How to Do Local SEO: The Keys to Success

Picture your business showing up right at the top when someone nearby searches for your services online—that’s the magic of local SEO. It’s not just about getting you more clicks; it’s about turning those clicks into real-life paying customers.

With the right local SEO strategy, you’ll enjoy things like: 

• Increased visibility
• More customer inquiries
• Higher search rankings

What’s not to love?

If you’re ready to boost your local presence and become the go-to spot in town, we’re ready to share with you how to do local SEO (the right way)! Let’s get started. 

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO (short for search engine optimization) is the process of optimizing your online presence to attract customers from local searches. But how is that any different from regular old SEO?

Unlike general SEO, which focuses on improving a website’s visibility in a broader sense, local SEO targets specific geographic areas like say, a town, or a particular neighborhood. 

Local SEO involves optimizing your website, Google Business Profile (GBP), and other online platforms to ensure that your business appears prominently in local search results when people search for products or services near them. 

Essentially, local SEO helps businesses connect with nearby customers who are actively looking for what they offer. Because think about it, why waste time marketing yourself to folks in the greater San Francisco county when you’re service area mainly consists of the neighborhood of Richmond?

Also See: Essential Small Business SEO Tips

Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile Listing

Claiming and optimizing your GBP listing is a great first step in boosting your local SEO efforts. Follow these step-by-step tips to make sure your business stands out in local search results:

Claim Your GBP Listing

Start by claiming your GBP listing if you haven’t already. Visit the Google Business Profile page and follow the prompts to claim your listing. You’ll have the option to verify your ownership through a postcard, phone call, or email verification process.

Complete Your Profile

Once you’ve claimed your GBP listing, ensure all the essential information about your business is accurate and up to date. This includes your business name, address, phone number (NAP), and business hours. Be consistent with this information across all online platforms to build trust with both customers and search engines alike.

Add High-Quality Images

Visual content plays a big role in attracting potential customers. Tell us, which dog groomer would you choose out of these two options?

This:

Or this:

Yeah, we had a feeling you would choose option #2.

That’s why it is important to upload high-quality images of your business, including the interior, exterior, products, and services. Images can help users get a better feel for your business and make them more likely to engage with your listing (like making a call).

Encourage Customer Reviews

Positive reviews can greatly impact your local SEO rankings and attract even more customers. So encourage your happy clients to leave reviews on your GBP listing by providing excellent service and making it easy for them to leave feedback, such as through automatic text or email notifications. Broadly can help you with that.

Respond to reviews promptly, whether they’re positive or negative, to show that you value customer feedback and are committed to providing a great experience. 

Optimizing your GBP listing is just one part of the local SEO equation, but it’s a big one. So, don’t sleep on it.

Tip: Automatically request reviews from customers so they can promote your business with just one click.

Optimize Your Website for Local Search

To enhance your local SEO efforts, it’s a good idea to optimize your website for local search as well. Follow these tips to improve your website’s visibility in local search results:

Ensure NAP Consistency

How would you feel if a dental clinic had differing phone numbers on the GBP listing versus the website? Would you still call to book an appointment? Probably not. And your potential customers would do the same.

That’s why you need to make sure your NAP data, including your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across your website and listings. This consistency helps search engines understand your business location and gives confidence to visitors that they can easily contact you.

Create Location-Specific Pages and Content

If your business serves multiple locations, create individual pages for each location on your website. Include location-specific information such as address, phone number, business hours, and services offered. This allows you to target customers in each location, with the added bonus of being able to track which location page is getting the most visits.

Use Local Keywords

Incorporate local keywords throughout your website, including in your titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body content. Focus on keywords that include things like your: 

• City
• Neighborhood
• County
• Region

These types of keywords help you to rank higher.

Embed a Google Map

Embedding a Google Map with your business location on your contact page makes it easy for customers to find you and improves your website’s local relevance. Make sure the map is interactive and mobile-friendly for the best user experience.

Also see: Local SEO Optimization Guide

Build Local Citations

What are citations and are they really necessary? Yes, they are!

You see, citations are mentions of your NAP data on a website that isn’t your own. The more citations you can build on reputable sites, the stronger your relevancy in local search results.

Follow these steps to build local citations for your business effectively:

List Your Business in Local Directories

Start by listing your business in popular local directories and online listings such as: 

• Yelp
• Yellow Pages
• Google Business Profile

These platforms serve as valuable sources of information for potential customers searching for local businesses.

Ensure NAP Consistency

Consistency is key when it comes to your NAP data. So, make sure that your information is accurate across as many directories and listings as you can. Inconsistencies can confuse search engines and potential customers, leading to a negative impact on your local SEO efforts.

Focus on High-Authority Directories

While it’s important to list your business in various directories, it is unrealistic to try to expect yourself to get them all. 

Search engines like Google give algorithmic ranks of importance to directories, preferring prominent ones over the more obscure ones. That’s why you should focus on prioritizing high-authority local directories that are relevant to your industry. 

These directories carry more weight in search engine algorithms and can significantly boost your local search rankings quickly.

Generate Customer Reviews

Ready to boost your business with some stellar reviews? Here’s how to do just that:

Encourage Happy Customers

Don’t be shy! Politely ask your satisfied customers to share their experiences online. Make it super easy for them by providing clear instructions on how to leave a review on platforms like Google. 

This can be done through automation emails or texts after a purchase, and providing a link.

Respond with Care

Whether it’s a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down, always respond to reviews. Thank your happy customers for their kind words and address any concerns from the not-so-happy ones. It shows that you value their feedback and are committed to providing great service.

See examples here:

• How to respond to positive reviews
• How to respond to negative reviews

Turn Feedback into Action

Every review is a valuable insight into your business. Take the time to learn from them. Use the feedback to make improvements and enhance the overall experience for your customers.

Pro Tip: Allow Broadly to help you get those reviews rolling in. Your business will shine, and your customers will love you for it. Grab your demo today!

Create Local Content

Let’s spice up your content strategy with a local twist! Here’s how:

Stay Local Savvy

Write blog posts about exciting local events, share updates on neighborhood news, and discuss issues that truly matter to your customers. Show them you’re not just a business; you’re part of the community.

Showcase Your Success Stories

Your satisfied customers are your best advocates. Share their stories through case studies and testimonials. This will let potential customers see the real-life impact of your products or services.

Team Up for Success

Collaboration is key to a strong local SEO! Partner with other local businesses for guest posts and backlinks. You’ll expand your reach while supporting fellow entrepreneurs in your area.

Leverage Social Media for Local Engagement

Amp up your local presence with these savvy strategies:

Spread the Word

Your social media platforms are prime real estate for sharing everything local—from popular events to special promotions. Keep your followers in the loop and give them a reason to stay connected.

Chat with the Locals

Join local community groups and strike up conversations. Engage with influencers who resonate with your brand and collaborate on exciting projects. Building authentic relationships will keep you top of mind when locals need your services.

Tag and Hashtag it

Don’t forget to tag your location and use relevant hashtags. This simple step can skyrocket your visibility within the local community and attract potential customers right to your doorstep.

Pro Tip: Ready to make waves in your neighborhood? Allow us to help you harness the power of social media and put your business in the spotlight!

Monitor and Analyze Your Local SEO Performance

Keep updated on the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts with these essential steps:

Leverage Analytics

Dive into the numbers with tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Track key metrics like website traffic, user behavior, and keyword performance to gauge your SEO success.

GBP Insights

Your GBP can be a treasure trove of data if you know where to look. Analyze customer actions, profile views, phone call clicks, and search queries to uncover how locals are interacting with your listing. This knowledge will guide your strategy and help you make better, more informed decisions.

Keep Things Flexible

Don’t just set it and forget it—regularly review your data and adjust your strategy when necessary. Customer behaviors and algorithm preferences change frequently, so whether it’s tweaking your keywords or fine-tuning your content, staying agile is the key to staying ahead in the local SEO game.

Utilize Local SEO Tools

To make your local SEO journey smoother and more effective, arm yourself with the right local SEO tools. Here’s how you can supercharge your local SEO with some of the best in the business:

Top Tools to Elevate Your Local SEO Game

Moz Local

• What It Does: Simplifies the process of managing local listings, ensuring your business information is consistent across the web.
• How It Helps: Keeps your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) accurate everywhere, boosting your local search rankings.

BrightLocal

• What It Does: Offers a suite of tools for tracking local search performance, managing reviews, and building citations.
• How It Helps: Provides insights into your local SEO efforts, helping you understand what’s working and where there’s room for improvement.

SEMrush

• What It Does: Comprehensive SEO tool that offers local keyword research, competitor analysis, and performance tracking.
• How It Helps: Identifies the best local keywords, helps you monitor your rankings, and keeps an eye on the competition.

Broadly

• What It Does: A comprehensive relationship management tool that includes local SEO features, review management, and customer engagement.
• How It Helps: Streamlines your online reputation management, enhances customer interactions and provides tools to improve local SEO rankings.

How These Tools Enhance Your Local SEO

• Streamlined Keyword Research: These local SEO tools help you find the most relevant local keywords fast, giving you a competitive edge over other businesses.
• Efficient Citation Building: These ensure your business details are consistent across all platforms.
• Performance Tracking: Analytics provide clear insights into your local search performance, allowing you to fine-tune your strategies effectively.
• Reputation Management: Tools like Broadly help you manage reviews and customer feedback efficiently, which is a big deal when building local trust and authority.

By leveraging these tools, you can streamline your local SEO efforts, save time, and ultimately drive more local traffic to your local business. And who doesn’t want that?

Conquer Local SEO with the Pros at Broadly

To wrap things up, remember that effective local SEO isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for driving targeted traffic and building a strong online presence in your community. By focusing on these tactics we mentioned, you can significantly improve your local search rankings and connect with customers right when they need your services.

At Broadly, our software helps you manage customer reviews and improve your online reputation, and soon, you’ll be able to evaluate search rankings in your area with our new Local SEO tool. This feature includes a user-friendly search grid and the ability to track rankings for intelligently recommended keywords.

Don’t wait for your competitors to overtake you. Sign up for a demo now and see how Broadly can help better your local SEO efforts and bring more customers to your doorstep.