Local SEO – Follow these steps to improve your local visibility

Make a name for yourself in your area. Ensure that people in your neighborhood know who you are. With local SEO, you can do just that. While traditional search engine optimization focuses on ranking as high as possible on Google, local search engine optimization is all about being found right when users are searching for results near them.

A classic example would be searching for nearby restaurants or doctors. But don't worry if you don't fall into these two categories—other industries can benefit significantly from this type of optimization as well. The following screenshot shows the results for the search query "doctor." Here, you can easily see that the top three results are prominently highlighted. It’s also noticeable that a very generic query was used, yet it led to a precise result. Based on experience, Google assumes that you are most likely looking for a doctor nearby. If your business appears in this spot for such a query, your chances of gaining additional traffic and successful conversions increase dramatically. But how do you get started, and what do you need to keep in mind? We'll dive into the details in the following article.

Google My Business

Especially for those who aren't tech-savvy, Google My Business is a great entry point into the world of local SEO. On this platform, you can share your contact details, enter opening hours, and describe your company in more detail. The advantage of this platform is that it was developed directly by Google and is naturally taken into account in organic search. This means you can appear in Google's local search results even if you haven't optimized your website's content yet. In addition, Google My Business is ideal for further improving the performance of other Google services like AdWords. It's definitely a tool you should be using.

Content-Related Steps

To continue ensuring that your business is easy to find on Google, you should also optimize your website's content with a local focus. Make sure search engines recognize that your company, product, or service has a local connection. One way to do this is by establishing this link directly in the text. You can also include your company's address and contact information on every single page of your website.

The key is helping search engines better determine whether your business should be displayed in local searches. Of course, there are other great options, such as creating new content. Think about a review system (with star ratings), for instance, just like the one in the screenshot. Many businesses initially shy away from this out of fear of negative reviews. Look at it as an opportunity instead! The chances are quite high that satisfied customers will leave positive feedback. If you appear on Google with such a rating system, you can expect a large portion of users to click on your link because your listing stands out and catches the eye compared to your competitors' results.

Technical Steps

Finally, you should make a few technical adjustments to your website. First of all, it's best to use a clean and lean codebase, as this is favored by search engines. In addition, adjusting the code often provides an opportunity to review and optimize existing code. From experience, we can say that websites with a solid codebase rank measurably better.

Even users with less technical know-how can optimize their code for local search engine optimization. Many content management systems now provide the foundation for what is known as microdata. This is structured data markup created through a collaboration between Google, Microsoft (Bing), and Yahoo. All three search engines therefore support microdata. In this case, specific information on your website, such as contact details, is intentionally tagged directly in the source code.

Everyday users won't see these markups, but search engines can read and use them effectively. This ensures that your listings on search engine results pages are displayed more specifically and look much richer. By using microdata, you can actively influence how your results appear. Below are the results for the search query "buy pizza margherita"—without a local focus, but highlighting microdata for shopping instead.

One quick note should be made here, though: Google explicitly states that microdata is currently not a direct ranking factor and that there are no set rules for when results will be specially highlighted on the search results pages. Even so, the results are very often displayed in an optimized format. That's why we definitely recommend taking this step.

Backlinks

Once you've checked off all these steps, you should start building relevant backlinks from websites in your local area. Pay close attention to the relevance of these links. We always recommend building backlinks organically—meaning for free—because they provide genuine value. Take advantage of PR activities or promote collaborations with other local businesses.

How We Can Help You

Are you thinking about launching a local advertising campaign, but aren't quite sure what to watch out for? Would you like to increase your leads and conversions by standing out more on search engine results pages? Are you feeling unsure about how to navigate the various Google tools? We're here to help you with comprehensive consulting and hands-on support. Get in touch with us today!