Local SEO 101—10 Tips from Neil Patel
Every business needs to engage in local SEO to reach its customers. How important is local SEO? Well, 97% of consumers use online searches to find local services and businesses. On top of that, 70 to 80% of consumers look online to research a company before even engaging with them.
To further put the importance of local SEO in perspective, consider that 60% of the clicks go to the top three results on the search page. In other words, you need to have a strong online reputation and local SEO strategy if you want to compete for clicks. You will get even better results if you can snag one of the top three spots. .>
- Create Content Focusing on Your Product or Service and Keywords
Part of any good local SEO strategy is creating targeted content. You need to create targeted content to ensure you appear in search results. People search for a product or service before buying, and if your company doesn’t show up, you lose a potential customer.
To make the most of this strategy, use Google Ads to determine the best keywords for your industry. Then, develop content that incorporates those keywords, ideally in the headings. Create as much content as necessary to appear on search results. Neil offers the example of baby strollers. Don’t just create a single page for baby strollers. Create a separate page for each product.
- Include High-quality Images and Videos
When you create content for your local SEO strategy, don’t just stick to text. Adding images and videos boosts engagement. But make sure that these are high-quality and load quickly. This will let potential clients see what your business is all about.
For the best results, opt for YouTube for your video hosting instead of Vimeo. Why YouTube? YouTube can significantly boost your rankings and drive traffic. According to Neil, 20% of his Ubersuggest signups are from YouTube.
- Network With Other Local Businesses
An important part of being a local business is making connections with your community. Highlight and take advantage of those connections by networking with other websites and businesses in your area. You can even work together to cross-sell.
This is your chance to innovate and think outside the box. Every collaboration opportunity has the potential to boost your online and community presence.
- Get a Boost From Tools Like Podium
We already mentioned some Google tools, but local SEO becomes even easier with a tool like Podium to boost your efficiency and organisation. Podium has messaging tools that let you text customers. Use those to chat with leads on your website, quickly collect reviews, and make payments from a single place. This will boost your productivity. At the same time, it improves the customer experience and convenience for you and your clients.
Making your business stand out online takes consistent effort, but getting started is easy when you have the right tools and knowledge. Starting your local SEO strategy is as easy as sending a text to encourage customer reviews. Podium can help you with that and so much more.
