Local Search Optimization Advice
Here are ten steps to improve your local search presence in a hurry. Mind you, for some companies, it’s a good idea to hire an SEO consultant to improve your local search presence and overall SEO strategy.
If you’re not showing up in Google local search, there are a few things you should do immediately to improve local search rankings for your company.
In fact, here are ten steps to improve your local search presence. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be pleased with the results.
- Add your company’s contact information to your website homepage. Contact information should include the business name, address and local number (not a toll free number);
- Add or Claim your local business listings at “Google Places”, “Bing Listing”, “Yahoo” and “Yelp”;
- Update your local business listings to exactly match your company contact information;
- Add business-appropriate categories to your local business listing, using phrases you’d like to be found for in local search;
- Add a good description to your local business listings using keywords your customers are likely to search for;
- Add a picture, or pictures, to your local business listings;
- After completing optimization of your business listings in Google Places, Bing, Yahoo and Yelp, take the time to optimize your listings at other third-party data providers: Localeze; Citysearch; Superpages; industry-specific local directories, etc.
- Solicit local links to your website’s homepage from authority local organizations, such as your city chamber of commerce, local businesses/partners, local business directories and geo specific-bloggers;
- Get people to write positive reviews for your company, which they can post on the sites at which you have local listings (e.g. Yelp, CitySearch, Google, etc.). It’s important that their reviews convey the message that you offer a great service and provide great customer service. When requesting a review, make it easy for the reviewer by sending them an email with instructions and a direct link to your business listings.
- Revisit local search performance on a regular basis. You should continue to try to get reviews and links over time. Don’t think that local search optimization is a “one and done” process. Your competitors won’t be resting on their laurels, so neither can you.
For middle market companies with a heavy reliance on local sales, it’s a good idea to hire an SEO consultant to improve your local search presence. Make sure to choose an SEO firm with experience in local search marketing services. Our Chicago SEO consultants at Walker Sands are ready to support you. Fill out the form on this page to learn more about our SEO consulting services.