It’s no longer news that Customers are going to search engines like Google to find the products and services they need. In fact, according to Google, 76% of people who search for something online visit a business within a day, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.
For local businesses in the United Kingdom, this shift in consumer behaviour has both an opportunity and a challenge. On one hand, the Internet provides a platform for businesses to reach a wider audience and attract new customers. On the other hand, the competition is fierce, and businesses need to be visible online to stand a chance.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to attract local customers.
But why is local SEO so important? The answer is simple: because it works!
You can increase your visibility, drive more foot traffic to your store, and ultimately, boost your sales with local SEO.
Here are 7 Local SEO Strategies to Bring Customers to Your Business in 2024
1. Google My Business Listing
Google My Business (GMB) listing is one of your most powerful tools that would help your local SEO. GMB is a free platform and it allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. GMB will increase your visibility, drive more traffic to your website, and attract more customers to your business.
You’d need to start with claiming and verifying your listing. (Check how to get started with Google My Business in my previous post) You can ignore the text in yellow
Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:
Step 1: Claim Your Listing
To claim your GMB listing, follow these steps:
● Go to Google My Business and sign in with your Google account
● Enter your business name and address in the search bar
● If your business appears in the search results, click on it and follow the prompts to claim your listing
● If your business doesn’t appear, click on “Add your business” and follow the prompts to create a new listing
Step 2: Verify Your Listing
Verifying your GMB listing is an important step that helps Google confirm that your business is legitimate and accurate. Here are the verification options:
● Postcard verification: Google will send a postcard to your business address with a verification code
● Phone verification: Google will call your business phone number with a verification code
● Email verification: Google will send a verification email to your business email address
Step 3: Optimize Your Listing
Once your listing is verified, it’s time to optimize it. Here are some tips:
● Add accurate and up-to-date business information: Make sure your business name, address, phone number, and hours of operation are accurate and up-to-date.
● Choose the right categories: Select the categories that best describe your business. This will help Google understand what your business does and show it to relevant searchers.
● Add high-quality photos: Add photos of your business, products, and services. This will help searchers get a better understanding of what your business offers.
● Write a compelling business description: Write a brief description of your business that highlights your unique value proposition.
Step 4: Manage Your Reviews
Your GMB listing also allows customers to leave reviews and ratings. Here are some tips for managing your reviews:
● Respond to all reviews: Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show customers that you value their feedback.
● Use reviews to improve your business: Use customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and make changes to your business.
2. Location Specific Keywords
Location-specific keywords are words and phrases that include your business’s city, state, or region, and help search engines like Google understand where your business is located.
Here are some tips on how to use location-specific keywords effectively
– Before you start writing, do keyword research to identify the location-specific keywords that are most relevant to your business. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find keywords that have a high search volume and low competition.
– Your page title and meta description are two of the most important places to include location-specific keywords. Your page title should include your business name and location, while your meta description should include a summary of your business and its location.
– Use location-specific keywords in your headings and content to help search engines understand the context of your page. Use headings like “Best Pizza in London” or “Top 5 Restaurants in London” to highlight your business’s location.
– Use location-specific keywords in your alt tags and image descriptions to help search engines understand the content of your images. This is especially important for businesses with physical products or services.
– While it’s important to use location-specific keywords in your content, don’t overdo it. Aim for a keyword density of 1-2% to avoid keyword stuffing. Instead, focus on writing high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your customers.
Here’s an example of how a business in London, United Kingdom could use location-specific keywords in their content:
Page Title: “Best Pizza in London| Pizza Palace”
Meta Description: “Get the best pizza in London at Pizza Palace. Our restaurant is located in the heart of South East London and offers delivery and takeout services.”
Headings:
● “Best Pizza in London”
● “Top 5 Restaurants in South East London”
● “Pizza Delivery in London”
Content: “At Pizza Palace, we offer the best pizza in South East London. Our restaurant is located in the heart of South East London and offers delivery and takeout services. Our menu includes a variety of pizzas, salads, and sandwiches, all made with fresh ingredients. Order now and get 10% off your first purchase!”
3. Build High-Quality Local Citations
Local citations are mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number on other websites and online directories. They help search engines like Google understand the accuracy and consistency of your business’s online presence.
Local citations are important for several reasons:
● Local citations help search engines understand the accuracy and consistency of your business’s online presence, it can also improve your visibility in local search results.
● High-quality local citations from reputable sources can increase your business’s credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines and customers.
● Local citations can improve your business’s rankings in local search
Types of Local Citations
● Directory citations: Listings in online directories like Yelp, Google My Business, and Bing Places.
● Review citations: Mentions of your business in online reviews on sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, and Facebook Reviews.
● Social media citations: Mentions of your business on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
● Government citations: Listings on government websites, such as the United Kingdom Government’s business directory.
How to Build High-Quality Local Citations
Here are some tips on how to Build high-quality local citations:
● Claim your listings on reputable directories like Yelp, Google My Business, and Bing Places, and optimize them with accurate and consistent NAP information.
● Encourage your customers to leave reviews on sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, and Facebook Reviews.
● Engage with your customers on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and encourage them to mention your business.
● : Get listed on government websites, such as the Nigerian Government’s business directory.
Tools for Building Local Citations
● Moz Local will help you manage and optimize your local citations.
● Yext ensures your local citations across multiple directories are managed and optimize
● BrightLocal is AI tool that helps you manage and optimize your local citations and online reviews.
4. Online Reviews and Ratings
Online reviews and ratings provide valuable feedback from customers about their experiences with your business.
Online reviews and ratings are important for several reasons:
● Positive reviews and high ratings can increase your business’s credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of potential customers.
● Reviews and ratings can improve your business’s visibility in local search results, making it more likely that customers will find and visit your business.
● Reviews and ratings provide valuable feedback that can help potential customers make informed decisions about whether to visit your business.
Types of online reviews and ratings
– Google Reviews: Reviews and ratings left on your Google My Business listing.
– Yelp Reviews: Reviews and ratings left on your Yelp listing.
– Facebook Reviews: Reviews and ratings left on your Facebook page.
– Industry-specific reviews: Reviews and ratings left on industry-specific sites, such as Healthgrades for healthcare providers.
Encouraging customers to leave reviews and ratings requires a strategic approach. Here are some tips:
● Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews and ratings on your preferred platforms.
● Provide links to your review profiles and make it easy for customers to leave reviews.
● Consider offering incentives, such as discounts or free services, in exchange for reviews.
● Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show customers that you value their feedback.
How to Manage online reviews and ratings
– Regularly monitor your review profiles to stay on top of new reviews and ratings.
– Respond promptly to both positive and negative reviews to show customers that you value their feedback.
– Consider using review management tools, such as Hootsuite or Sprout Social, to streamline your review management process.
5. Create Content That Appeals to Your Local Audiences
Creating content that appeals to local audiences is important for businesses that want to attract customers from their local community. Local content is important for several reasons:
● Local content is more relevant to your target audience, making it more likely to resonate with them.
● Local content can improve engagement rates, such as likes, shares, and comments.
● Local content allows you to target specific geographic locations, making it more likely to attract local customers.
Types of local content to use to improve your local SEO:
● Blog posts that focus on local topics, such as events, news, and trends.
● Social media posts that highlight local products, services, or events.
● Videos that showcase local attractions, events, or products.
● Infographics that provide information about local demographics, statistics, or trends.
Strategic approach to creating local content
– Conduct keyword research to identify local keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for.
– Use local language and slang to make your content more relatable and authentic.
– Highlight local attractions, events, and products to make your content more relevant and interesting.
– : Use local data and statistics to provide valuable insights and information to your target audience.
6. Use Local Structured Data Markup
Local structured data markup is a type of microdata that provides search engines like Google with additional information about your business, such as your name, address, phone number, and hours of operation. This information helps search engines understand the context of your website and provide users with more accurate and relevant search results.
Benefits of using local structured data markup
– Local structured data markup can improve your business’s visibility in search results, making it more likely that customers will find and visit your website.
– Local structured data markup can increase your business’s credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines and customers.
– Local structured data markup can improve your website’s search engine rankings, making it more likely that customers will find and visit your website.
How to Implement Local Structured Data Markup
● Use a markup tool like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate the code for your website.
● Add the markup code to your website’s HTML, either by editing the code directly or by using a plugin or module.
● Test the markup using Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to ensure that it’s working correctly.
7. User-Generated Content to Improve Local SEO
User-generated contents are various forms of content created by users, leveraging UGC can increase engagement, and establish trust with potential customers.
The Advantages of User-Generated Content for Local Businesses are:
● UGC can improve local SEO by increasing the volume of relevant and high-quality content associated with your business.
● UGC can boost engagement with customers, enabling businesses to build relationships and drive sales.
● UGC can help businesses establish their brand and position themselves as industry leaders.
● UGC can increase trust and credibility with potential customers, making them more likely to visit your business.
Leveraging UGC is a straightforward process that involves;
● Incentivizing customers to create content by offering rewards, such as discounts or free products.
● Gathering content from various sources, including social media, and email.
● : Displaying UGC on your website and social media channels to showcase your business and attract customers.
● Monitoring and responding to UGC to build customer relationships and enhance your online presence.
Here are some tips for using UGC:
● Use various content types, such as photos and videos, to keep your content fresh and engaging.
● Display UGC prominently on your website and social media channels to increase engagement and trust.
● Respond to both positive and negative UGC to build customer relationships and enhance your online presence.
● Use UGC in advertising to increase trust and credibility with potential customers.