Local SEO is crucial for businesses serving a city or a group of localities. There are certain Local SEO ranking factors that you need to optimize for getting the maximum exposure for your business in the local search results.
Related: What is SEO?
Implementing good local SEO strategies can help Google rank your web pages higher. So, your website becomes visible on the first few pages of relevant search results. It means more exposure for your business which equates to more leads and sales.
In this article, we will discuss six local SEO ranking factors used by Google. The information will help you in determining the right strategies you can use to attain your business goals.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO refers to the strategies which aim to increase a local business website’s search visibility among consumers in its geographical area. It aims to boost brand awareness and foot traffic of a business service or a brick-and-mortar business operating within a geographical area.
Types of Local SEO Results
Search engines, like Google, display two types of results when online users search or make a query. You must be aware of the ways to boost your local SEO results so that you can focus on the actionable steps for SEO and key performance indicators (KPIs). Implementing the best local SEO best practices can help you attain your SEO and business goals.
Here are the two types of Google’s local SEO results:
Three-pack Local Map: It pertains to the feature called the search engine results page (SERP). The SERP displays the Google map with pinned locations that are related to the query. The result also shows three businesses containing the business name, physical address, and contact number (otherwise called the NAP data). At this point, you can understand why SEO is important for your business.
Local Organic Listings: It’s a type of local SEO result that displays trusted organic search listings. These listings are related to the user’s geographical location. It only means that Google’s algorithm checks the listing results for compliance, authenticity, etc.
Local SEO Ranking Factors
Here are the top six local SEO ranking factors used by Google:
Factor #1- Your Google My Business Profile Info
As already mentioned, local search results can be attributed to relevant data that Google captures in your local listing and pinned locations on Google map. Google always wants to provide up-to-date and accurate data when providing leads to local businesses.
Related: Google My Business Listing Optimization
If you want your local business website to rank higher in Google search results, it’s crucial to provide detailed and correct information, especially in your business profile, in local listings. Online users avoid interacting with listings that have inaccurate information. Always check your contact details, like your address and phone number, in Google My Business local listing.
Factor #2- The Proximity of Your Business to the Inquirer
The good thing about searching on Google is that the search engine provides results based on the proximity of the searcher or inquirer. For instance, if your local business is located in Dallas, Texas, your business listing will appear in local search results for people living in that area.
Proximity is considered one of the strongest local SEO ranking factors. That’s why it’s important to consider this factor when optimizing your local business profile.
Here’s how:
- Integrate Local Keywords: Include local keywords in your web content, such as “electrical services in Dallas, Texas” or “residential electrician in Dallas, TX”.
- Create Local Web Content: You can create web content based on emerging local news, events, or stories to give a hint to Google that you’re catering to consumers in that area.
- Optimize Your Content for Voice Search: Voice search involves the use of artificial intelligence. So, people use smart speakers like Siri and Alexa. They may also use their smartphones’ Cortana to shop online. Make your content voice search compatible. You can do this by creating conversational-type of content. For instance, questions and answers (Q&As) and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can help in your local SEO optimization.
Factor #3- Keyword Selection
Crawling and indexing are technical terms. In the context of SEO, these terms refer to how Googlebot analyzes your content or code on your web page (crawling) and whether your web page is qualified to show up in the search results of Google (indexing). Google and most search engines crawl and index web pages based on the terms or keywords you use on your website.
When an online user enters words or phrases in the search box of Google, these keywords trigger certain search results, like local search results. If you want your website to appear in local search results, choosing the right keywords is essential. You must perform proper keyword research to find the best keywords you can integrate into your local listing. Online keyword research tools such as UberSuggest are available to help you.
Related: Top Free SEO Tools
Check out these tips when conducting keyword research:
- Understand the User Intent: User intent refers to the primary objective of the user when searching online. Using keywords, Google uses analytics to determine user intent. That’s why understanding your audience is crucial before selecting the keywords to use on your website for a more effective local SEO strategy. The different types of search intent include informational (like how-to articles), navigational (searching a specific website), commercial (researching before purchasing), and transactional (based on the mood of the user).
- Don’t Focus Too Much on Advertising: When writing a blog, don’t focus too much on advertising or financial returns. These things follow ones you have obtained the trust of your target audience. Create web content that’s helpful, entertaining, and natural to read to attract more people to read and engage with your website.
- Check What Keywords Your Competitors Use: The best keywords to use are the ones your major competitors use. So, it’s also a good idea to adapt them when creating your original content. There are SEO tools you can use to determine the local SEO keywords used by your competitors, such as Answer the Public.
Factor #4- Consumer Reviews
Getting your loyal and happy customers to write positive reviews for your business will help you optimize your SEO.
The reviews optimize Google My Business and convince more local customers to purchase products or services from you.
The following are helpful tips to encourage people to leave positive reviews:
- Request for a review after closing a sale.
- Send a text or post-purchase email to ask customers to write a product or service review (do it after screening customers through an internal survey to avoid approaching dissatisfied customers).
- Always respond to bad reviews in a professional way. Thank customers for writing reviews and show your willingness to address complaints.
Factor #5- Consumer Behavioral Signals
Behavioral signals refer to the audience’s actions that show how they interact with a local listing.
Monitoring behavioral signals, like click-through rate (CTR) and check-ins, will give you an idea of why people are visiting or leaving your website.
For instance, a too low CTR can mean that you need to optimize your web pages and listings to make them more appealing to your target audience. You can modify the headlines or the meta description.
Factor #6- Your Website’s Mobile-friendliness
Google gives a high priority to mobile-friendly websites. It’s because more and more people are doing mobile searches. That’s why Google greatly rewards mobile-friendly websites by ranking them higher on search engine results pages.
Google users are using mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and even wearable devices. That’s why mobile-friendliness is an integral part of every SEO strategy.
Voice-based searches are mostly mobile searches. You have to optimize your web pages for mobile searches and must configure them to provide a great mobile user experience.
Check out some useful ways to improve your website’s mobile-friendliness:
- Have a Responsive Website: When creating a website, make sure that it’s responsive by using a website builder that’s already mobile optimized. Talk to your web developer and always split test any prototype to ensure a smooth new website launch or site improvement.
- Don’t Use Flash: Never commit the SEO mistake of using flash because it can slow down a page’s load time in mobile devices tremendously. Major operating systems of mobile devices don’t support flash.
- Use Viewport Meta Tag: By using viewport meta, you can easily control how your business website shows up and functions on mobile. It eliminates awkward scrolling because it tells browsers to autofit the width of your web page to the device screen of the user.
Conclusion
The six local SEO ranking factors used by Google are your Google My Business Profile, relevant use of keywords, location of your business and consumers’ geographical area, consumer reviews, behavioral signals, and your website’s mobile-friendliness.
All the above local SEO ranking factors should be given keen attention to ensure that your website is locally SEO optimized for better web presence. In that way, you can attain your website’s primary objective, which is to successfully close a sale, and realize your overall business goals.
