Local SEO is an important part of your business and it’s time to see why. Local SEO helps you get found by local customers in your area, which means more foot traffic for you and more money! It doesn’t matter if you’re a restaurant or a retail store, the importance of great marketing cannot be understated.
What Is Local SEO?
The goal of local SEO is to rank better in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for your local area. This can be very beneficial, as many people start their searches on Google with a location-based query. If you are trying to increase your visibility online by increasing the amount of traffic to your site, it makes sense to focus on local SEO.
Why Do You Need To Conduct A Local SEO Audit?
If you want your website to rank higher in local search results, you need to conduct a local SEO audit. By identifying and fixing any errors or problems with your website’s structure and content, you can improve your site’s ranking in local search results.
An SEO audit is the first step towards success. It helps you figure out where you’re standing and what needs to be improved, which could include ranking higher or lower than desired depending on how much time has passed since this was done last (the more recent it gets the better). Your report will give insights into things like keyword research techniques; content creation strategies such as keywords inclusion/exclusion rules-of thumb…anything that might stand in between now and a successful campaign!
Local SEO Audit Checklist
To conduct a local SEO audit, start by evaluating your website’s visibility in search engines. While Google’s algorithm remains a mystery for most SEO professionals, we do know that there are many components that go into the algorithm and affect local search ranking.
Here is a checklist of items to check:
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Website Crawlability
If your website isn’t indexable by search engines, it can’t rank in local search results. Make sure your site is crawlable by conducting a spider test and fixing any errors that are found.
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Local business information
Verify that your business information is accurate and consistent across directories, including Google My Business, Yahoo! Local, and Bing Places for Business.
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Site structure
Make sure your website is easy to navigate and has a logical site structure. This will make it easier for search engines to index your pages.
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Title tags and Meta descriptions
Optimize your title tags and meta descriptions for each page on your website, using relevant keywords and phrases that potential customers are likely to use when searching for your business.
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URL structure
Use keyword-rich URLs that accurately reflect the content of the page.
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Link building
Build links to your website from high-quality websites to improve its authority and rank in local search results.
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Social media
Promote your business on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ to engage with your current customers as well as prospective new ones.
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Reviews
Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews about your business on local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Foursquare. This will help raise the ranking of your website on search engines as well as increase its trustworthiness in the eyes of potential customers.
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Make the local SEO audit an ongoing process
Once you’ve made these changes to your website, monitor their impact on your site’s visibility in search engines. Conduct regular keyword research and update your pages with new relevant content to keep improving your local search rankings.
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Get help if you need it
If conducting a website audit sounds intimidating, or you’re not sure where to start, get in touch with us. Our team of SEO experts will be glad to provide the guidance you need to see success in your local search marketing campaign.
Benefits of Local SEO Audit
The benefits of conducting a local SEO audit include:
- Improved website visibility in search engines
- Increased traffic to your website from potential customers in your local area
- Increased leads and sales from local customers
- Better ROI on your local search marketing investment
- Less wasted ad spend on irrelevant search results
- Lower bounce rate from web visitors who find the information they need faster
- Higher conversion rates from website visitors to paying customers
- Improved brand reputation and increased customer loyalty
- Increased online reviews about your business, which will improve your website’s ranking and trustworthiness
- A better understanding of your target audience and their search behavior
- Identified website errors that could prevent potential customers from finding you online
How to Find the Best Local SEO Experts Near You
If you need help improving your website’s local search ranking, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a local SEO expert. But how do you find the best local SEO experts near you?
1. Check their experience and qualifications
Make sure the SEO experts you’re considering have experience in optimizing local business websites for local search.
2. Check their client reviews and testimonials
Reviews are an excellent way to find out more about the quality of SEO services offered by a business. Check whether the agency has positive reviews from its customers online, read what they have to say about their experience with that agency, and how it has helped their business grow.
3. Check their pricing
Don’t just go for the cheapest SEO expert you can find – remember, you get what you pay for. Compare the prices of a few different agencies before making your decision.
4. Ask for a free consultation
Most SEO experts offer a free consultation so you can get to know them better and discuss your specific needs. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask them any questions you have about their services.
5. Check their website for case studies and examples of their work
SEO experts should be proud of the work they’ve done for their clients and should have case studies and examples of their work available on the web. Check to see if what they’ve done for other local businesses is relevant to your needs, and learn more about how this agency has helped its clients succeed in search engines.
Conclusion
Local SEO is important for businesses to rank in search engines and attract more customers. What strategies can you use? Be sure to keep your website updated with fresh content, optimize images, create a custom Google My Business page, build links from other authoritative sites on the web that mention your business name or location information. If it’s been a while since you last did an audit of all these factors then now would be a perfect time!
