Every business wants to be at the top of the search results for the product or service you offer. 

But how do you get there? 

Local Search Engine Optimisation is the process of optimising a website for Google search to earn higher web traffic from a local geographical area. Close to half of all Google searches are local, and 72% of consumers who perform a local search visit a store within eight kilometers of their current location. So it’s essential for all businesses to optimise their websites for local search.

Claiming your Google Business Profile is a good starting point, but there’s much more to local SEO than just that. Here’s how you can do it:

1. 1. Optimise your website for local search
   2. Get listed in local directories
   3. Build links from local websites
   4. Improve your website structure
   5. Optimise your website for mobile
   6. Encourage customer reviews
   7. Use social media
   8. Track your results

1. Optimise your website for local search

This means using relevant local keywords throughout your website content and titles. 

For example, if you are an emergency plumber in Melbourne, you should use relevant keywords like “emergency plumber Melbourne” and “Melbourne plumbing services” and ‘24/7 plumber Melbourne” in your website content and titles.

‘Optimising’ does not mean keyword stuffing by loading up your pages with repetitive keywords. That SEO strategy may have worked a couple of decades ago but it definitely doesn’t work these days.

You should also use structured data to provide additional information about your business to search engines, such as your address, phone number, hours of operation, and types of services that you offer.

2. Get listed in local directories

There are a number of online directories where you can list your business, such as Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Yellow Pages. Take the time to get listed in all of the major directories, and make sure that your listings are consistent and accurate across all directories. The following information should be in a consistent format for all of your listings:

• • • Your business name
    • Your business address
    • Your business phone number
    • Your business website address
    • Your business hours of operation
    • A description of your business
    • Photos and videos of your business

3. Build links from local websites

Links from other websites are a signal to search engines like Google that your website is authoritative and trustworthy. In some ways, you could say it’s a popularity contest.

Building links from local websites will improve your local search engine rankings. You can organically build links from other local websites by creating good-quality content so that other websites will want to link to it. For example, if you’re an accountant in Sydney you can write a blog post on the best tips for sole traders completing their tax return. A well-written post should attract relevant links from other websites. You can also contact other websites in your local area and ask for links.

Another way to build links from local websites and build brand awareness is to get involved in your local community. For example, you could sponsor a local school, sports, or community event. Or volunteer your time to a local cause. Or participate in local business organisations.

By getting involved in your local community you are more likely to meet other local businesses who may be willing to link to your website.

4. Improve your website structure

It’s great to have external links pointing to your website, but it’s also important to understand that your internal linking structure can help boost your local SEO rankings. Internal linking helps with your website navigation and it distributes page authority and ranking power throughout the pages of your website.

You should also optimise on-page factors such as URL, Title Tags, Headers, Meta Description, and Content. Every new blog post is a new page for your website and for Google, which means a new opportunity to be found.

5. Optimise your website for mobile

For most small business websites you will get more traffic from mobile devices than from laptops or desktops. So you simply have to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate on all mobile devices. A key Google ranking factor is mobile usability so they heavily penalise sites that don’t render well across the board.

6. Encourage customer reviews

Online reviews are an important factor in local SEO. Very few businesses rank highly in Google without having a good volume and quality of Google reviews. Make sure to encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile and other online directories. You can do this by asking for reviews in person, or by sending out email or SMS requests either manually or using automation.

7. Use Social Media

Social media is a great way to connect with potential customers and promote your business. Make sure to post regularly on your business’s most suitable social media platforms and engage with your followers.

8. Track your results

It is important to track your local SEO results so that you can see what is working and what is not. You can use tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to track your results.

By following these tips, you can improve your local SEO and attract more customers to your business.

If you’d like our expert help in your local SEO efforts or any other aspect of your digital marketing campaign please get in touch today.