Local SEO Strategies Small Business Can Use to Increase Visibility

May 24, 2023

Local SEO Strategies Small Business Can Use to Increase Visibility

If you're a small business owner who lives in a small town, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd of other businesses. This is especially true if you're trying to compete against major corporations who have way more money than you do. However, it isn't impossible! If you want your small business to compete on an even playing field with big companies like Walmart or Target, then I've got some tips for you:

Key takeaways on local seo strategies for small businesses

  1. Google My Business: Claim your business on Google My Business, ensuring your listing is complete and accurate for better local search visibility.
  2. Local Keywords: Use keywords that include your location to make your business more discoverable to local customers.
  3. Customer Reviews: Encourage your customers to leave positive reviews to enhance your business's reputation and credibility.
  4. Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as most local searches are made on mobile devices.
  5. Local Business Directories: List your business in local directories to boost visibility.
  6. Local Content: Create content that is relevant to your local audience and showcases your local expertise.
  7. Social Media Engagement: Engage with your local community through social media platforms to increase visibility.
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Optimise your website.

  • Optimise your website. When people search for a business on Google, one of the first things they see is the company's URL. If you have a local domain name (like "companyname-usa.com"), it will show up higher in search results than one that does not include any geographic identifiers (like "companyname.com"). Likewise, using keywords in your meta titles and descriptions helps to ensure that anyone who lands on your page knows exactly what they're getting into before they click through to view more content or make an inquiry.
  • Use a local phone number and address on all websites where possible: This includes social media profiles like Facebook or Twitter; as well as company blogs where appropriate (for example, if you write about topics related specifically towards businesses). While most people don't expect every business owner out there has access 24/7 365 days per year, and thus would rather leave messages via email instead, there are still plenty others who prefer calling over texting due mainly because talking allows them greater freedom when asking questions without having worry about spelling errors while typing out responses quickly enough before losing connection altogether due too much lag time between sending messages back-and-forth between two parties during conversation sessions lasting several minutes at best."

Write a blog.

Blogging is one of the best ways to build your local SEO strategy. By writing valuable content on a regular basis and sharing it on social media, you can attract new customers, increase engagement and boost your ranking in search engines.

In order to create a successful blog that brings traffic to your website, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Keep it simple. Don't try too hard with fancy language or complicated ideas - just write like how you speak! The point of blogging isn't what words you use but rather how much value people get out of reading it. The more useful information there is, the better chance people have at finding you when they search for something related (i.e., "how do I eat healthier?").
  • Be consistent over time - this means publishing new articles once per week at minimum; ideally twice per week would be better since readers may forget about previous posts after some time passes since their publication date

Get reviews.

As a small business, you likely have a limited marketing budget. But that doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to increase visibility.

One of the most effective ways to get more customers is by having them come to you, and reviews are one of the best ways for people to find out about your business. Reviews help potential customers decide whether or not they want to buy from you and how much they should spend on their purchase.

Reviews also give existing customers an outlet for their opinions about the products or services they receive from businesses like yours, which helps build trust between consumers and brands in general (and thus increases sales).

Optimise your business listing within local directories and directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Google+ and more.

  • Make sure your business is listed on Google My Business. This is the most important step because it gives you the opportunity to claim your business listing on Google Search and Maps, which will help increase visibility of your website in organic search results by creating a relationship between an authoritative source (your website) and what people are searching for (your business).
  • Make sure your business is listed on Yelp if applicable. While this isn't necessary for every small business owner or entrepreneur who doesn't have an online presence yet or doesn't want one yet, it's still something worth considering because many potential customers use this platform when deciding where to eat out at lunch time with coworkers or friends during weekends off from work/school.

Regularly update your social media accounts with relevant content.

When it comes to social media, there's no such thing as too much content. The more you post, the more people will see your business and its offerings, and the more likely they are to interact with those posts.

To create an effective social strategy, it's important to understand the types of content you should post on each platform (and how often). For example:

  • Facebook - Posts should be text-based and include links back to your website or blog; photos are also acceptable but should be high quality and relevant; videos work well if they relate directly back to something being sold by your business (e.g., instructional videos showing how a product works). Posts should be spaced out evenly throughout the day so that users don't feel overwhelmed by constant updates from one account at once.
  • Twitter - Tweets can either link directly back toward another site (like Facebook) or contain original text describing what's happening within that momentary snapshot in time.
  • LinkedIn - This platform is best used as an avenue through which professionals can connect with each other professionally rather than personally; therefore posts here should focus mainly on topics related specifically toward professional growth/development rather than personal interests.

Get more website traffic from search engines.

There are several ways you can use keywords in your website. The first step is to make sure that the title of your page includes the keyword(s) you want to rank for. For example, if you're selling kitchen knives and want to rank for "knife set," then write something like:

  • Knife Set - Buy the Best Kitchen Knives Online!

The meta description is also an important part of getting more traffic from search engines. This is what appears below each result on Google's SERPs (search engine results pages), so make sure it includes relevant information about your business or product. You can also use this space to include a call-to-action if possible as well as any key phrases related to what people might be searching for when looking at certain products/services. For example:

  • Knife Set - Buy the Best Kitchen Knives Online! Call Us Today To Order!

Host events in your area to get noticed by the community and online alike.

It helps you build relationships with potential customers, generate more traffic and positive reviews, and even get more customers.

Hosting events can be as simple as having a grand opening party or hosting an open house at your business on a day when it's normally closed (like Sunday). Or you could go all out with something like an annual festival or parade that celebrates something unique to your area.

Use these local SEO strategies to generate more leads and ultimately make a profit!

The goal of local SEO is to get your business found by people searching for your products or services in the area you serve. If you're a small business owner, this can be a challenge because there are so many other local businesses competing with you.

To help your website rank higher than the competition, leverage these five strategies:

  • Create high-quality content that includes keywords related to what people search for on Google when they're looking for your product or service.
  • Use Schema code on every page of your site (schema code tells search engines what information is available on a particular page). This helps Google understand what each page offers and where it can be found online; it also makes sure information about hours/days open/closed isn't omitted from SERPs due to lack thereof being marked up properly with microdata formatting tags.

FAQs on local SEO strategy

Looking to boost your small business visibility in your local area? Our FAQ section addresses key local SEO strategies, such as using Google My Business, local keywords, customer reviews, mobile optimisation, local directories, local content, and social media engagement.

How can I optimise my Google My Business listing for local SEO?

The first step to optimise your Google My Business listing is filling out the form. You can do this by searching for "Google My Business" in your browser and clicking on "Get listed." Then, you'll enter some basic information about your business, including a category and location (if applicable), a name that reflects what people see on street signs or billboards around town (not just a generic name like "Joe's Barber Shop"), phone numbers and addresses where customers can reach you during different hours of operation.

Once all of this information has been entered correctly, it's time for photos! A picture tells 1 thousand words, but only if those thousand words are written in English! Take pictures of every angle of whatever room(s) people would see when they walk into or drive past your location: front door; back door; inside counter area where workers take orders; tables/chairs where customers sit while waiting their turn; storage closets full of equipment needed throughout the day.

What are some effective strategies for finding local keywords?

To find local keywords, you can use the Google Keyword Planner tool. This tool allows you to search for a specific keyword or phrase and see how many searches are made per month (the average monthly search volume) and also which regions get the most traffic for that term.

For example, if I wanted to find out what people are searching for when they're looking for restaurants in my area (Los Angeles), I would type something like "restaurants Los Angeles" into the tool:

The results show me that there were more than 21 million searches made on Google during June 2018 alone! That's a lot of potential customers who could be visiting my website if I rank well for these terms!

How can I encourage my customers to leave reviews?

Asking customers to leave reviews is a great way to increase your visibility, but it can be difficult to get people on board. To make sure you're asking in the right way, here are some tips:

  • Be intentional about when and how you ask for reviews. You don't want to come across as pushy or desperate; instead, try using language like "if you have time" or "if it's helpful." This makes the request seem less like an obligation and more like something customers would do naturally, which will encourage them to respond positively!
  • Keep things positive by thanking customers who write reviews (and even offering incentives). It's important that these interactions feel genuine and don't come across as too sales-y; if customers perceive any sort of pressure from their experiences with your business or brand online then they won't want anything further with either one!

How can I ensure that my website is mobile-friendly?

In order to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly, consider the following:

  • Make sure your site is responsive. A responsive design can adapt to any screen size, so whether people are viewing your content on a computer or smartphone, they'll be able to see everything properly.
  • Ensure that your site loads quickly. According to Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool (https://searchmobilefriendly.com), 58% of mobile users expect pages they visit on their phones or tablets to load in less than four seconds; anything longer than this will likely cause them to abandon their browsing session altogether!

What local business directories should I consider for listing my business?

Local business directories are a great way to get your business noticed, as well as help you get more traffic. They're also free and easy to use!

  • Google My Business (GMB) - This is one of the most popular local business directories because it's owned by Google, so it tends to have higher rankings than other sites like Yelp or Foursquare. If you have an existing website already, adding your listing here will be much easier than adding it somewhere else (like Yelp). However, if you don't already have a website then creating one might take some time before you can start adding listings on GMB or elsewhere.
  • Yellow Pages - This directory has been around forever but still receives quite a bit of traffic today because people tend not change their behaviour when looking for local businesses online too often; they prefer using older methods instead!

Conclusion

All in all, local SEO is a great way to boost your visibility and get more customers. You don't have to be an expert in order to use these strategies, just follow the tips above and keep working at it!