Local search engine optimisation (SEO) is a technique that allows you to reach customers based on location. It can help small organisations outrank their bigger competitors. A business that only serves a certain area needs local SEO to get found by more people from within this area. Those with multiple locations or serve several locations can benefit from a solid local optimisation strategy by ensuring searchers will find their locations independently of each other. So how exactly can your business optimise your site for local searches this year?

Ensure Clarity in your Service Area

The last thing you want is a visitor discounting your business because they could not find the name of their town, county, or state. Standalone service areas must be optimised for area-specific keywords like zip code, major landmarks, or town name. Ensure you have a page that describes your service area, any clients in each of these areas, and any history of your company being there.

Optimise Pages for Some Locations

Creating unique landing pages for local services areas is a smart decision. Such pages serve as mini-homepages and have nearly everything for users to decide if they want to contact you. But, remember that while keyword optimisation is great, you also have to consider user optimisation. After making your pages, search for it from the SERP and ensure it’s a realistic preview of what your target users will get and focus on a certain geographical area.

Build Citations

In SEO, a citation is any mention of your business online including your NAP. One way to build citations is to submit your business to an online directory. Citations make it easy for your local customers to find you on the web. To improve your local rankings, build business listings on different websites including general citation websites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Bing.

Ensure Every Place your NAP Lives is the Same

Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) is one of the main cues that search engines use for finding your site and associate it with particular locations. Ensure your NAP is identical wherever you use it. Although this can be tricky with many social networks, association pages, or citation pages, don’t overlook it. Also, consider adding visual cues in the main navigation bar, header, and parts of the site, depending on which page is often visited.

Set Up Social Media Signals

Having social media pages is a must for any business these days. Having social media signals that point to your location is a bonus in terms of ranking for local search engine optimisation. Ensure you have a social media strategy that will help you in managing content for several locations if this applies to your business.

Build Links

Link building to improve local rankings can be done by engaging in the local community. For instance, you may want to sponsor an event, a community initiative, or a youth sports team. Also, you can throw a party, work with local influencers, or launch a local business networking club.