Local SEO – Follow these steps to improve your local visibility

Get to know your surroundings. Make sure that you are recognized in your neighborhood as well. With so-called Local SEO, you can do just that. While general search engine optimization focuses on being easily found on Google, local search engine optimization is more about being found when users search for results in their vicinity.

A possible example would be searching for nearby restaurants or doctors. But don't be discouraged if you don't fall into these two categories. Other industries can also greatly benefit from this type of optimization. The following screenshot shows the results for the search query “doctor”. Here, you can easily see that the first three results are particularly highlighted. It is also noticeable that a very generic query was conducted, yet it led to a precise result. Google assumes from experience that you are likely searching for a doctor in your area. If your business appears in such a query, the chances of additional traffic and successful conversions increase significantly. But how do you proceed, and what do you need to consider? In the following article, we delve deeper into this topic.

Google MyBusiness

Especially for non-tech-savvy individuals, the platform Google MyBusiness offers a good introduction to the topic of Local SEO. On this portal, you can provide your contact details, enter opening hours, and describe your business in more detail. The advantage of this platform is that it was developed directly by Google and thus is also considered in the organic search. This means that you can appear in Google’s local search results even if you haven't optimized your website content yet. Furthermore, Google MyBusiness can be used to enhance measures of other Google services like AdWords. This tool should definitely be utilized.

Content Measures

To ensure that your business continues to be easily found on Google, you should also optimize the content of your website for local relevance. Make sure that search engines recognize that your business, product, or service has a local connection. One way to do this is to establish this connection in the text itself. You can also specify the company's address and contact information on every single page of your web presence.

It is important that search engines better recognize whether your business should be displayed in local searches. Of course, there are other possibilities, such as the creation of new content. Consider, for example, a rating system (with stars) as seen in the screenshot. Many businesses are initially hesitant because of fear of negative reviews. See it as an opportunity. The likelihood is relatively high that satisfied users will rate you. In the event that you are displayed with such a rating system on Google, you can expect a significant portion of users to click on you because your display stands out and differentiates from competitors' results.

Technical Measures

Finally, you should also make some technical adjustments to your website. First of all, it is important to use as clean and small a code base as possible, as this is preferred by search engines. Moreover, adjusting the code often provides the opportunity to check and, if necessary, optimize the existing code. From experience, we can say that websites with a good code base rank measurably better.

But even users with less technical understanding can optimize the code for local search engine optimization. Many Content Management Systems now provide the foundation for so-called Microdata. This is a structured data markup that emerged from a collaboration between Google, Microsoft (Bing), and Yahoo. Therefore, all three search engines support Microdata. In this case, certain information on your website, such as contact details, is specifically marked in the source code.

Normal users do not see these markings, but search engines can read and use them very well. This results in your results being displayed more specifically and enhanced on search results pages. By using Microdata, search results pages can be actively influenced. Below are the results for the search query “buy pizza margarita” - however, without a local reference, but focusing on Microdata for shopping.

A note should be added here, however. Google explicitly mentions that Microdata is currently not a ranking criterion and that there is no rule when results on search results pages are particularly highlighted. Nonetheless, the results are very often optimally displayed. Therefore, we definitely recommend this measure.

Backlinks

Once all these measures are completed, you should start obtaining relevant backlinks from websites in your local area. Pay particular attention to the relevance of the links. We always recommend the generic, i.e., free, collection of backlinks because it offers significant added value. Use PR measures or promote collaborations with other local businesses.

What We Can Do for You

Are you considering running a local advertising campaign but aren't quite sure what to focus on? Do you want to increase the number of leads and conversions by being featured more prominently on search engine results pages? Are you unsure about using the various Google tools? In these cases, we can assist you with comprehensive advice and implementation. Contact us today.