Since Google’s ‘Pigeon’ update first spread its wings over a year ago, businesses (both big and small) have seen it as a unique opportunity to fine-tune their SEO techniques according to location. The main focus of the Pigeon algorithm update is to provide more relevant, useful and accurate search results.
According to Google, businesses who adapt local SEO techniques into their existing strategies, automatically improve their distance and location ranking parameters. For businesses aiming to target local customers, investing in local search engine optimisation tools will enable you to reach the top of local business listings on search engines and subsequently improve the visibility of your store.
…Think of local SEO as a checklist to success:
1. Relevant and Unique Landing Pages
Each store should have its own original landing page, optimised with relevant content. An effective store landing page will include localised SEO elements such as:
- Services/products provided by the store.
- Opening times
- Contact Details: Address, Phone Number, Email, Contact Form and Social Media Icons.
- Promotions and Offers
- High Quality Images ONLY (no blurry or pixelated photos)
2. Add Business Reviews
Your local SEO can benefit from displaying positive reviews. Google reviews that are updated frequently and are consistently optimistic, will help to build the reputation of your brand which in turn, will attract new customers.
3. Optimised Business Listings
Online set-up forms allows companies like yours to add relevant business listings to search engines such as Google and Bing – for FREE.
Having a business listing is one thing, but having an optimised store listing is in a league of its own. Include essential content such as name, category and description so that your business page will be visible in relevant searches. By optimising content for your business listing, you will receive greater SERPs dominance for brand searches which can dramatically increase your overall click-through rate.
4. Provide a Useful Store Locator
A store locator will help potential customers to find your store from any device. User experience and page performance will have a direct effect on bounce rate – so make sure that it is fast, user-friendly and responsive across all devices.
5. Register your Business with Reliable Directories
Referral traffic is incredibly useful for businesses seeking local customers. Building citations in relevant directories will help get your business NOTICED. Use the same business listing for each directory for consistency. The most well-known UK directories include Yell, Yelp, Central Index and Factual etc.
6. Invest in Local PR
PR can impact your SEO, so it is worth investing in a good local PR strategy that will get your brand out there in order to reach more people. PR can benefit SEO by increasing social conversation based around your brand as well as improving the credibility and reputation of your website/company. There are many other beneficial factors of having PR established in your local community, so it is well worth giving it a shot.
Whilst expanding your brand to reach audiences further afield can be a great business move, more often than not, it’s the people closest to you that are the most important – A life lesson that you can take for your business as well as your personal life.
Our multi-award winning marketeers and developers are also waiting to help with any digital marketing, adwords, social media, SEO Belfast or Magento ecommerce web design questions you may have. We also provide training for third party SEO software tools such as MOZ to ensure you can clearly monitor progress and ensure your campaign is of the highest quality.
