How to Boost Your Local Business Ranking in 2017
Local search is more than just paid ads showing up in rankings. What it means for your local business rankings in 2017 is more competition for the same space on search engine results pages. With the right approach to local SEO, you can still stay ahead of your competitors and boost your local rankings. Here are a few tips on local optimization you should consider.
“Spy” on Local Competitors
Observe your competitors and look at what they’re doing to grab attention and generate online traffic. Google Alerts can tell you whenever a competitor is mentioned online. The Social Mention tool allows you to keep track of competitors’ social interactions, and the competitive research and keyword research gadget tools from SEOBook also give you a lot of information about your competitors. You can also find competitor data with Google’s Keyword Planner. Regardless of what tools you’re using, pay attention to:
- Keywords being used
- Traffic patterns based on specific terms and words
- Overall visibility within your desired local market(s)
Optimize Your Site for “Near Me” Searches
Search queries with some variation of “near me” or “nearby” have doubled over the past few years. Optimize your website for searches of this nature with full contact information and location pages specific to each location you serve. Your content can also be optimized for “near me” searches by including multiple neighborhoods and referencing larger cities nearby (e.g. “less than 5 miles from Miami”). Also make sure your website is optimized for mobile use so searchers can quickly find your contact information.
Embrace Local Voice Search
The dominance of mobile devices has lead to the increased use of voice searching. Because voice search is associated with mobile devices and most mobile searches (nearly 60 percent) are done with local intent, it’s a trend worth considering. Ranking your local business for voice search means:
- Using keyword phrases based on how people speak
- Varying your phrasing to account for the different ways people can ask the same question
- A/B testing content with different keyword variations to see what resonates better with local voice searchers
Use your title and description tags to attract the attention of local searchers. Keywords and descriptive terms can also be used in your URLs and in titles and captions for your videos and images. Snippets (blurbs of relevant info about your business) can also provide an incentive to click or tap. Also, make sure to keep your directory listings current, especially your NAP (business name, address, phone number).
With over 10 years of experience in search engine optimization for San Diego companies, the team at Saba SEO can help you boost your online ranking. Our local optimization strategies include keyword search, responsive web design, providing high-quality content, and several other tactics to increase your website traffic. We regularly monitor results, track changes, and offer lasting solutions for your SEO needs. To create winning online marketing and search engine optimization strategies, get in touch with us at 858-951-1717.