Did you know that most people search for products and services online before visiting a store? If you’re not taking advantage of specialist local SEO services in Australia, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers.
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search results when people are looking for businesses like yours. Local SEO has become more important than ever. With Google’s algorithm updates and the growing importance of mobile search, it’s no longer enough for businesses to just rank for keywords that are related to their business.
Businesses must rank for relevant keywords in their local area, or even better within a certain radius from where they’re located.
Here are 6 local SEO tips that you can use to get your site noticed by potential customers:
1. Optimize Your Website for Local Searches
Many people search for businesses using a local pack, which includes local search results from Google Maps and other providers. A website optimized for local searches will display information about your business that is relevant to the user’s location and make it easier for them to find more information about you. Some people may use a mobile device to search for local businesses, so make sure that your website loads quickly on mobile devices and check Google’s Mobile Friendly Test to see how well it renders on different devices.
2. Claim Your Business Listing on Google My Business
Once you have a business listing on Google My Business, you can make it stand out by adding photos and videos to help customers find you online or call your business directly through Google Maps. You can also add links to other websites where they can learn more about your products or services.
3. Use the right keywords
The first step in optimizing your site for local search is choosing the right keywords. For example, if you’re a retail store selling shoes, try using keywords like “shoes,” “sneakers” and “running shoes.”
4. Tag images properly
Images on your site are indexed by Google — so if you use them, make sure they’re tagged correctly with keywords that relate to the products they illustrate. If possible, include alt text on each image with relevant keywords as well as captions that include additional information about the product being advertised (such as price).
5. Optimize Your Site for Local Search Results
The first step in doing local SEO is to optimize your site for local search results. This means creating pages on your website that are optimized for specific keywords that relate directly to your business location. For example, if you own a restaurant in Chicago and serve pizza, create a page on your website called “Chicago Pizza Delivery” and optimize it with keywords like “Chicago Pizza Delivery” and “Best Pizza Near Me” (if those phrases are searched by people in Chicago). This way, when people who live near Chicago search for pizza delivery businesses online, your page will appear among the first results returned by Google.
6. Use social media
It’s no secret that social media is a great way to reach out to your audience and build brand awareness. But did you know that social media can also help with local SEO? By following some of the tips below, you can get your business more exposure on major platforms like Facebook, Google+, Twitter and more.