What is local SEO?

Local SEO is the process of optimizing a website for local search results. It is similar to traditional SEO, but with a focus on local keywords and business listings. 

Local SEO is important for businesses that want to be found in local search results. It can help them build their brand, attract new customers, and grow their business. 

There are a few things that businesses can do to optimize their website for local SEO. They can create content about their city or town, list their business on directories and review sites, and make sure their website is mobile-friendly.

Local SEO vs. SEO

SEO is the process of optimizing a website for Google search with the goal of earning higher web traffic levels and improving the visibility of the site. Local SEO is a specific type of SEO that focuses on optimizing a website for Google search in a particular geographic location. 

The main difference between Local SEO and regular SEO is that Local SEO has a more targeted approach. When someone searches for “plumbers in Seattle,” they are looking for plumbers who service the Seattle area specifically. This means that businesses who want to rank for this keyword need to have their location set as Seattle in their Google My Business listing, and include Seattle-specific keywords on their website. 

Businesses that want to improve their local visibility should focus on Local SEO tactics.

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Why local SEO is important

As the world of online marketing continues to grow, so does the importance of Local SEO. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Local SEO is the process of optimizing a website for local search engine results. While it is similar to traditional SEO practices, there are a few key differences that make Local SEO essential for businesses that want to be visible in their local market.

One of the biggest benefits of Local SEO is that it allows businesses to target their marketing efforts specifically to their local market. This is especially important for small businesses that may not have the resources to compete on a national or global level. By optimizing their website for local search results, they can ensure that their target customers will see their website when they are searching for products or services in their area.

Another benefit of Local SEO is that it can help businesses to build trust and credibility with their local customers.

Local SEO Audit

Auditing your local SEO is important to ensure that you are visible to potential customers in your area. Here are a few things to look for when auditing your local SEO: 

 

Run keyword research for local queries

If you want to make sure your local SEO is on point, keyword research is a great place to start. By targeting the right keywords, you can ensure that your website and online content are being seen by the people who are most likely to convert.

But what exactly makes a keyword “local”? And how do you go about finding the best ones for your business? Here’s a quick guide to help get you started.

When it comes to local SEO keywords, relevancy is key. That means targeting keywords that are specific to your location and/or industry. For example, if you’re a plumber in Los Angeles, you’ll want to target keywords like “plumbing Los Angeles” or “emergency plumbing Los Angeles.

Audit your Google Business Profile

If you’re serious about marketing your business online, then you need to make sure your Google Business Profile is in top shape. An audit of your profile can help you identify any areas that need improvement.

Here are a few things to look for when auditing your Google Business Profile: 

1. Make sure all of your information is up-to-date and accurate. This includes your business name, address, hours, contact information, and website URL. 

2. Check to see if you have any duplicate listings. Duplicate listings can confuse customers and hurt your chances of being found in search results. 

3. Optimize your profile with keywords that describe your business and services. This will help improve your visibility in search results. 

4. Add photos and videos to show off your business and products/services.

Check the number of local reviews 

As a business owner, one of the best things you can do for your website’s SEO is to encourage customers to leave reviews. Not only do online reviews help improve your website’s ranking in search results, but they also give potential customers an idea of what they can expect from your business.

However, if you’re not careful, you could end up with a lot of fake reviews. That’s why it’s important to check the number of local reviews before you start promoting them on your website.

There are a few different ways to check the number of local reviews. One way is to use a tool like Moz Local. This tool will show you how many reviews your business has across different platforms, as well as where those reviews are coming from.

Optimize tags for local queries

If you’re a business owner, it’s important to keep track of your local reviews. Not only do they impact your SEO, but they also give you a good idea of how customers feel about your business.

To start, check Google My Business and other similar platforms for reviews. These are the most popular review sites, so it’s important to have a presence on them. Make sure to respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. Customers appreciate when businesses take the time to address their concerns.

Finally, don’t forget to track your progress over time. Checking your local reviews on a regular basis will help you see what customers like and don’t like about your business. With this information, you can make changes to improve the customer experience.

Ensure the website is well optimized for user interaction

Most website users are looking for a specific thing when they visit a site. If they can’t find what they need, they’ll leave and find a site that better meets their needs. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your website is well-optimized for user interaction and experience.

One way to do this is to perform an SEO audit. This will help you identify any areas where your site may be falling short in terms of meeting user needs. Once you’ve identified these areas, you can take steps to improve them. This may involve making changes to your site’s design, content, or navigation.

Making sure your website is optimized for users will help ensure that they have a positive experience when they visit your site. This can lead to more repeat visitors and potential customers for your business.

Review internal linking

As part of any SEO audit, it’s important to review your website’s internal linking. Internal links are links from one page on your website to another page on your website. They help search engines understand the structure of your website and can help improve your website’s ranking in search results.

When reviewing your website’s internal linking, look for opportunities to improve the anchor text and link target. Anchor text is the visible text that is linked to another page. The link target is the page that the link goes to.

Try to use keyword-rich anchor text that accurately describes the content on the linked page. For example, if you have a page about dog food, a good anchor text would be “dog food.” Linking to pages with relevant content will help improve your website’s ranking in search results.

Check for backlinks and see if locally relevant backlinks exist

An SEO audit is an important part of any digital marketing strategy. Checking for backlinks is a key part of this process. Backlinks help search engines understand how popular a website is and how relevant it is to certain keywords.

There are a few different ways to check for backlinks. One way is to use a tool like Google Search Console. This tool will show you the number of backlinks pointing to your website from other websites.

Another way to check for backlinks is to use a tool like Moz’s Open Site Explorer. This tool will show you the number of backlinks pointing to your website from other websites, as well as the authority of those websites.

 checking for locally relevant backlinks is also important. Local businesses should make sure that they have backlinks from local directories and other relevant websites. This will help them rank higher in local search results.

Schema review

A schema is an organization of data that describes the physical structure of a database. It includes information about the tables, columns, and indexes in a database. A schema review is an audit of this structure to ensure that it is optimally organized for search engine visibility.

During a schema review, our SEO experts will examine your database structure and make recommendations for improving its organization. We will also look for any potential errors that could negatively impact your search engine rankings. By making sure your schema is optimized, we can help you improve your visibility and attract more visitors to your site.

Check for the presence of local directories

When you are conducting an SEO audit, one of the things you will want to check for is the presence of local directories. This is important because local directories can help to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results pages.

There are a few things to look for when checking for local directories. First, you will want to make sure that the directory is relevant to your website’s content. Second, you will want to check the directory’s page rank in order to ensure that it is a high-quality directory. Finally, you will want to make sure that the directory is indexed by major search engines.

If you find a local directory that meets all of these criteria, then you should submit your website to the directory. This will help to improve your website’s visibility and traffic levels.

Get ahead of the curve with our services

Digital marketing is an ever-growing industry that can be difficult to keep up with if you’re not familiar with the latest trends and technologies. However, don’t worry – our team of experts are here to help.

We offer a variety of digital marketing services that will help you get ahead of the curve and stay ahead of your competition. Our services include SEO, PPC, social media advertising, and web design.

We understand that every business is different, so we tailor our services to fit your specific needs. We also offer a free consultation so that we can understand your business and goals better.

If you’re looking for a reliable and trustworthy digital marketing agency, then look no further than our team at Digital Encounter. We’d be happy to help you achieve your online goals.