Local SEO factors
For small and medium-sized businesses, having a robust website is a great way to reach new markets. However, you want potential customers to find your website. Most people who enter a search term in a search engine only look at the first page of results. Very few people take the time to look at the second page.
If your website doesn’t show up on the first page of a search result, how can you possibly reach the potential customers of this untapped market?
The key is SEO rankings. SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” There are simple things you can do to help search engines decide that your website is valuable enough to deserve a place on the first page of search results.
Here, we list the top 5 SEO factors you didn’t know were affecting your local SEO ranking.
1. Physical Address in the City of Search
If a person is looking up a plumber in San Francisco, the search engine will show plumbers located in the center of San Francisco first. If you are a plumber just outside of San Francisco, your business likely won’t show up on the first page of search results, even if the majority of your customers are located in San Francisco.
Search engines’ laser-like focus on location may seem like a obstacle, but you can expand your targeted service area by boosting your SEO ranking.
2. Local Keyword Optimization
When people use search engines to find products or services they need, they usually use similar words to find them. Those search terms are called “keywords.” For example, to find a plumber in Vancouver, they would generally type in “plumber Vancouver” into the search box.
In order to be found by a search engine, your website should have the keywords people search for integrated into the text of your web pages.
3. Listing in Online Directories
You want your business to appear as legitimate as possible on the web. One way to do that is to make sure your business is listed in credible online directories.
Make sure you have listings in directories such as:
- Angie’s List
- Better Business Bureau
- CitySearch
- Google Places
- Kudzu
