Local SEO is a daunting and threatening task to tackle for
any small business. Google’s algorithms seem all the more mysterious in the
local realm, and competition is fierce in almost any market. It used to be that
the goal for a local business was to land in the “10-pack”, or the top 10
businesses for a set of local keywords. Google would then show a map charting
the location of the top 10 rankings, with succeeding information listings. A
few years back, Google changed this to the “7-pack”, thereby limiting top
ranking opportunities even more. It goes without saying that your goal as a
small business owner is to land in the top 7 for your targeted keywords. So how
do you attain this lofty vision? Through the cornerstones of great SEO:
Fantastic content, smart citations and link shares, great customer service, and
crafty social media. It’s a difficult task for sure, but it’s a mountain you
absolutely can overcome.
Tip #1: Write a Fabulous About Me Page
It’s significant to undertake the task of defining yourself
out of the gate. A well-written About Me part is not just an asset for your
site’s SEO efforts; it can also be the foundation of all additional strategies
for your content marketing. Address the needs of your customers, tell the story
of your creation (briefly), and don’t be afraid to comprise some random but
intriguing truths as well. Play to your strengths and make it crystal clear
what you offer, and why you rise above your competition. For other skilled tips
on crafting a killer About Me page, see this excellent article from Pro-Blogger.
Tip #2: Choose Keywords Carefully
If your site is already live, you should be testing your top
keywords regularly to see A) how you’re ranking and B) how many users are in
fact searching with your selected terms. There is no frontier more dynamic than
the digital space, so use that to your advantage. This means you can change
what’s not working anytime you need to; it also means you need to wait on top
of how your site is performing on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
For local SEO, your keywords should trigger the local
algorithm. You’ll know this is the case if you see the telltale Google map with
the top 7 rankings noted. If your keywords don’t launch the 7-pack, it’s
definitely time to make sure your site’s content pages, social media pages, and
all linked content reference your targeted keywords and location.
Tip #3: Geographic Know-How
Whenever Google has more than 7 top ranking sites for any
search, those closest to the downtown center of their geographic region often
take precedence (referred to as the “centroid bias”). It is therefore critical
that if you are closer to one city-center over another, that you target
searches according. Likewise, if you’re on the outskirts of town, local SEO is
going to be more challenging, so you may be wiser in sticking to the exact
town(s) you service and not waste efforts on reaching the closest metro.
Tip #4: Be Thorough and Consistent
You almost certainly already have profiles on the major
social media outlets, but are you sure that your key NAP data (name, address,
and phone number) is reliable on every one? This is a commonly flubbed and serious
SEO task. If you choose to spell out avenue, as an example, do so every time
you note your address. If your data is not an correct match everywhere on the
web, Google may not know to lump all your profiles and content together.
Tip #5: Size up the Competition
If you would like to know what it takes to get top rankings
in your demographic, study the business that currently lands at #1. See how
they format their NAP data, and uncover what’s working on the relevant website.
You can even copy their NAP information, throw quotes around it, and Google it
– the results will help point out how many (and which) directories and
citations you need to get top billing. As a comparison, do this for one of the
lower ranking sites too. This shows you the bare minimum you need to surpass
#7. Make sure to do the same search for your own business, so you know accurately
where you rank as well.
Tip #6: Citations, Reviews, and Outreach
Once you’re certain your social profiles and site content
are complete, keyword-rich, and reliable, it’s time to make your link sharing
and testimonials more robust as well. Link sharing requires a balance of
like-minded niches that are not hardcore competitors, joint with high Google
credibility and user value. You don’t want incoming and outbound links to just
any site, of course – these need to be thoughtfully pursued, and regularly
checked.
If any of your link partners lapse into spammy habits or generate
partnerships with folks with bad habits, your citation score will diminish in
the eyes of Google. The same thing goes with customer reviews. You absolutely
must do customer outreach and make sure folks are talking about your brand.
It’s not the end of the world to have a few bad reviews, as long as they are
heavily balanced by positive experiences. If you’re receiving a slew of
negative testimonials, you obviously have some core business issues to decide
as well. But no reviews at all will hurt you just as much, if not more. Please
don’t fake these – if your customers find out, you’ll have to deal with that
outrage and lack of credibility, and you may truthfully never get better.
Likewise, make sure you are listed on the big directories,
like Google Places and Yelp. Research local directories exact to your area;
don’t just hit the obvious big players. This is where it’s significant to
intimately know your audience – who they are, where they can find you, and
exactly how they are looking for your services. Consider local neighborhood
guides and websites, Chamber of Commerce sites, and city guides. Find groups on
‘Meet up that fall into your target niche, and ask if you can sponsor their
group. Community outreach, if well-executed, can be a huge boost to customer
acquisition and retention.
Local SEO is a dicey and competitive landscape, but quality
and consistency are your friends. Be methodical about your changes and
improvements, and don’t do them all at once. Make tweaks to your strategy,
monitor the results, and then get better upon the areas that most need it. Keep
your eyes on the 7-pack prize – it IS attainable. Ask yourself “Why not my
company?”, and you, too, might find yourself on top.
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