Simple ways to optimize your website in local search
Correcting Your Google Listing
As powerful Google is, they still can’t be everywhere at once and have to rely on additional information from local, on-the-ground sources, which gather, aggregate, and submit relevant data for area businesses.
These aggregators will do much of the legwork, pulling information from physical directories (like Yell.com) or scanning business registrations.
In a nutshell, bigger search engines will rely on these data aggregators to fill in the gaps of the existing information already in their databases, and will also cross-check to make sure that the facts are up-to-date.
Problems arise, however, when aggregators collect out-of-date data, leading a search engine like Google or Bing to list the wrong information, like an old address for your business or a disconnected phone number.
That’s why it’s critical to ensure that your physical contact information is as current as possible.
Google is the largest search engine, start with Google My Business, its free-to-use listing service, and update your SEO data accordingly. Be sure to list important details like extra locations, the latest opening hours, and what forms of payment are acceptable.
Correcting Your Directory Listings
Use a local directory management service, which carries out the tedious work of scanning local directories. Simply change the required data and to ensure they are all consistent with each other, and your website.
Inconsistencies can hurt your revenue stream, or even worse, trick Google’s algorithms into thinking that you’re a different business entirely. Checking this data is up to date and correct essential for consistency.
From that point on, local search listings should be accurately and automatically updated by your management server.
Technical SEO for Local Searches
You may be questioning the point of optimizing for local search engines, especially given Google’s unquestioned dominance of the search landscape. Even so, local search engines are still extremely useful. After all, if you’re a physical, brick-and-mortar establishment, you will benefit greatly from having in-store visits.
If you’re a digital business, local searches are still important. One study shows that consumers are 36% more likely to begin to search for local businesses. Even if they’re looking for a Search Engine Optimization Agency rather than a hardware store, if you don’t optimize for local search results, your business could lose potential customers.
For, instance if you are in Norfolk, SEO company in Norwich is more suitable than a search for “SEO company in the UK”.
The best way to do this is to structure additional pages to focus on the keywords you are using and the location you are based in. These location-based pages can then link internally to the products you are selling.
For a service-based business such as plumbers, we recommend you focus every page to mention your location. Think about what your customer is searching for. Keyword research and location assessment is ideal for this.