There is a lot of hype about promoting your business online. One way to promote your business online is through local SEO, but do you know why it is important? Once you know what SEO is, you will understand what it does for your business and why it’s so beneficial for any business online.
What Is SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a way for businesses to increase visits to their company’s website. It happens by improving their site’s position in search results on search engines like Google.
SEO is a way for companies to naturally increase their site’s ranking without using paid advertising. Companies looking to boost their ranking can use the following different types of SEO:
On-Page
On-page SEO takes into account all of the content found on your company’s website. Landing pages and blogs should provide readers with accurate and well-written content.
On-page SEO can be increased with:
- Easy-to-read content
- Optimized keywords
- Easy-to-navigate pages
- Informative blogs
You want your site to be as user-friendly as possible to encourage people to spend time on your site.
Off-Page
Off-page SEO helps direct visitors to your site through link-building. Backlinks are commonly used to direct people on another website to your website.
Ways to improve your site’s off-page SEO include:
- Guest blogging
- Commenting on forum sites
- Sharing information on social media
Providing content on other sites and having people promote your site can ultimately direct people back to your site. Over time, your ranking will improve as people use those links and are redirected to your page.
Technical
Technical SEO and on-page SEO are closely related, but not the same. On-page SEO refers to the things site visitors can see, whereas technical SEO is boosted through the website’s backend. Technical SEO includes:
- Page speed
- Mobile device design
- Schema markup
- Image optimization
- Secure HTTPS connection
- Other technical factors
Like with on-page SEO, technical SEO helps pages rank higher if they are user-friendly and provide users with a good experience.
Local
If your business relies on customers going to a physical location then you need to have high-quality local SEO. When your business’s location is highly visible through search results, customers can find you easily.
Use features such as Google My Business and Google Maps to guide potential customers directly to your companu. Google My Business will provide important information about your business so long as you have claimed your page and completed your profile. Google Maps will help people see where your business is located and how to get there.
In addition to the Google profile information, verify that the business contact information is correct and visible on your webpage.
Other things you can do to boost your local SEO include:
- Using trust symbols and certification images on your page
- Embedding a Google Maps market on your site
- Adding location information to your site’s page titles
- Including location information alongside your keywords
Local SEO is used to help customers find your business through an online search. The better your page’s ranking, the higher your company shows on the list. You want your company to be as high on the search result list as possible.
Your local SEO will greatly improve if you maintain high-quality on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.
Other
App store optimization and YouTube optimization are two other types of SEO. These two forms of optimization are for searching on specific platforms.
App sellers benefit from optimizing the apps they sell. It can be difficult to achieve optimization because there are multiple app selling platforms, like Google’s Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Companies can improve their searchability in an app store by having a descriptive title and attractive icon. From there, keywords and meta tags should be included in the description of the app.
Companies with YouTube channels are able to create, edit YouTube videos, to monetize their videos. Improving YouTube SEO can increase the number of views each video, and subsequently, the channel receives.
A company can improve its video optimization with a descriptive title and video description. They can also use keywords users are likely to search for in the description.
How Your Business Benefits from Local SEO
When your company is competing with other businesses in your area, you must be at the top of every search list related to your keywords. You also want users to be able to find you without scrolling through multiple webpage results.
For example, if you own a pizza shop, you want the search results for “pizza near me” to direct potential customers to your site. Your website traffic will not only increase with improved local SEO, but the customers coming through your door could increase, too.
As your business attracts more customers, you will be able to increase your sales. If people can find your company easily, you will also be able to reduce the amount of money you spend paying for paid advertisements online.
How to Improve Your Local SEO
Are you ready to improve your local seo? Consider working with an SEO company. Such services specialize in boosting SEO by performing a site audit and providing their clients with a customized strategy. A strong strategy can greatly increase your growth opportunities.