Just how important is Local SEO or optimising for Local search : 43 percent of the overall query volume coming from Google (mobile and PC) carried a local search query
Connecting Local searches with Local business makes business sense!
Local SEO optimisation Tips
Claim your Google+ Local
Connect your Google+ Local listing with your Google+ Business page. Claim it, Verify it. By connecting your Local listing, it adds the map , reviews, address and telephone number in the Knowledge Infopanel and also adds your Recent posts from your Google+ Business page.
Add Images to your Google+ Local
Google allows you to add upto 10 images to your Google+ Local listing. The web is visual, people are visual, they like to see the products, services that your business provides.
Local Citations
The web works on information, by providing, reinforcing that your business exists online, search engines will rank it accordingly. Use Local business directories to list your business and information. ** You must make sure that your business address is the same as listed on your website and Google+ Local
Reviews on Google+ Local
Reviews help tremendously with your Local SEO. Ask customers to add reviews to your Google+ Local listing, incorporate the link to review page in your follow up emails. Make it part of your customer review process.
Local SEO Tips from the Experts
I have great respect and admiration for these Experts and would like to thank them for their contributions. On this page you have around 80yrs of SEO experience.
SEO at High Position
Be relevant in your area! Whilst local citations, an optimised Google+ places and keyword targeting important, to get ahead you’ll need reviews, links and engagement from your target area. Not only will this provide great local PR, but it makes it explicit to Google as to your value with the community.
Also, don’t forget Bing’s local services and their integration into Facebook, Windows phone and other services!
Dejan SEO
Leonardo Wood Web Design / Local SEO
Current Project: #Tendring
I have 3 tips…
· Think community
· Go out of your way to help local people
· Make it easier for local people to share your content
I’ve merged the 3 into my answer below:
These tips come from a recent breakthrough that I have had in my business, which started out as a bit of an SEO strategy, but has now changed my complete outlook on doing business locally.
At the beginning of July 2013, and after a few months of being in a bit of a ‘business rut’ I decided to do something I had never done before, I started a 30 Day challenge, shortly after watching a Matt Cutts 30 Day Challenge Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfBXjWm7hc
As part of my 30-Day Challenge I decided to try and blog each day, to boost my SEO and among the topics I planned to cover was to include information to help local businesses in my location, Tendring in Essex.
After a few days of blogging I came across a ‘Starting A New Business’ guide created by the local council, so I featured it on my Blog, Tweeted about it and added it to my Facebook and Google+ page.
I quickly received an email from someone at the local council thanking me for sharing the guide; the council saw my post because I mentioned them when I shared it on Twitter.
The next day I emailed someone in the local council Tourism Dept. to tell them what I was doing on my blog to help local businesses and asked them to keep me up to date with any local updates thatthey felt my visitors may be interested in.
2 Days later I was invited to speak at the local Town Hall Tourism Meeting to talk about how local businesses could use social media to get more people talking about them and the area in general.
I quickly added a post on my blog talking about the meeting and encouraged a few local people to share it, and it quickly became my most shared and commented page: See Article, since the meeting I have updated it by adding a photo etc.
As this was a community story more people got behind it and shared it, which got my name mentioned and encouraged more people to talk about me and link to me via their shares and likes etc.
2 days later I was standing in front of Tourism Bosses and representatives from local businesses telling them how to get more people talking about them online, it was a short 10 minute presentation and an opportunity to get my photo taken with local councilors and local business owners etc.
The next day my photo appeared in the local paper, it didn’t mention me but I let everyone locally know about the story, which again got more people interacting, commenting and liking.
As this seemed to strike a chord with local people I thought about what I could do to expand on the story to help the cause of getting local people talking about Tendring.
So, a couple of days later I created a campaign which I named #Tendring Trending, I threw a web page together, sent some information out via my social media pages and emailed the reported who had covered the story about the Tourism Meeting.
Long story short, I have now been featured in the local papers at least 4 times over the last week or so, and they are now mentioning my name and business name. My story has also made it online to various associated local news sites which include links to my website and social media pages.
Not only is this now making me look more credible in the eyes of potential local customers I have now gained some really great links from online local news sites.
On the back of all this I have created a community website for my area which is going to focus on helping the local community, I have created a local community networking page and after brainstorming on Twitter yesterday with some new local followers as a result of this campaign I have set up an Offline Networking Group for my area.
I’m not talking about Leonardo Wood online, I’m talking about the community and people are more willing to have a conversation about that, they are more willing to get involved and much more willing to share with their friends and followers.
SEO Critical Thinker & Data Marketeer
Get reviews onto G+. Helps to have those star ratings standout in the search results to improve SERPs CTR for brand (and you never know if they’ll expand from there)
Starbright Solutions
I believe it is really important to optimise for local SEO, as the one boosts the other, referring to organic SEO of course.
If you get your ranking up in the places your business, or business offices are located, then searches correlated with the specific area, will deliver your local results in top 6 places.
True reviews, and citations are key no matter what other basic “DUH” optimization has to be done in the first place, using keyword in categories etc