What exactly are local searches, and how do you optimize your website for them? While you might be gaining traction on your website across the nation, several websites still need to gain local traffic. Local or “near me” searches are typically for those businesses that do most of their business in a local area. If a restaurant were looking to gain more traffic in their place of business, it wouldn’t do much good to have website visitors from the other side of the country. This is where a site optimized for local searches comes in handy.
Use Standard SEO
Although websites should consider components of local searches in addition to regular SEO, a search engine optimized website is more likely to be found. A fast and mobile website is an excellent place to start, but other components are also crucial.
Meta descriptions are essential.
Most that know how to use SEO understand the importance of a great meta description. For a local search, not only is the metadata necessary, but it can be a vital place to inform readers of the business’s physical location. Not only will search engines pick up on the location, but people will quickly see that your company is in their area.
Be clear by using multiple pages and a content silo.
If your organization offers multiple products, services, or locations, be sure to have a separate page for each. While it might be easier to create one big page with everything, search engines will not see it this way. A content silo can be a great way to display different categories and pages in an easy to read and find format.
Local SEO Specifics
Employing local search optimizations are central to “near me” searches but less so to the general SEO world. As a local business, it is always best to use SEO and local SEO to earn traffic.
Google My Business helps immensely.
If you have not claimed your business on Google, you must do so. It is a simple way to gain a positive online reputation by inspiring trust in consumers. If Google vouches for you, most people will believe it.
List your location!
Your location needs to be easy to find on every page. You might consider putting your address and other contact information in your website’s footer so that it is available on every page. However, if you have multiple locations, be sure to list each location. It is also important to clarify which locations offer which products or services.
Schema is fundamental and crucial.
Schema markup allows search engines to pick up information about you and your website easier. This includes the business address and contact information in many cases. It is relatively simple to add schema markup code to your website, and the results are significant.
Get Help from Adaptive Media
Adaptive Media is a leading company in the world of
digital marketing and SEO. To boost your search results for local or “near me” searches, our team of experts can help! If you’re ready to transform your online presence and local search results, give us a call today!
