It has become so clear that the value of local SEO is of such importance, that no one can ignore it any further and expect to survive in the online marketing game.
Far too many SEO pros and marketers spent so much time on just SEO that they overlooked the importance of local SEO. Well, now that song has turned an it’s time to sharpen those local SEO skills and fast.
Here’s why. Local SEO isn’t new, but it is of greater importance to your search engine rankings than ever, due to the fine tuning of the search engines themselves. Nowadays search engines like Google want results that pinpoint subject matter down to the last molecule. If a surfer is looking for art supplies in Boise, Idaho, then the results that show up should be of such informative and authoritative power that the surfer can find an art supplies store on a street and address that could even have latitude and longitude. That’s how important local SEO is nowadays.
That being said, since Google wants those precise results, they’re looking for websites that provide as much detail as possible from as many sources as possible. Google looks for authority sites. These sites have not only pertinent precise local info, but also inbound and outbound links of value. Reviews and perhaps fan sites based on a specific business niche, all add to the authority of a site.
If your site doesn’t have the fundamentals for building a local SEO campaign then you’ll miss out. Your site has to have solid design, sitemap, quality copy, well tagged photos and videos, perhaps a blog, and each has to have a mention of the exact location of your business as well as relevant mentions and links to surrounding local points of interest.
With the mobile market expanding at practically exponential ratios, local SEO is vital. Do not underestimate the power of the mobile market. It is the way of the future and it’s coming up on everyone fast. Your local SEO campaign has to have mobile friendly site design and SEO tailored especially for mobile and local SEO. Google has tools to help one get their site mobile friendly, but that won’t solve your local SEO. It provides a good foundation for which you use your local SEO skills an tools to fine tune your sites for maximum results.
Don’t forget the new wearable devices too. Watches, wristbands, and other mobile devices. As displays change, so will site design, and that means being at the ready and tweaking your local SEO to accommodate the changes.
Finally, get to know you neighbors. Even if their business isn’t your niche, there is something to be said of a hearty “hello” from a local business that adds to the authority of your website. Google and the other search engines will see this and boost your ratings. See, just doing the most simplest of things can get you you need to be. It will call for lots of maintenance and detailed strategy, but local SEO calls for it and will return to you.