What is local search engine optimisation?
Local SEO does a fantastic job of bringing the best local services and products to those who are searching for them online. The magic of the internet can somehow differentiate whether searches are location-dependant or not. For example, if you type ‘dentist’ into your search bar, you’ll be presented with all the best dentists in your specific area, because how is a dentist in India going to help you if you’re based in London? On the other hand, if you search for ‘natural remedies for teeth whitening’, you’ll be met with the top-rated blogs and web pages on the topic, no matter where they originate from.
Then there are businesses that fall in between those two categories- mostly companies that offer online services. This is because while these businesses do offer local-specific services, they also apply to a much wider audience, so the competition is very stiff. For example, The Weblab is a Durban-based company, so we aim to have good SEO for the Durban market, but we also offer our services to clients worldwide.
How to optimize your local SEO strategy?
So, you have a local business that you want to present to the people in your city. How do you go about improving your local SEO, so that your business pops up first when potential clients search for whatever it is that you offer?
- Consistent NAP– Having a consistent (name, address and phone number) is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you stay ahead of the pack. The longer that you have had the same details for the better, so try hold onto phone numbers instead of getting new ones. While moving premises can sometimes be unavoidable, it doesn’t fair well for your NAP. Also make sure that your NAP is consistent across all platforms, including website, social media.
- Online directories– Another great way to improve your local SEO is to make sure your company is listed in as many online directories as possible. Examples include Yellowpages, Hotfrog, and ActiveWeb. Some are paid and some are free, it is good to have a combination of both.
- Reviews– Having authentic, online reviews for your business is vital for boosting your local SEO. There are many strategies you can adopt for gaining more online reviews but engaging with customers that you know had a good experience with your brand is a good place to start. Make sure to have a Google My Business page and get people to review your business on that page, we have found this very powerful!
- Local Content– The more that you mention your locality within the content on your site, the better your local SEO will be, and the more likely you are to appear higher up in search results. Make sure that location-related keywords are still placed naturally within the text and not just dumped there or overdone. Google’s algorithms can decipher between authentic and unnatural content, and your website will be dealt with accordingly.
To sum it up
Local SEO really does play a very important part in ensuring that your company gets the best possible web results. The Weblab have proved to be experts in local SEO by being named in the top 10 of Durban SEO companies. If you’re interested in improving your local SEO, check out our SEO process and packages.
