Are you looking to get your business ranking higher in local search results? Then you need to read this step-by-step guide to local SEO in 2022! We’ll cover everything from optimizing your website for local search to promoting your business on local directories. By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the tools and knowledge you need to get started with local SEO and start seeing results!
All about local SEO
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to attract more business from local customers. It involves making sure your website is visible in local search results and improving your offline marketing to promote your brand in the local community.
While Local SEO has been around for years, it has become increasingly important in recent years as more and more consumers use the internet to find businesses in their area. In fact, according to a 2018 study by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses, and 61% of them say they won’t consider businesses that don’t have an online presence.
With that in mind, if you want to attract local customers, you need to make sure your business is visible in local search results. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to improve your Local SEO. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started:
1) Optimize Your Website for Local Keywords
The first step is to make sure your website is optimized for local keywords. Do some research and find out what keywords people are using to search for businesses like yours in your area. Then, make sure those keywords are included on your website, in your page titles and headings, and in the meta descriptions for each page.
2) Claim Your Google My Business Listing
One of the most important things you can do for your Local SEO is claiming your Google My Business listing. This is a free listing that allows you to control how your business appears in Google Search and Maps results. To claim yours, just go to google.com/business and follow the instructions. Once you’ve claimed your listing, be sure to fill out all the information fields completely and add photos, too.
3) Add Your Business Listing to Other Directories
In addition to claiming your Google My Business listing, you should also add your business to other online directories like Yelp!, Angie’s List, Foursquare, etc. This helps improve your visibility in search results and gives potential customers another way to find you online.
4) Encourage Customer Reviews
Another important thing you can do for your Local SEO is to encourage customer reviews. When customers leave positive reviews about their experience with your business on sites like Google My Business or Yelp!, it helps improve your ranking in search results and makes you more likely to convert leads into customers. So reach out to past customers and ask them if they’d be willing to leave a review—it could make a big difference for your business!
Local SEO Keyword Research
Local SEO keyword research is vital to the success of any local SEO campaign. The process of identifying and targeting the right keywords can be time-consuming, but it’s worth the effort.
There are a number of different methods you can use to search keywords for your local SEO campaign. The most important thing is to make sure you target keywords that are relevant to your business and your location.
One way to find relevant keywords is to use a tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner. This tool allows you to enter a location and see what keywords people are searching for in that area. You can then use these keywords on your website and local listings.
Another way to find relevant keywords is to ask your customers what they would search for if they were looking for a business like yours. You can also look at your competitor’s websites and see what keywords they are targeting.
Once you have a list of relevant keywords, you need to start optimizing your website and local listings for these terms. This process is called on-page optimization, and it involves making sure your website and listings are designed in a way that will help them rank high in search results.
One important part of on-page optimization is using the right keyword density. This means using your keyword enough times on your website or listing so that it’s clear to search engines what your page is about, but not so much that it looks like spam. A good rule of thumb is to use your keyword 2-5% of the time on each page or listing.
In addition to on-page optimization, you also need to make sure you have strong backlinks pointing to your website from other websites. Backlinks are links from other websites that point back to yours. They act as votes of confidence from other websites and can help improve your ranking in search results.
You can get backlinks by creating great content that other websites will want to link to, by guest posting on other blogs, or by participating in online directories and forums
Local SEO Tips and tricks to do and avoid
With the ever-changing landscape of SEO, it can be hard to keep up with the latest tactics and trends. And when you’re trying to run a local business, the last thing you want to do is spend your time and money on a marketing strategy that doesn’t work.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of local SEO tips and tricks that will help you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), drive more traffic to your website, and improve your chances of getting noticed by potential customers. So without further ado, here are our top tips for local SEO in 2022:
- Optimize your website for local search
If you want to rank higher in local search results, you need to make sure your website is optimized for local keywords and terms. Include your city, state, or region in your title tags, meta descriptions, H1 tags, and throughout the content on your site. - Claim your Google My Business listing
Google My Business (GMB) is a free listing that appears in Google’s Local Pack—a box featuring three businesses related to the searcher’s query—and maps results. claiming and optimizing your GMB listing is one of the most important things you can do for local SEO.
To claim your GMB listing, go to google.com/business and enter your business name and address. From there, Google will send a postcard with a verification PIN to your business address. Once you receive the PIN, enter it into the verification page on GMB to verify your listing. - Optimize your GMB listing
After you claim and verify your GMB listing, take some time to fill out all of the required information about your business—such as hours of operation, business description, categories, photos, services offered—as well as any optional information that might be relevant—such as products offered or promotions running currently. The more information you can provide about your business, the better chance you have of ranking higher in SERPs. In addition to filling out all of the required fields on GMB, there are a few other things you can do to optimize your listing.