening soon’ so there’s no reason not to get the queue started at your front door ready for opening day.

If not the most important, it’s the tactic that should be used before any others.

But in short, a GMB profile is a Google service tool that allows business owners to manage their online appearance in Google searches. It then positions your business on Google’s business register which allows you to be seen on Google maps. Creating the profile is quick, free, very easy to do and will do wonders for your business digitally.

Most importantly, it’s one thing to create a GMB profile, but in order for it to pave results, the profile needs to be verified and optimised. Even considering additions such as business photos can go a long way.

Details such as opening hours, addresses and contact details can all be added and updated to inform potential customers. Making it as easy as possible for them to contact and know the whereabouts of your business, makes it that much easier for them to want your service/product. Last but certainly not least, this tool allows customers to leave reviews on your profile that enable you to build up your online reputation that could encourage future customers and revenue. This brings us nicely to the next tip…

Rack up the reviews

Google has made this one pretty straightforward to understand. In short, more high-quality, positive reviews means the better your business looks online and the more likely Google will place you higher in local searches.

People are trusting reviews as much as personal recommendations and are hesitant to try businesses with negative reviews.

To rank well for local searches and increase the likelihood of customers, you want to encourage as many positive reviews as possible from verified customers. So, encourage your customers to leave reviews of your business on Google and try to resolve any issues as quickly and efficiently as possible before your profile takes hold of a bad review.

Obviously, you want to avoid the negative reviews but sometimes it is inevitable… you can’t please everyone. Although these reviews can be detrimental to your brand’s reputation, replying to those negatives with acknowledgement and potential resolutions shows the character of your company in the face of adversity. And it’s a reflection of your quality customer service and value which is key to future sales and visitors.

Geo-specific SEO

A large part of on-site SEO is keywords and their prevalence throughout titles, meta descriptions and body text. Local SEO is no different in that geo-specific keywords throughout your online assets will improve your local Google rankings.

What do we mean by geo-specific keywords? They are keywords that associate with a location.

An excellent way to incorporate these keywords is through your landing pages; “The best family law firm in the North West of England” and through your business blogs; “Top Airbnbs to Rent in Cumbria: Your Summer 2022 Guide.”

Moreover, the more blogs you push out for your brand, the more chances you give yourself to rank high for geo-specific keywords.

Of course, combining this with general SEO tactics such as quality backlinks, relevant keywords and engaging content, will help improve the rankings of your business’s website.

Google My Business Posts

An uncommonly known feature of GMB is the GMB Posts and, if used well, can nicely follow the local SEO algorithm.

When you search for an exact business on Google, the knowledge panel on the right-hand side typically has a sub-panel below it. Images and text are allowed to be placed here so it would be an effective way of showcasing your business’ UPS, products/services and any offers/discounts that you currently provide. CTA buttons can also be used to invite your customers to: learn more, sign up, claim offer etc.

Note that Google does not currently allow videos or gifs to be placed here and only the first 100 words of you blog or description are shown in the panel, so make sure you are clear and concise with your word count. Also, ensure you regularly update and maintain the GMB Posts as Google only features posts for 7 days, excluding those that are related to upcoming events.

Grab social media by the horns

No matter how small or local your business is, social media is critical to a successful online presence and thus, making it more likely for Google to rank you higher on local SEO.

Having a website for your business is always a thumbs up. But, in cases that you don’t feel one is relevant or you currently don’t have one, social media is a fantastic substitution.

Having and utilising social media platforms are a great way to post about customer reviews, upcoming events and promote content that is engaging for your audience. It is also a great way for potential customers to reach out to you in a quick and easy fashion of a DM.

Posting on social media can also be a way of pushing your GMB Posts further out and attracting more traffic. It also makes tracking the analytics of your posts much easier, you can see how many engagements and responses your posts are getting, which are working and which aren’t – a feature not available on GMB.