An essential element of any small-sized company’s marketing strategy is to ensure that they are positioned on search engine results pages, or SERPs. Following an extremely difficult year for many businesses standing out from your competitors on the internet after Covid is crucial. Consumers are increasingly searching online for products and services, so your business needs to be at the top of the list. Search Engine Optimisation (also known as SEO) could sound like a lot of technical terms however there are easy steps you can take to improve your presence on the internet. Here are 7 SEO suggestions that local businesses can use following Covid:
Collect reviews of businesses
The collection of reviews about your business can be beneficial for a variety of aspects of your marketing plan however, it’s becoming more important in the context of SEO. Reviews can help increase your company’s presence on local searches. Responding to and engaging with reviews is equally important. No matter if they’re positive or negative, you must respond to all reviews. Not only does it show Google that you are communicating with your customers it also increases the quantity of online content regarding your business.
Google will be able to identify reviews when it examines your website. If Google detects positive feedback from customers it will consider your site trustworthy and in time, this can improve your SEO ranking.
The website you have created is an storefront online Therefore, you must make sure that your site is optimized to get the maximum exposure. The research has shown the following: seven-in-ten those who use their phones for things in the vicinity visit a store within a day. In addition 28% of these results lead to a purchase. This is a sign of the value of local search for you to make use of.
First, make sure that your company’s name address, address, and contact number are prominently visible on your home page as well as on your contact page. Ideally, you’ll want your contact information integrated into the footer section of your website , so that it appears across all pages. This can also assist Google to extract the information from your site for your listing on Google.
Additionally it is essential that your website’s copy contains information on the local area in which you operate. In addition, adding information about places of interest that your business is near to, as well as information about public transportation will boost your search engine visibility as an local business.
Create an Google My Business profile
The Google My Business account will increase your exposure on the world’s largest search engine. After you’ve created an account that contains the most complete business details as is possible, as well as your address, it’s accessible to customers to leave reviews, upload photos and even ask questions. Your profile might also be updated with information that Google gathers from the web.
Today, almost one third of mobile search queries are based on location for example “plumbers near me.” Another benefit for local businesses is that , even the phrase “near me” is not added to a search query Google’s algorithm will automatically favor companies that are close in relation to users. Thus, having a solid Google My Business profile will help you to be visible.
One of the most efficient methods of boosting the local SEO of your business is to post your business’ information on third-party listings sites. Making sure you update your profile regularly on these websites will provide Google along with other major search engines better and more accurate knowledge of your company. If your company isn’t listed or your information isn’t complete or is incorrect, you may cause more harm to your SEO. Make sure that your listings are done to the highest standard.
Your presence and interaction on social media plays an important role to your business’s visibility search results. Be proactive with social media, sharing engaging content frequently, and responding to feedback can boost web presence. Be involved in groups within your area and begin to build an image on the recommendations pages. Cities and towns have hashtags that residents frequently use, so make sure to include these hashtags in your posts to ensure maximum exposure on the internet.
Establish authority through backlinks
A backlink occurs when a website has a link to your website. Google likes to see high-quality backlinks since they represent a vote of confidence for your site. The more backlinks you can get the more authoritative your site will appear to Google and you’ll be able to see an increase in ranking. It’s interesting it’s true that the majority of websites that are online receive none of the organic search traffic. This is mostly due to the fact that they don’t have any backlinks linking at their content. Make the most of this chance to differentiate yourself from your competitors by putting an effective strategy for backlinks in place.
7. Optimize for voice search
Voice search is being used by customers increasingly and the trend is likely to grow rapidly. To maximize the benefits of Local SEO it’s essential to optimise your content to be able to be interpreted by voice search. This means that you are addressing your content in a way that users talk on their mobile devices typically with lengthy-tail keywords and comprehensive questions. If you optimize your website for this spoken-word style, you will make sure that search engines have the option of choosing your site when users search using voice. Most of the time, people are using voice search when they require a specific piece of information fast. For example, they may want to know the hours of your business are or what your store’s postcode is. Make sure you have these details on your site to allow your search engine to locate the relevant information quickly.
As we slowly get out of lockdown and develop an established plan for recovery Now is the best time companies should begin thinking about what will happen following Covid. Make sure you are in a position to take advantage of potential business growth opportunities in the area by enhancing the content on your website and placing it on local listings websites. Utilizing strategies like growing the number of reviews for businesses will put you in a position to remain ahead of the pack in results of a search. Keep in mind that SEO is constantly evolving with search engines continually adding new features. By keeping up-to-date with the local SEO to ensure your business is on top of the trend.