Do you want to make it easier for the people of your city to find your small business? Then it is crucial for you to optimize your website for local SEO.
General search engine optimization strategies show Google that you sell a specific product or offer particular services. Local SEO, on the other hand, tells search engines you market your products in your city – making you more visible to people who are ready to buy today.
These techniques are some of the most effective ways of optimizing your company’s site for local SEO:
Add Location-Specific Metadata
When deciding whether or not to show your company’s website in search results, Google’s algorithms don’t just scan the content of your webpages. They also pay attention to the title tags and meta descriptions you add to each page.
Your metadata must be location-specific if you want your site to appear in local search results. Title tags should usually follow a [City + Page Name] [Company Name] format and be less than 65 characters. Following this formula is likely to leave you with titles like:
- New York Divorce Attorney – Smith & Associates, LLC
- Atlanta Preowned Cars – ABC Automotive
- Miami Emergency Plumber – Speedy Services
- Boston Roof Repair – XYZ Contractors
Your meta descriptions should outline the products and services you offer to the people of your city. They must be unique and should typically come in at less than 155 characters. The most effective descriptions look a little like this:
- “When you need an experienced New York divorce attorney to help you separate from your spouse, you can count on Smith & Associates, LLC.”
- “ABC Automotive offers affordable preowned cars to the people of Atlanta. Visit our showroom today to arrange a test drive.”
- “Do you need an emergency plumber in Miami to help you with your leaky sink or clogged toilet? Speedy Services is available to assist right now.”
Adding a location-specific title tag and meta description to a page usually takes less than a minute, but it can have a sizable effect on the number of locals that visit your website.
Claim Your Google My Business Listing
When optimizing your company’s website for local SEO, it can be tempting to focus entirely on making updates and additions to the site itself. Should you choose to follow this path, however, you will fail to perform one of the most important aspects of the optimization process: claiming your Google My Business listing.
Google uses My Business listings to figure out what to show to users who look for products and services in their city or region. When you claim your listing (and verify your information), you can make it much more likely that Google will add you to its local 3-pack.
To claim your Google My Business listing, you must follow these steps:
- Sign in to Google My Business
- Log in to your Google account or create a new one
- Enter your business address
- Decide how to display your business on Google Maps
- Search for and select a category for your business
- Enter your company’s phone number and website URL
- Select a verification option and complete the process
When claiming your business, make sure the address and contact info on your website matches the details you provide to Google. If there are any differences, Google may not feel comfortable directing customers to your company.
Apply Local Business Schema to Your Website
Before you conclude your optimization efforts, it would be smart to add local business schema to every page of your website. This code will not be visible to people who visit your site, but it will make it easier for search engines to identify your business and the products or services it provides to local residents.
Once you have added local business schema to your site, you may also consider applying product and/or service schema. This code helps Google and other search engines gain a deeper understanding of the products or services you offer. By giving them this information, you make it more likely that they will choose to send customers to your site instead of your local competitor whose business model they do not fully comprehend.
Need Help Optimizing Your Website? Contact the Experts at FZA Digital
Do you need some help adding a schema to your website or claiming your Google My Business listings? If so, you have come to the right place. FZA Digital has been helping local companies to thrive online for many years – and we would be more than happy to offer our services to you.
To get in touch with a member of our experienced digital marketing team, all you need to do is give us a call at (424) 229-2923 or fill out our online contact form. We look forward to working with you!