7 Mistakes To Avoid While Performing Local SEO

Recent times have seen local SEO become one of the most advantageous tools at the disposal of any enterprise, big or small. With consumer searches having grown exponentially and more so on mobile devices, Google has shown a massive boom in the number of unique local searches per month! This only indicates the critical need for any business to implement local search engine optimization.

While investing in local SEO campaigns is needed, Google’s constantly changing algorithm requirements and website optimization regulations make it a challenging task with most business owners struggling and missing important steps. Listed below are 7 mistakes to avoid while performing local SEO -

 

1. Inaccurate or Inconsistent NAP Information -
NAP stands for Name, Address and Phone number and is one of the most influential factors of local search engine optimization. Having accurate and consistent NAP information about your business on your website as well as on other local listing sites encourages Google to verify your business’ credibility, thereby strengthening your local SEO ranking and effectively enhancing user experience. Additionally, it will also help you optimize your conversion rate since about 72% of the consumers who perform a local search, prefer to visit a store that is within 5 miles of their current location. Failing to maintain accurate and consistent NAP information across the web almost always results in a great loss of potential business opportunities.

 

2. Failing to Claim and Verify Your GMB Listing -
Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that enables you to register your business or organization with Google and manage your online presence. Claiming your GMB listing is one of the most effective ways to interact with your customer base, optimize your online presence and pass on the right information and contact details regarding your business. Do not forget to verify your GMB listing after claiming it, as this will block other users from editing it and grant you complete control over your listing. Moreover, in order to maximize your reach, ensure that your business is registered on other local online directories apart from GMB listings too.

 

3. Not Using Local Keywords -
Yet another factor that is often overlooked while performing local search engine optimization is to incorporate local keywords in your content. You may be using the right keywords pertaining to your industry, but failing to incorporate local keywords will restrict your visibility for local online searches. In order to optimize your website for local SERPs, be sure to add your location succeeding your industry-specific keywords. For example, if you are based in Toronto and own a company that offers local SEO services, instead of using ‘local SEO company’ as a keyword, make use of ‘local SEO company in Toronto’. This is a sure-shot way of boosting business leads, both local and otherwise.

 

4. Overlooking Title Tags and Meta Descriptions -
Optimizing your content for local SEO does not stop at simply inserting location-based keywords in your content. Title tags and meta descriptions play a vital role in promoting your online visibility and driving targeted traffic to your website, making them an essential element of your SEO and content strategy. You can even optimize your title tags and meta descriptions for local SERPs by integrating them with keywords relevant to your location and business category.

 

5. Neglecting Mobile and Voice Search Optimization -
Next, see to it that you don’t fail to optimize your website for mobile responsiveness and voice search. Seeing the increase in the number of smartphone users, warc postulates that almost 75% of internet users are expected to conduct searches exclusively via mobile by 2025! As such, designing a website that is mobile responsive and adapted to a conversational writing style for Voice search optimization, can definitely improve your website’s ranking for local SERPs and lead to a substantial boost in ROI.

 

6. Lack of Quality Backlinks -
Local search engine optimization is not only limited to on-page SEO practices. Off-page SEO practices like building relevant and quality backlinks to your web pages also play a significant role towards your local SEO. Inbound links from sources that display high authority like news or media websites or even well-ranking websites from an industry niche convince Google that your website is relevant to your niche, trustworthy and thereby deserving of being included in the local search engine result pages.

 

7. Absence of Online Reviews -
Lastly, an important component that plays a pivotal role in your local SEO strategy is online reviews. According to the bright local consumer review survey, today, 82% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. These reviews help establish trust and authority for your business in the minds of your customers and search engines alike. Thus, always encourage your customers to leave you positive online reviews on your GMB listing or social media pages, and prioritize online reputation management for best results. To learn more about the fundamentals of building a strong online presence, click here.

 

For further support to grow your business, our team at Parkyd Digital is available and happy to help you. With a deep understanding of the digital marketing landscape and over a decade of industry experience, we offer holistic marketing solutions that are customized according to your requirements to effectively boost your ROI and achieve your business goals. 

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