As a local business, it is important to invest in local SEO so you can compete with bigger businesses. Local SEO allows you to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), helping you to attract more local customers.
Here are 12 local SEO tips for small businesses that will help you to grow your business in 2022:
1. Optimize your website for local SEO
Make sure your website is optimized for local SEO by including your location in your titles, tags, and meta descriptions. You should also include local keywords throughout your website content.
2. Create local landing pages
Create local landing pages for each of your locations so that customers can find the nearest store to them. Include all the relevant information on these pages, such as the address, opening hours, and contact details.
3. Add Schema markup to your website
Schema markup is code that helps search engines understand the content on your website better. By adding schema markup to your website, you can help improve your click-through rates from SERPs.
4. Claim your Google My Business listing
If you haven’t already, claim your Google My Business listing. This will help your business to show up in local search results and on Google Maps. Be sure to include accurate information about your business, such as the opening hours, address, and contact details.
5. Optimize your Google My Business listing
Once you have claimed your GMB listing, take some time to optimize it. Add photos, videos, and other relevant information that will help your listing stand out from the competition. You should also encourage customers to leave reviews so that potential customers can see that others have had a positive experience with your business.
6. Add local structured data to your website
Structured data is code that helps search engines understand the content on your website. By adding local structured data to your website, you can help your website show up in local search results.
7. Create local citations
Local citations are mentions of your business on other websites. They can include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). Creating local citations can help improve your local SEO rankings.
8. Optimize your titles and meta descriptions
Make sure your titles and meta descriptions are optimized for local SEO by including local keywords. This will help your website to show up in local search results when people search for those keywords.
9. Build local links
Link building is an important part of local SEO. Try to build local links by getting listed in local directories and creating local content. You can also try to get other local businesses to link to your website.
10. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
More and more people are using their mobile devices to search for local businesses, so it’s important to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. This means that your website should be responsive and easy to use on a mobile device.
11. Use social media to promote your local business
Social media is a great way to promote your local business. You can create local social media profiles and post relevant, engaging content that will help you to reach local customers.
12. Monitor your local SEO progress
Monitor your local SEO progress by tracking your rankings in SERPs and your website’s traffic. This will help you to see how well your local SEO efforts are paying off and where you need to make improvements.
By following these local SEO tips, you can help your small business to grow in 2022. Investing in local SEO is a great way to attract more local customers and compete with bigger businesses.