It’s a brand-new year, and all of us are thinking of brand-new ways to spice things up on local search. The year has changed, but it doesn’t change the fact that Google is not just a simple search engine for us. It is one big arena and you have to fight hard if you want to earn the top spot. Only the toughest and those with the most effective SEO strategy are able to rank their business to the top. You have to be smart and flexible if you don’t want to fall behind and eat dust from your competitors. But how will you do it? How will you rank your business in local search this 2019?
Vamp up your SEO techniques
Local Search Engine Optimization is your most important weapon if you want to earn a good spot on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). It targets all your important tasks and ensures high-ranking results by optimizing your website. It is also fast-paced which means you have to know all the latest trends, how your competitor works and if Google rolled out another update. All this stuff can be a little overwhelming but you have to adapt. An effective Local SEO strategy allows you to stand out among the rest and improve your online visibility in the SERPs. If you rank high, it drives more traffic and attracts more customers. Pay attention to the necessary factors to know if they needed an upgrade.
1. – Is your website mobile-friendly?
People nowadays are enjoying the convenience of browsing the internet thru their mobile or tablet devices. You must ensure that whenever they visit your website, they will have the same experience of navigating freely all over your site just the same as using a desktop. It is also one of Google’s SEO ranking factors since they rolled out an algorithm update in 2016. If you haven’t optimized your website to mobile friendly, better do it now as Google will primarily use the mobile version of your website for ranking and indexing.
2. - User-friendly Website
Optimizing your website to mobile friendly is not enough. It has to be user-friendly too. Visitors should be able to manage and navigate easily on your website regardless of what type of device they are using. When a visitor is provided with better user experience, it will increase their “dwell time” or the time they spent on your website. In order to keep them longer, you have to make your website simple and easy to navigate. You also have to post high quality and relevant content. Don’t publish too much irrelevant content just for the sake of publishing.
3. – Pay Attention to Local Citation
You should never pay less attention to your Local citation effort. It is an online mention or listing of your business name, address, phone and website. It can occur on business directory sites, geo-directory sites, blog posts, social media and a lot more. It can make a huge impact and improve your local search result. It gives your business the exposure it needs so people can find your business along with your contact details and location. The main key for your local citations strategy to work effectively is to find someone reliable to do all the Local Citation Building Service you need for your business. Google will likely recognize you as relevant if your business is listed on high-quality directories which Google loves. Make sure to have your NAPW listings consistent and have all your incorrect citations fixed. It can positively impact your organic rankings and this technique is definitely not going to fade for the time being.
4. – Increase Your Social Media Presence
Never rely on your website alone to gain more organic traffic and website visitors. Major social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and the likes can help you gain credibility and improve your ranking. Make your business known to these social media platforms. Create engaging posts to promote brand awareness to the people on the internet plus, it will help you to connect with your target audience easily. Shareable content engages your audience and will definitely drive more leads and sales. Social media also works well for tracking your competitors. If you see them doing an effective campaign, consider doing the same but make sure to do it better and surpass them.
5. –Video SEO
YouTube being the second most popular search engine is also important when it comes to your SEO strategy. Make sure your videos are SEO friendly, and with the right keyword, YouTube videos can improve your ranking and traffic with views. Use the keyword in your title, tags, and video description. Publish audience retention type of videos. Videos that make your viewers stay and watch your video. That way, YouTube will think you’re relevant and will rank you higher.
6. – Content Will Always Be King
Google prioritize websites that have a lot of content. The more content you have, the better. But the rule of quality over quantity is always considered. Regardless of how much content you have, you must meet Google’s quality criteria. It’s not easy to create high quality and informative content. You can always find loose information all over the internet. You must ensure that you are only posting valuable and insightful content. Avoid using “filler” words in order to increase the word count. If your audience found your content relevant, it will send them the idea that you are an expert in your field. The content you have on your website serves as one of the foundations to a successful SEO strategy.
Final Words
SEO tends to grow and innovate constantly. But SEO is not as hard as you presume if you understand well how it works. It takes time to start working, but if you think you waited long enough, maybe you’re not doing it right. To make an effective SEO strategy, you have to do it properly. Try doing the simple techniques above and see proper growth in a few months.
Rahul