Get Your Small Business Found In Local Search Results

WHAT IS LOCAL SEARCH?

Getting found in local search results isn’t always easy. Local search results are the listings that are shown on search engines (primarily Google) for people looking for your product or service in your local area. They depend on proximity, GMB profile, web design, and the credibility of your site around the web. The best place to show up is on the first page of results and preferably in the “map three pack.” These are the three listings that are shown along with the interactive map in your browser. These are the areas where the highest number of clicks occur. + Does Your Business Show in The Top Three Results on Google? Comment below yes if it does, or comment no if

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE THERE?

The answer is that’s where the results happen. You can pay for ads all day but you increase your chances of getting a click by showing up organically. 33% of clicks occur in the Three Pack and another 44% in the First Page Organic Results. Even if you are paying for ads, these listings are highly competitive for consumer attention.

5 Best Practices For Getting Found In Local Search

1. GOOGLE MY BUSINESS LISTING

   I don’t care if you hate Google. This is the single most important piece of your SEO efforts and the foundation for all the other sections we’ll cover. Listing Information – Your listing information NEEDS to be verified, complete, and accurate. An actual physical address is an important factor. Category Selection – Primary selection is important. Add additional categories to match your business. Images – Adding accurate imagery and geo-tagging them Reviews – Reviews don’t play AS much of a factor in rankings but having a large number of 5-star reviews will ensure that once you hit the top, you’ll get the most clicks. Posts – A somewhat new feature. Updates, events, and offers that last 7 days in the search results. Ongoing effort.

2. ON-PAGE OPTIMIZATION

   Now we move over to your actual website to do some on-page work that will help Google know that you are legitimate. H1 Tags – This is the primary tag on your home page(and other pages) and should be aligned with the business category you selected on GMB Mobile Experience – Google is s stickler for mobile these days so make sure you are doing everything you can to make your website mobile first. Keywords Placement – Using your business listing keyword throughout the page in an easy-to-read manner as well as your location will help Google verify that you are in the right location. Schema Markup – This is more technical code stuff but adding your contact information in the actual markup of the page is a fast and easy way to be compliant with voice search and verify that information with Google. Footer – who cares about the footer right? Google Does. Use your GMB profile info to fill out your footer including business hours. The more accurate that information is the better you will rank.

3. CITATIONS

   Citations are mentions of your business anywhere on the web. So other listing sites like Yelp, Angies List, Houzz, Home Advisor, Foursquare, etc… Wherever you can find a link to your website make sure you also have the correct NAP information. Name, Address, Phone Number. Using an automated local listing manager like our custom CRM software can help you manage all your listings in one dashboard. This saves many small businesses hours of time updating profiles.

4. BACKLINKS

   Backlinks are hard to obtain but play a major role in giving your website authority. These are links from credible sources that organically link back to your website. Guest blog, BBB or Chambers, Press Releases, and more. Backlinks tell search engines who you are associated with and the same token give your brand more authority online.