Local SEO helps a company’s online presence get higher in the local search engine results, especially for searches such as “near me” or location-based queries. The rewards are great with 5.9 million “near me” searches in America and 800 million monthly local searchers. Also, 92% of customers select companies from the top page of local results, making it imperative to beat competitors. The increase in “open now near me” searches, up 400% in recent times, highlights the need for local visibility.
Due to its importance, we thought to share some of the best practices that you can follow to outrank your competitors in local SEO.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Your GBP is usually the initial touchpoint for local searchers. Complete all fields, such as secondary categories, services, and high-quality images. Images can boost direction requests by 42% and website clicks by 35%. Ask for reviews, as 99% of customers read them, and 92% find owner responses significant. Update hours regularly, particularly for holidays, and utilize Google Posts for promotions.
Maintain Consistent NAP Across Platforms
NAP consistency means having a uniform business Name, Address, and Phone number on every online platform that has those details, such as websites, social media profiles, online directories, and review sites. NAP consistency is important for search engines like Google to properly understand and display business information in local search results.
Inconsistencies within NAP can damage rankings. Conduct audits with tools such as WhiteSpark or Semrush to locate and repair discrepancies. Consistency creates trust with search engines, providing you with an advantage over competitors with broken listings.
Build Local Citations
Local directory citations, chamber of commerce citations, and news site citations add to relevance. Competitor analysis with Semrush’s Backlink Gap tool identifies opportunities. Participate in local events or PR, such as event sponsoring for links, to beat the competition in terms of citation volume.
Conduct Thorough Keyword Research for Local Terms
Target long-tail, location-based keywords with Google Suggest, Yelp Suggest, and Thumbtack Suggest. As 71% of shoppers prefer voice search, optimize for natural voice queries such as “gluten-free pizza in Brooklyn that’s open right now.” Leverage Google Keyword Planner to examine competitor keywords, focusing on gaps to outperform them.
Optimise Your Website for Local SEO
Integrate local keywords into title tags (such as “Boston landscaping company”), meta descriptions, and H1 tags. Employ Schema markup, particularly LocalBusiness and review markup, to drive click-through rates with rich snippets. This helps search engines understand your site’s local relevance more effectively than competitors.
Create Unique Content for Each Location
For multi-location businesses, write unique content for each area, including satellite cities. This improves local organic rankings, as search engines favor location-specific pages. For example, create roofing service pages for Brockton and Natick to compete locally.
Monitor and Track Your Local Search Rankings
Using Local Falcon for fine-grained map pack tracking at city grid levels (5-mile circle, 7×7 grid). Monitor organic rankings for “store + city,” “store,” and “store near me” to detect underperforming locations and make tactical corrections, beating competition.
Leverage User-Generated Content and Reviews
Gather GBP and third-party reviews, emphasizing recency, velocity, and diversity. Respond to all reviews with engagement, which is a ranking factor in local search. With 72% of customers visiting stores in a 5-mile area, favorable reviews can influence local searchers to pick you over the competition.
Implement Traditional SEO Practices
Local SEO features conventional components, with content and on-page SEO making up 24% of ranking signals and linking signals at 29%. Produce content focused on benefits, optimize on-page factors such as meta tags, and obtain high-quality backlinks from local sources to beat the competition in natural outcomes.
Stay Updated with Latest Trends and Algorithm Changes
Local SEO transforms with developments such as AI insights and social media within GBPs. Keep updated through tools like Backlinko’s guide and Semrush blog updates. Timely adaptation will leave you ahead.
