Local SEO is the process of optimising a website or online presence for a specific geographic location or region. As an SEO expert, I can explain the various components involved in optimising for a local SEO project:
Claiming and optimising Google My Business listing: The first step in optimising for local SEO is to claim and optimise a Google My Business (GMB) profile. The GMB profile provides key information such as business hours, location, phone number, and reviews. GMB profile optimisation includes confirming accurate business information, adding relevant images, and requesting and responding to customer reviews.
Citations and NAP consistency: Consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) across all online directories, social media platforms and website landing pages increase the credibility of the business. This is important because search engines prioritise accurate and consistent NAP information.
Local Business Schema Markup: Schema markup is a rich data format that helps to provide additional information to the search engines about your business and local search. Implementing proper schema markup can boost rankings and improve search visibility.
Geo-targeted keywords: Including local-specific keywords in the website content, meta descriptions, titles, and headers can help increase the visibility of the website in local search results. Such geo-targeted keywords may include the name of the city or state or specific local landmarks or attractions.
Local backlinks and Local Business Directories: Backlinks from local websites and directories can help improve the website’s overall domain authority and search engine rankings. An active participation in local business directories and submitting listings to industry-relevant websites also plays a role towards achieving the desired online visibility.
Mobile responsiveness of a website: With today’s fast-paced life, people use their smart devices to search for local products and services. Hence, it’s essential to develop a mobile-responsive website to offer an optimised user experience for those searching on-the-go.
As an SEO Expert, I can summarise that local SEO is a specialised practice of optimising a website or online presence to enhance its visibility and ranking for location-based searches. Local SEO techniques involve, claiming and optimising the GMB profile, providing consistent NAP information across online directories, social media, and website landing pages, using geo-targeted keywords, implementing local business schema markup, earning local backlinks, engaging with user reviews and ensuring mobile-responsiveness of the website to offer an engaging experience to the user. Local SEO helps businesses to improve their online presence within a specific geographic area, increases foot traffic, and ultimately drives more conversions.