MoPoe & Associates

3 SEO Steps to Improve Your Local Online Search Visibility for Your Business
By Monica Poe

Do you know how visible your business is in regards to local search? Or, does your business even show up at all in the search results? By utilizing local search engine optimization SEO practices, you can improve your business' appearance online in the organic search engine results and capture the attention of your local consumers.

According to Google, today’s local consumer conducts research for local information online using search engines and at a higher rate by using mobile devices verses desktop computers to make purchasing decisions. Therefore, local search engine optimization is a must.

What is Local Search Engine Optimization? Local Search Engine Optimization is the process of being visible online in your local area in the organic search results. This aspect of search engine optimization is focused on your keyword location and helps potential customers find your business easily.

When it comes to a local strategy for your business, utilizing these 3 steps will improve your local search visibility.

#1. Claim your local listing.

Claim your local listing for your business in Google My Business and Bing Places for Business to start. Chances are Google and Bing may have your business listing already posted in their search directory. If you are not listed in either, than you need to create a local listing in both platforms.

For example, we had to create our MoPoe & Associates local listing in Google. Our local listing highlights our local location here in Rock Island, IL and also highlights our core Internet Marketing Services such as Search Engine Optimization, Website Design and our other services and products we provide in our Quad Cities area.

Make sure your local listings are accurate with your complete name, address, telephone number and description of the products and services you provide. Also, select the appropriate business category for your business. If you are a furniture store, make sure you select this as your primary business category. Therefore, when customers or potential customers are searching for your products or services locally, your business will come up in the search engines for your exact location and primary category as well.

#2. Create and add optimized images to your local listing.

Adding optimized high resolution images to your local listing profile is a good idea as well. Search engines also pull information from images to display in their search results. You can add some images of the front of your building or employees working. You can also add other relevant images in relation to your business, such as pictures of your featured product.

For example, if you were adding a picture of the front of your building, your picture could be named “your business name store front pic.jpg” with a resolution of the image at 300 dpi. Remember to check and manage your listings periodically to make sure they continue to contain accurate information and update your pictures periodically as your business evolves.

#3. Create local search engine optimized website pages.

Make sure your website services and product pages are also local search engine optimized for your area. This will help bring in leads to your business website from your local area. Make sure your business name, address, and telephone number matches your business listings in Google My Business and Bing Places for Business and are visible on every page of your website. This is especially important for brick-and-mortar businesses.

Also, make sure your website is mobile friendly in regards to Google’s last algorithm update as of 4-21-2015, affectionately known as “Mobilegeddon”. Google now rewards websites that are mobile responsive to all mobile devices verses websites that are not. Google is using this as a ranking signal on its search engine, which makes this an important factor since “Google is King” in regards to search engines.

Conclusion

Improving your local online search visibility can help you bring awareness to your company’s products and services locally. By utilizing these 3 (SEO) steps, you can catch the attention of consumers who are looking to buy what you have to offer right in your own community.

About Monica Poe

Monica Poe, MVA-GVA is President/Founder and Certified Master Virtual Assistant of MoPoe & Associates, a Growth Strategies, Training & Business Support Company. MoPoe & Associates specializes in Technology and Marketing Solutions with a focus on helping clients with their behind the scenes marketing, visibility, and growth strategies that are essential. Monica is also a coach, speaker, and author of the guidebook “The Flexible Work-Life.”

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