SEO is one of the crucial ingredients in securing a solid
online presence. However, not all businesses have the same scope. Similarly,
the rules for efficient SEO also differ for all of them. Some are multinational
corporations offering services of a greater level, and some are smaller
dealings relying on attracting local customers. The former gets significant
attention from SEO gurus and blogs, but it's time to address the latter as well.
The concept of 'local SEO' arises with search engines'
feature where they suggest nearby places/businesses to a search before
displaying traditional search results. For example: when searching for 'Chinese
food', we get recommendations for nearby Chinese restaurants and then links to
Chinese food recipes further down. For a business offering Chinese food, this
is a wonderful opportunity to stand out to a potential customer and possibly
get an order. This is what 'local SEO' aims to target.
There are various ways to benefit from 'local SEO'. The
foremost one is to register your business' information into Google My Business
and Apple Maps. Both of these services are the most popular for finding
services nearby. You should include addresses, menus/price lists, photographs,
and reviews from authentic users. Alongside that, improving your site's
internal linking strategy also shows your business as a serious and confident
one, and Google likes that. Remember to optimize your online web page for all
kinds of devices because it will probably be viewed on all different screen
sizes.
If you are a business looking to target audiences from
multiple cities, your website should mention each city's different relevant
keywords. This can be done by making separate pages for each city or mentioning
them on the same page in an index list.
Remember, SEO is not just a fixed set of rules for smart online marketing. It requires conscious effort and understanding of the local market and niche. The reality is that you have put in so many resources to offer quality services and support. So make sure to invest in ensuring that your customers get to know about this.