You’ve undoubtedly heard the story of two hikers who accidentally run across a bear in the woods. The first guy says, “I’m pleased I wore my running shoes today,” as the bear begins to pursue them. There’s no way to outrun a bear in running shoes, says the second guy. Upon being asked whether he needed to outrun the bear, he says, “I do not.” “All I have to do is run faster than you,” he says.
It’s a silly joke, but how does it relate to Google rankings and local SEO?
We’re all aware that getting to the top of Google’s search results is quite difficult. Is it really as difficult as you’ve made it out to be?
What I mean is this: There is no need to outrank your competitors if you are a local firm. You just need to outrank your rivals in your neighborhood or city in order to succeed. There are many ways to do this, and it’s rather straightforward to do in most sectors.
How to Dominate Local SEO in 2022 to Drive More Local Leads
In the city of Rhode Island, Boston, Rodger operates a modest coffee business. Customers flock to his bar to speak with him as he makes their beverages. Despite the fact that Rodger enjoys seeing and talking to his regulars, he begins to wonder whether there is anything he can do to bring in more customers.
What if you’re in the same boat as Rodger and are wondering whether there’s a way you can bring in more local business? This technique is known as local search engine optimization (SEO). You may use this method to boost your business’s local visibility and attract more clients.
Step One: Decide Your Primary Keyword
In order for your website to get discovered, you need to make it represent what people are truly looking for in search results. When someone lands on your website, what are they looking for?
“Springfield accountant” and “Springfield accountant” are likely to be the most common search phrases for your company if you are an accountant in Springfield.
Your major keyword is the phrase consumers use to locate your solution the most.
Now go to your website and have a look around. This phrase appears a lot on your site. It’s conceivable that it has been lost forever. Fortunately, resolving this is a simple process.
Add your main term to the tagline of your browser tab. When someone visits your website, they’ll see this in the browser tab: If you’re using WordPress, you can locate the ‘Tagline’ box under the General Settings. As a general rule, if your major keyword is “Scottsdale accountant,” then use it instead. Hire a WordPress Web Design Company.
Secondly, include your major keyword in the URL of your website. Due to the fact that your homepage is the root of your domain, this information will be removed from your website. The URL of the page should include your goal keywords.
It’s important to have a title for your homepage. In most cases, when someone opens your website, it’s the first thing they see. A header tag is normally added to this title (or H1 tag). Add your principal keyword to your H1 tag. Perhaps you are already known as “Expert Small Business Accountants” or something similar? In Springfield, there’s an expert accountant who can help you.
Sub-titles on your home page should be relevant to your major keyword if they exist. ‘Small Business Accounting,’ for instance. If you don’t want to mention your location in the sub-headings, be sure that they adequately reflect the topic at hand.
In your material, include keywords linked to your main search phrase. Change any picture ALT text to your major keyword if you have it.
Steps one through five all aim to tell search engines that your material is focused on a certain subject. Getting along with search engines is the only purpose of SEO.
Step Two: Write 10 Guest Posts
Quality backlinks connecting to your website are the first trust indication considered by Google. A backlink is a link from another website to yours. If the site that links to yours is regarded as authoritative, Google will use it as a sign that you may be trusted as well.
Assuming we’re still talking about accounting, a connection from the national accounting organization would make sense for an accountant’s website. Search engines such as Google will take note of this.
Your website may benefit from a variety of link building strategies. Guest posting is one of the simplest methods to get started. Just write an essay about your thoughts on a relevant website. Accounting firms could ask their software partner, for instance, whether they can submit an article (or any other form of material) to their blog. This is an example of an outbound communication strategy.
Finding the correct persons to contact in order to submit a guest article takes some time. It is also important to provide great content on their site. An online service that handles list building may help you manage your outreach and locate locations to donate, saving you time and effort.
Be careful not to undervalue the importance of backlinks. You may demonstrate your competence in the sector by building connections to your website. Start with ten guest blogs and see how they perform before expanding. Almost definitely, your search engine rankings will rise.
Step Three: Set Your NAP
The following step is a breeze. Decide on the name, address, and phone number for your business (NAP).
What I mean is this: Using the correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation when submitting your business’s contact information is critical. It cannot be changed. Choose well, since they will never change. ‘Happy Accountants’ or ‘Happy Accountants LLC, for example, might be the name of your organization.” Whichever you choose, though, should be your whole focus.
In order for Google to correlate local citations with your website, it is important to have a consistent NAP.
Put your name, address and phone number on your website thereafter. For example, you might post it towards the bottom of your webpage. It will appear on every page of your website this way. All of this hard effort will pay off in the long run by making it simpler for my company listing to climb the Google rankings.
Step Four: Create a Google My Business Profile
It’s all in the name, really. Set up an account on Google My Business. You may use Google My Company for free to market your business in your local area.
Make a big deal out of the description of your business when you establish your profile. Your essential keywords should appear naturally and organically in your content. For Google, this makes it easier to match your answers to the searcher’s purpose.
To be listed on Google Maps, you need to have a Google My Business account. Using Google Maps to find local businesses is a great way to be found. As a result, don’t forget about this step!
Step Five: Create 10 Citations
Once you’ve established your NAP, it’s time to start citing your work. Companies are included on citations, which generally contain a link to your website. Ten powerful citations that meet your company’s needs are what you should aim for.
Your website might be listed in tens of thousands of internet directories. Do not just locate ten random locations. Instead, you should hunt for citations that fulfill one of two requirements. Quality and relevancy are more important than volume.
Local: Local directories may help your business stand out in your community. The local newspaper or chamber of business may have directories. If Google sees that you are a local business, it will prioritize your listing in local search results.
Specific to the industry: Find specialty directories for your industry. Accounting groups and accounting software vendors, for instance, would fall under this category in this case.
Step Six: Get 5 Star Reviews
This is it! Strong customer reviews are the last trust indication Google is looking for. You’ll earn more Google love if you obtain more reviews with five stars from real individuals rather than fake ones.
Google My Business is the best place to post reviews. Another option is a social media review site like Yelp or Facebook.
You’ll probably have to assist clients who don’t know how to post a review on Google My Business. In order to get great evaluations, follow these suggestions:
The topic of a review should be approached with care. Customers’ pleasure is our number one priority. “Did you enjoy your time with us?” It’s a difficult question, but the truthful response you provide will help your company grow. So, don’t forget to bring it up!
Make it clear to customers who have had a positive experience that they may post a review.
For certain folks, it may be difficult to get to the online review page. Even worse, they’ll forget. Do this while you are there and encourage folks to show you how they can post a review on their phone. You can get at least one star rating point just by being in the same room as them!
How to dominate local SEO in 2022: Work with UpstairsSEO
A lot goes into helping you establish a local presence, as you can see in our guide on local SEO for 2022. You may not have the time to focus on local SEO while you’re operating your company. To dominate local SEO in 2022 without lifting a finger, here’s what you need to know:
Definitely by working with UpstairsSEO! We have over 450 marketing specialists on staff who can assist you in developing a local SEO strategy that is tailored to your company’s specific requirements. We’ll work with you to create a unique SEO plan that will help your business succeed online.
Want to know what it’s like to work with us? Contact us online or call us today at (617) 286-6630 to speak with a strategist about our Local SEO Services in Boston!
