Local SEO for Small Businesses – Technologist

Local SEO Strategies for Small Businesses

Local SEO for small businesses is like other aspects of marketing. It continually evolves, and you can never rely solely on yesterday’s tips and tricks. However, there are many core strategies you can start using right now to boost your brand awareness.

1. Build and Maintain a Mobile-Friendly Website

Fluid and intuitive websites win higher SERP rankings for many reasons. Primarily, responsive sites get more traffic because users quickly leave slow and clunky domains. Also, web crawlers for indexing can more easily review and rank sites that don’t have technical issues. 

Now that most web activity occurs on mobile devices, Google and other search engines index the mobile versions of pages first. Improve your SEO by designing a responsive site with images and content optimized for mobile devices. 

Just as you have to maintain your physical locations and make them easy to shop, take good care of your digital store by continually testing it for accessibility and usability. Your core audience will be more apt to stay on your pages, and you’ll earn better rankings with this important technical aspect of local SEO for your small business.

2. Optimize Your GBP

People will often reach your GBP before your website if they’re likely to find you during “near me” searches. Be sure to claim or create your GBP. 

Fill out as much of the profile as you can. Don’t just put your NAP and business hours; select the appropriate categories, add images, and provide helpful info in the Q&A section. Regularly post to your profile and respond to customer posts and questions. 

3. Create High-Quality Local Content 

SEO content is not about simply stuffing keywords into your web pages, blog posts, and profiles. Quality matters more than ever in local SEO for small businesses. Write relevant information that your ideal customer wants to read, but make sure you provide specific local value. 

For example, a moving company can write blogs about the best schools in its area. Families who are looking for a place to live will be searching for that information and end up on the mover’s web page, putting the company one step closer to a conversion.

4.  Use High-Value Location-Based Keywords 

SEO keywords are the words and phrases your customers use to find your products and services online. Your content needs to include enough of these keywords to show that your business is relevant to the search but not so many as to be unnatural. Put keywords in web page meta titles and descriptions, too. 

Confirm that your selected keywords fit the search intent of customers in your locale. Intent may vary by region because words have different meanings in different areas. For instance, soft drinks are either soda, pop, or Coke, depending on the market.

Use keyword research tools to find competitive keywords that aren’t already dominated by others. In local SEO for small businesses, these keywords include the names of the states, cities, and neighborhoods you serve.

Some pages on your website should target location-specific keywords. For example, our SEO agency has seen that law firms benefit from having pages for specific cities and neighborhoods. A firm in Charlotte, NC, that wants to capture more upper-income clients could create specific pages using “lawyer in Providence Crossing” or “accident in Myers Park,” which are affluent neighborhoods.

Finally, voice search is becoming more popular, especially on mobile. Figure out which keywords people are likely to search for through speech to capture middle- and bottom-of-the-funnel buyers.

5.  Optimize Your Listings on Other Directories

Google ranks other popular directories in SERPs, so ensure your listing is accurate and active on these. For instance, Yelp is common, as are LinkedIn, Angi, Facebook, and Foursquare. Also, verify your information in industry-specific directories to optimize local SEO for your small business.

6. Encourage Reviews and Respond to Them

After every positive transaction, ask customers to leave a review. Simplify the process for them with links and URLs that take them to the right page. 

As much as possible, thank customers for their kind words. Even better, say something specific about how great the customer was if you can. Be even more responsive to negative reviews, showing that you care about quality customer experiences.

7. Build Backlinks 

A top way to demonstrate authority and credibility is when other sites link to yours. Building these backlinks is one of the hardest parts of local SEO for small businesses, but the strategy can be impactful.

Network with other businesses and find organic ways to ask for these links. You can also build natural backlinks with the help of a top-notch SEO agency. However, stay far away from companies that offer quick results with scammy black-hat link building.

8. Support Your SEO With Social Media and Paid Ads

Your social media posts support your SEO by boosting your visibility and providing a popular avenue for people to reach your site. Pique their interest with intriguing posts. 

Paid ads can also help. While pay-per-click campaigns are almost always more expensive and have a lower ROI than local SEO for small businesses, they can provide a quick bump in traffic that you can parlay into long-term relationships through your SEO strategy.

9. Regularly Audit and Improve Your SEO 

SEO requires steady attention and constant tweaking. Acquire the data you need for measurable progress with regular audits of your site and business profiles. These evaluations show what type of content you need to add to your site and profile, as well as what assets you should eliminate or replace.

SEO tools are necessary for an efficient audit. Software like Semrush and Moz are favorites among many small businesses. If you lack time and want to eliminate the learning curve, work with experts from an SEO agency.

10. Play an Active Role in Your Community

Build genuine goodwill, gain organic links and mentions, and learn more about your audience by participating in community activities and events. Donate to schools and charities or volunteer with public programs and initiatives. These can get your name and website on .edu and .gov sites, which have the highest domain authority in local SEO for small businesses.

BKA Content Boosts Local SEO for Small Businesses

Are you having a hard time keeping up with or starting your local SEO strategy? You can’t afford to neglect this integral part of your marketing plan.

Fortunately, BKA Content provides a cost-effective solution for small and mid-size companies. Contact us today for a quick chat to see how we manage local SEO for small businesses.