If you haven’t started harnessing the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your business, where have you been? There are plenty of other brands out there selling the same products or providing the same services as you do, so how are you going to get your business noticed? By making SEO work for you, that’s how! Here are just 5 ways that SEO can boost your business and improve your local search ranking this year.
#1. Use Google Places
Whether your page already exists on Google places and simply needs some updating or you need to create a page from scratch, a visible presence here will ensure your business appears closer to the top of local search results.
#2. Ensure your numbers add up
Whilst it can be tempting to use a mobile as your business number, if your business phone area code isn’t consistent with the area your company is located in, this could mean you appear less frequently in search results. Stick to the landline number for your physical business location.
#3. Advertise your Contact Information
As any SEO expert or web developer will tell you, your business address and phone number should be clearly visible on your website – it’s a great idea to add your contact details as a footer on every page of the site as this will increase your visibility in search results.
#4. Optimize your Pages
Your home page should be optimized for local search – this means adding the location as well as the business name to your home page, for example, ‘Won’s: Chinese Restaurant in San Francisco’ is an excellent page title! Don’t stop there, use traditional SEO methods to optimize every aspect of your website for local searches too.
#5. Chase down Reviews
It’s a great idea to have online reviews of your business – don’t be afraid to implement a marketing campaign which contacts previous customers and asks them for a review. In a restaurant or café, a great way to do this is by cards on the table asking people to leave details of their thoughts and experiences. Reviews can actually impact your local search rankings – so ask customers to visit your Google Places page and leave a review!
Improving your local search ranking could have a huge impact on your business growth this year – so make the most of the customers closest to you by optimizing your website today.
1 Comment
great article and I already have an idea I can execute this technique on