By Neil Patel

Local SEO is important.

In fact, 46% of all searches on Google are local.

That means if you’re a local business and you don’t have your local SEO in order, you’re missing an opportunity every time someone searches for your products or services online.

And there’s a lot of people searching.

About 89% of people search for a local business on their smartphone at least once a week, with 58% searching daily.

And from that search, 72% will visit a store within five miles.

These searchers are unlikely to find you if your local SEO is poor.

What, Exactly, Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of increasing the online visibility of local businesses. It’s similar organic SEO, but with an added geographical component.

Specifically, you’re aiming to rank high in the search engine result pages (SERPs) for local searches.

There’s no point in a New York restaurant ranking high in Houston’s local search results. They want people searching for restaurants in New York to find them.

So it’s imperative to improve your local SEO if you want to increase your organic local traffic.

According to Moz’s 2018 local search ranking factors, Google My Business Signals, including proximity, are a top ranking factor.

These are the signals that help local businesses rank in Google’s three-pack.

But what’s the “pack?”

The Google three-pack is the collection of the top three results for your local search.

This used to be a 7-pack, but it was truncated to be a better fit for mobile searches.

That’s where you want your business to sit.

So how do you get it there?

Here’s some local SEO tips that will get your business noticed.

1. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO

If your website isn’t properly optimized, it will be hard for you to climb the SERPs.

Check your website’s SEO now to see how it could be improved.

For local SEO, in addition to standard SEO best practices, you need to do the following:

Create a Dedicated Contact Page

These days, people want more detailed information about your business.

On your contact page, make sure you clearly show your “NAP:”

• Name
• Address
• Phone

I would also recommend that you display your email, like Seattle’s Velo Bike Shop has done on their site:

Include All of Your Business Addresses

If you have 10 or fewer locations, include the complete name, address, and phone number of each in the sitewide footer element on your website.

Make Phone Numbers Clickable on Mobile Devices

Some 30% of mobile searches are location-related.

So it’s vital that your …read more

Source:: Kiss Metrics Blog

      

Author: Aaron