Before the advent of the internet, as we know it, millions of people turned to the Yellow Pages phone book when it came time to locate a local business.
Finding an electrician was as easy as turning to the “E” page and selecting one.
Nowadays, the internet provides far more information than a 1,000-page phone book ever could. Testimonials, reviews, and descriptions provide people with valuable insights and allow them to make a more informed hiring/buying decision.
When it comes to local search results, Google is the undisputed king. This is why it’s essential to make sure that your business places emphasis on optimizing for local SEO. For this blog post, we’re going to assume that you know what local SEO is and already have a free Google My Business (GMB) profile set up.
Optimize, Optimize, Optimize
The first thing you need to do is go to your GMB profile and look it over to ensure that you’ve filled it out completely. For example, if you haven’t added a business description, take a few to write out a couple of sentences about your company. Hours of operation, COVID procedures, and an accurate business address are all important.
You should also take a few pictures of your building’s interior and exterior and then upload them to your profile. It will help people find you easier from the street and give them an idea of what your business looks like on the inside.
“Optimization” is merely adding info that can help people find your business easier and determine if you’re selling the products or services they require. The more information you add, the better. Google views this as a good thing as it’s providing value to the end-user.
Improve Your On-Site SEO
On-site SEO is the optimization of your website itself—many factors encompass it, such as:
- Unique content on every single page
- No dead or “404” pages
- Valid SSL certificate
- Contact Us and Privacy Policy pages
- Optimized for your preferred keywords
The above are just a few of the many things you can do to improve your on-site SEO. Google is looking for websites that add value—thin content websites or ones that have loading issues or duplicate content can really hold your local SEO rankings back.
Get Citations
By far, this is the most time-consuming aspect of local SEO. A citation is simply an online mention of the name, address, and phone number (NAP) of your business. You can increase your citation count by adding the above info to local business directories, social media websites, and other web properties such as the Better Business Bureau.
Ensure that the NAP information you provide matches 100% with the info you gave Google My Business. A great place to start finding citations is to take the URL of other businesses ranking high in the local search results and Google it. Chances are you’ll find a few of their citations, and you can add your business as well.
Highlight Your USP
Your unique selling proposition (USP) are the things that make your business stand out from the rest of the pack. For example, perhaps you offer a product or service that your competitors don’t. Be sure to add that information on both your website and GMB profile.
By doing so, you can increase the number of people that will find you on the internet and contact or visit your business. It may even be the deciding factor as to whether they buy from you or one of your competitors.
Add Customer Testimonials
Testimonials are a powerful way of advertising your business. While you can sit there and tell people how great your business is, many people will take it with a grain of salt and consider it to be marketing or advertising. Customer testimonials, on the other hand, instill far more trust in people.
There are several different ways to get testimonials. You can have some cards printed up that request your in-store shoppers go online and leave you a review. Or you can simply ask them to fill them out and mail them to you. If you have an email list of all your customers, you can send out a blast with a link to your website, asking them to leave their honest thoughts.
Local SEO and Marketing Help in Raleigh
Performing local SEO and optimizing your website for it isn’t rocket science. It just requires dedication and patience. If you need help with your local SEO or would like to speak to a marketing expert, give us a call.
To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh can help with your content graphic design and marketing needs, you may
email us,
request a quote, or call us at
(919) 832-2828.