With the digitisation wave taking over, businesses have begun increasingly adopting technologically advanced solutions to better understand customers and encourage in-store footfalls. A successful digital strategy involves the seamless management and optimisation of local listings. One such key strategy is using SEO to increase a business’s online visibility. Any business that possesses a brick-and-mortar location or represents a geographic area can benefit from using local SEO. These local listings are a business’s online profile, encompassing essential details like name, contact details, address, operational hours, and so on. These details are displayed on search engine results and directory websites. Businesses need to maintain the accuracy and consistency of their information. This helps customers obtain relevant information using search engines like Google that will populate the data.
Creating a Google Business Profile (GBP) also called Google My Business (GMB) is easy to create and use while also being free of charge. With a verified GBP, the business will appear in the Google Map Pack or Google Local Map Pack search results. Upon conducting a local Google search, it places the business in a prominent position. Here, the business will be listed, and the map will display the location marked with an icon.
In addition to Google, there are a myriad of other location-based listing platforms available, like Justdial, IndiaMart, and Zomato, to name a few. Depending on their popularity, location-based platforms help increase visibility and influence consumer decisions.
Effectively Optimising and Managing Local Listings
Simply put, local listings act as a digital front for the business. However, setting up a GBP for an organisation is just the first step to carving a niche in the digital space. It also involves ensuring information accuracy, updating information, and engaging with reviews. As customers leave reviews, engagement with those reviews can positively impact local search rankings. In addition to boosting a business’s credibility, positive reviews also play an important role in increasing visibility in search engine results. Google also accumulates and combines reviews from third-party sources and consumer diaries. Businesses must engage on other relevant platforms as well in order to increase and maintain ranking.
As users continue to interact with the search result and engage with the customer reviews, they learn more about the organisation they intend to conduct business with. It helps users access external social profiles as well. The results displayed are an amalgamation of content that is user-generated, Google-powered, and business-provided.
Use Engaging Visuals
Organisations also need to add photos and in-store products in tandem with inputting the organisation’s basic information in a local listing and the continual updation of this listing. Visuals are a key component that helps organisations tell their brand story as well as help consumers better understand their offerings. It helps consumers make better-informed decisions before making a purchase. Images associated with each item can help grow user engagement. Interaction with the particular listing boosted by an image can lead to consumers investing in the brand over other competitors in the market.
Businesses can also highlight certain products of choice available in the store. These products can be on promotion, a novelty in the market, or popular.
These efforts and basic information form the foundation for local SEO strategies. The next step that is extremely crucial to putting the business on the map and dominating local searches is directing efforts towards the website and boosting its overall online presence. Make sure to use local keywords and content to strengthen local SEO. Conduct keyword research to pinpoint valuable local keywords. Use this information to formulate localised blog content and landing pages to cater to the target audience.
Implementing Local Business Schema Markup
Local business schema is a type of structured data markup code and a significant ranking factor. This code, when added to the website, helps search engines identify the type of organisation and its offerings. The site should be regularly updated to check for any more schema opportunities. Businesses with outlets should create a separate page for each location. This helps optimise local search visibility. Implement local keywords in the website content and meta tags as well. Incorporate Google Maps into the strategy for better search engine recognition and user experience.
As the digital marketing landscape continually evolves, a robust, local SEO strategy is imperative to maintain a leadership position in the industry. Build a strong base of lasting connections with the local community by embracing the power of local SEO.
