Local Search Fundamentals - Part 2

Yesterday’s blog post, Local Search Fundamentals - Part 1, covered five fundamentals of local search that refresh your site’s visibility and its SEO capabilities. We walked through what data providers to submit to and how to claim your local listing. Then we ran through a quick refresher on correctly and consistently categorizing your site, complimented by search engine optimized contact information. Finally, we created and uploaded a location map, or KML file that helps search engines physically locate your business.

Local Search Fundamentals - Part 2 picks up where we left off yesterday. These tips will focus on your on-page optimization, and how to make it more local-friendly.

1. Optimizing Contact and Location Page

Use the official name of your business in the title tag of your contact or location page. This makes sure that Google indexes your website as an “authority document” for Location Prominence.

2. “Geographisize” Your Title Tags

Use your city and state in the title tag of your contact or information page as well. If you are in the life insurance business in Omaha, use titles like “OmahaNebraska Life Insurance” or “Life Insurance in OmahaNebraska”. Include these words in other title tags on your site as well.

3. Google Analytics

Thinks of analytics as studying film in football. You want to review past games to see how your team played, what went right and what went wrong. Analytics will give you insight into which keywords are driving traffic your way, and what pages are engaging visitors and generating leads.

You can also scout your competition for what terms they are targeting and how they are listing themselves in the search engines. You can now see business categories that are listed publicly at Place Pages.

You may not think you have the budget to run with the big players but with local search, you don’t need pockets stuffed with cash. Local search is a great place to stick your toe in the water before you dive head-first into a full SEO campaign. It helps your website start down the right path to rankings success and is very affordable for any sized business. Are you a small business who want more online sales? Go Local.