Afraid of missing out on the opportunity to tap the selling opportunity locally? You might be surprised to know that you can target potential local customers of your area with an effective local SEO strategy. By doing so, you will be able to sell your product in the area you think will benefit you the most.
Local SEO also provides a level playing field to small businesses. Bigger brands generally target much larger areas or populations. So, it becomes crucial for businesses to optimize their website with a Local SEO Toronto strategy that works.
Local SEO is very much a part of On-Page SEO. It aims to optimize websites in the same way as On-Page SEO does. But what differs is inculcating location specific keywords in your content to target customers that are looking for products related to yours locally.
What is Local SEO ?
Local SEO is a practice that helps websites become more visible for Local search queries on search engines. Businesses with physical stores in specific areas can optimize their website with Local SEO. You might have searched for something like a “Chinese restaurant near me.” This type of command requests the webmaster to serve a result from the area near the user. It aims to bring traffic to the website that wants to target local users for their products.
6 key Solutions for Local SEO
1. Google Business Profile –
It is a free tool provided by Google by which websites can make a business profile online. A website with a GBP is eligible to feature on the business listing on the Google search engine result page. GBP is featured not only in Google search but also on google maps. It helps websites with the following:
- Connect with customers.
- Post Business updates.
- List Products or Services.
- Gain Credibility with positive reviews on your listing.
- Increased visibility on Google.
- Boost the sales of products or services.
- Sharing information with the customer.
With this many benefits that GBP provides, it becomes an important factor in the Local SEO strategy to look out for. But how should you proceed? Below are some of the key aspects that you should bear in mind to target better.
- Make sure to include your seed keyword while providing business description information.
- Choose a category related to your line of work if GBP does not list the field of your work.
- Do verify the NAP element in your GBP, that is, Name, Address and Contact details.
- Write a service that your company or website provides to the user. You can also create a custom service with GBP to target better.
2. Local Keyword Research –
Looking for the keywords that your prospects are using to search for a product that is related to yours can help. How? Let us understand this with an example. Suppose a user searches for an AC repair shop nearby on Google.
By doing so, you will be presented with a business listing to which you can contact or visit. This AC repair shop is the keyword that you should aim to inculcate in your website’s content to help users find the exact solution with your website.
3. Link Building –
Link building means acquiring backlinks from a reputed website that points back to your website. This can be understood as a “recommendation” from a business that is involved in the same work as yours.
It is obvious that users will be more inclined to visit a website that is endorsed by a website that has a good domain authority. This can be done by writing a guest post or article for the third party website and asking them to provide a link on the post to direct the readers to your website.
4. Online Business Directories –
It is a website that lists Businesses based on a location or area. Just like GBP, Online Business Directory also contains information such as Name, Address, and Contact Details. For Example, Yelp, Bing Places and many more. The benefits of registering your website with an online directory are as follows:
- Easy to make your service discovered by the target audience.
- Search engines will understand the service provided by the Business better.
- Creates Brand awareness among the users.
- Improve local customer interactions with reviews.
5. Social Media Presence –
Social media is an excellent platform to further your Local SEO strategy. It will help you to target your audience based on a specific area or location. You can do so by adding target keywords in your social media posts or can use hashtags for the same.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter can be leveraged to promote your products or services locally.
6. Voice Search:
You might not have expected this, but optimizing your website for voice search can help your product be discovered locally.
With the increase in the trend of using a virtual assistant to find an answer locally, websites should optimize for voice search. You can start by figuring out keywords that your prospects may use to reach your product. The keywords that are generally used by users are in natural human speech.
So, Opting for long tail keywords in your website’s content makes sense to target a local search query made with a voice search. Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant are some of the famous voice assistants used by users to make a voice search.
Final Words!!
Effective strategies for local SEO are crucial for businesses aiming to prosper in their local sphere. Optimizing your website with the above key components can provide you with the local presence that you dreamt of.
These tactics work together to ensure that your business appears prominently in local search results. Moreover, engaging with your local community through social media or content creation can further strengthen your local SEO efforts.
It’s important to note that local SEO is an ongoing process. It requires consistent effort to stay ahead of the competition. Regularly reviewing your analytics and adjusting your strategies will help you maintain and improve your local search rankings. Embrace these strategies, stay consistent, and watch your business thrive in the local market.
About The Author:
Amir Waheed is the co-founder & CEO of SEO Toronto Experts. He intends to bring a massive transformation to eCommerce SEO Services. His team of talented IT professionals knows the secret of getting huge conversions.
