Generally speaking, local SEO is the process by which a piece of content or website is optimized for the sake of local geographic search. There are multiple establishments that this benefits, including ecommerce businesses just getting off the ground and brick-and-mortar locations that operate in specific regions. Focusing on search engine optimization on a local level is among the various services that Internet marketing agencies provide, positioning clients, as well as the products and services they provide, on a regional level.
With this information in mind, it’s important to know what goes into a local SEO strategy. What should small businesses, whether they operate digitally or from physical locations, know about ranking so that users in their areas of interest find them? Before anything else, it’s recommended that you speak to a specialist, whether it’s a digital marketer in your area, a Long Island SEO agency, or any other authority on digital advertising. This will allow you to better rank, ensuring that the soundest practices are carried out. To begin, here are a few key do’s and don’ts to know.
Keep your business’s contact information consistent. One of the easiest ways to stay in line with sound local SEO practices is by keeping the contact information associated with your business consistent across different platforms. This is where your NAP – or name, address, and phone number – comes into play. It should be present on your site, which goes without saying, but incorporating it into your company’s various social media accounts is just as important. Not only does this provide a better experience for the user, allowing them to find information easier, but it will have an impact on how well your business ranks.
Build content with your region in mind. Another way to optimize a site for local SEO purposes is by creating region-specific content. To expand on this, imagine that you are a restaurant owner that operates on Long Island; more likely than not, your priority is going to be on residents in the area. Thus, your content should appeal to those living in the 4 Long Island counties: Nassau County, Suffolk County, Brooklyn, and Queens. Be sure to market to those counties, sharing content related to your industry, any new entrees or beverages your restaurant debuted, and the like. Content plays a pivotal role in digital marketing and, as such, is integral to local SEO efforts.
Seek out user reviews. Another way to tackle local SEO is by encouraging customers to leave reviews. Going back to the restaurant example, a number of guests may have had such positive experiences, whether in terms of the food they were served or the service in general, that they’d be motivated to leave their thoughts. Leaving user reviews should be a simple process, either directly on a website or through a third-party channel like Yelp or Google My Business. The more positive reviews your business generates, the more visibility you stand to benefit from, meaning that more people will see you online.
Test your website on different devices. Next, consider your site’s functionality across different platforms. More than half of all search queries are performed via mobile devices, smartphones to be more specific. In other words, desktop and laptop computers are no longer the predominant platforms for Internet accessibility. In fact, search engines prioritize mobile functionality, placing more weight on sites that can be easily accessed and navigated by way of phones and tablets. Long Island web design agencies develop or fine-tune websites with mobile-friendly implementation in mind. Failure to follow this step is likely to result in less visibility in search engine results.
Perform a site audit. Even if you follow the steps discussed up to this point, you may still find it difficult to rank. This may come down to one or perhaps multiple issues your website is experiencing. This is where a site audit, which identifies SEO-related issues, comes into play. By performing an audit, you will see how certain elements of your website are performing and whether changes should be made. Slow loading speed between internal pages, crawlability issues, and broken internal links are just a few aspects that prevent sites from ranking; a thorough site audit will bring these issues to light, allowing you to create a strategy that best tackles these issues. As a result, your search engine visibility stands a great chance of improving.
About fishbat: fishbat is a full-service Long Island advertising and SEO agency that takes a holistic business approach to their clients’ digital marketing programs. The fishbat team understands the importance of business principles just as well as the nuances of the latest digital technologies. fishbat offers every digital marketing service available from digital marketing research and planning to brand development to website and asset creation through social media management and search engine optimization programs – all custom calibrated for both B2B and B2C businesses.
