Conquering Local Search with Local SEO

Our friends at Pickaweb created a jam-packed infographic about local SEO.

When Google gets signals from a searcher that they are looking for a local business, such as the phrase “near me” in a search, local options will be shown in the form of a map with pins for several local options. Pickaweb put together a flow chart of tactics to improve local search rankings.

Click on the image below to read the details. Make a cup of coffee first, because there’s a lot of useful information in the fine print.

Embedded from Pickaweb Blog.

Before you dive in, here’s an overview of local search and how and why you might want to work on it.

Do you need local search?

Local search is special. When Google gets the message that you’re looking for a local business, it will offer you local options with a map. The screenshot below shows us and a couple of our favorite local competitors in a search for “SEO services.” Only local companies are included in the map section, though below the map a national outfit from out of town shows up.

Changing that search to “SEO services near me” gave a different grouping and knocked out the bi-coastal company below the map. We don’t know the folks at the new entry on the map, but I find it intriguing that they don’t have a website listed.

In any case, if you want to show up on the map in the SERPs, you’ll want to focus on local SEO. Some professions and industries that may want to focus on local SEO:

• healthcare professionals
• gyms and exercise studios
• local stores and restaurants
• hair salons, spas, and other personal services
• construction, auto repair, and other hands-on services

Build a strong local foundation.

There are a few things that make a big difference in local SEO:

• NAP: name, address, phone number. Make sure you have this information listed consistently on your website and in local directories, review sites, and such.
• Local citations. Links always matter, but local citations from real local lists and directories are especially helpful for local search.
• Reviews. We don’t ask our customers for reviews, to tell the truth, but it is worth doing. If our competitors start doing so, our current spot on top of the pack could be in danger. Do as we say in this case, not as we do. Most people won’t leave a review unless you ask them… or they’re angry.

Don’t ignore optimization.

The true confessions in the point above are a good example of a local search problem. It’s easy to be lazy if you’re a local business with a good position on the local search maps. If you have good local stature, you can show up well in local search even if your website isn’t fully optimized for search. 

All it takes is one aggressive competitor to knock you down. Google always wants to provide searchers the best possible experience. Is that you? Click To Tweet

Make sure that your website is SEO optimized, with high quality content, and your position will be much more secure.

That flow chart at the top of this post is fun, but you don’t have to do it all yourself. Haden Interactive offers a custom SEO strategy document with a practical checklist of the actions you should take to improve your search rankings. We can help you decide which elements of the strategy you’ll want to do in-house, and which items you’d like us to implement for you.