Local Business SEO Checklist- How to rank your local Business
Action these Local SEO Tips to Bring Your Local Business to The Top of the Search Results
Complete these in steps in addition to the 26-Point Checklist for New Websites & SEO Audits
3 Reason Why Local Business SEO is More Important Now Than Ever
- The Growth of Mobile & Wearable Devices (now more searches on mobile)
- Local Searchers are Ready to Act
- Competition Is Increasing (start building reviews & profiles asap).
Important Things Every Local Business Should Do
- Claim Your Google My Business Profile. This is the most important step in Local Business SEO because Google gives it huge visibility in the search results.
- Dominate the search results and gather priceless feedback / testimonials with a Yelp, Facebook and Tripadvisor profiles.
Note: Ensure Ensure NAP (name, address, phone number) consistency across all profiles or Google will push you further down the search results.
Ask Existing Customers to Leave Reviews
Positive reviews are the primary metric that drive discoverability and rank in Google My Business, Yelp, Tripadvisor, Facebook etc.
To get more reviews, start by asking enthusiastic customers how they found out about your business so you can get a sense of where they might leave a review. Then just ask them to tell their friends. Don’t incentives reviews as it against the terms of Yelp etc.
How to Respond to Negative Reviews
Responding to negative reviews can actually help you generate more reviews. It shows business owners are listening and you can points to solutions or fixes to encourage other customers to come visit.
Never Forget About Mobile
Finally, don’t forget or disregard the importance of your website’s mobile optimization when it comes to your search engine optimization considerations. Sites that aren’t optimized for mobile view on cell phones or tablets are now tangibly penalized in search rankings. It is now a proven fact that if a user is searching from a mobile device or their tablet, search results provided by top search engines will rank websites that are optimized for a mobile view to rank higher.