I would like to thank Emma Tomlinson for contributing the following article packed with amazing information on SEO. I am confident everyone will take away and utilize these great tips to enhance their business success.
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Optimisation plays a major role in a website‘s success or failure. Web owners cannot hope to become a credible presence in the Internet if they are not implementing certain SEO strategies.
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Business websites, in particular, have an immediate need for local search engine optimisation. It targets specific audiences and it boosts your visibility in results pages.
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Most importantly, your physical address is prominently displayed to millions of viewers, but specifically to the thousands of users within your geographical region.
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When I first learned about this, I must admit that I had some difficulty in understanding what it is or what it entails. This is why I want to share with all of you the techniques that I have learned.
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THE BASICS OF LOCAL SEO
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*Look for ideal keywords for your business
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Keywords are the main backbone that boosts your website to the top of SERPs. But using just any word related to your niche is not enough. You have to conduct a thorough research and analysis to determine which terms are ideal and which ones you should save for later.
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Ideally, you should focus on long-tail keywords. You have lesser competition with them because they are more specific and therefore more unique. For example, instead of using “online shopping”, you can use “online shopping for cars” or “online shopping for cars in Australia”. These are longer, more specific, and have localised keywords. You can even include cities, regions, or towns for better targeting of queries.
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Now if you are having difficulty looking for search terms, there are a plethora of free online services you can use. The best examples are those from Google like AdWords, AdSense, and Insights for Search. Any of these will supply you with accurate information about the “popularity” of a term in a particular region, thus giving you an idea about the competition that you are up for.
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*Allow clients to give reviews
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Do not hesitate to give your viewers survey sheets or feedback polls for fear of a bad rating. Remember that search engines are now factoring online reviews for your ranking in SERPs. They are basically analysing how often your business website is talked about.
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But aside from conducting your own, you must also allow your customers to review you on sites like Yelp.com, Angie’s List, or Qype.
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Plus, it is one of the most effective ways of interacting with your audience. Get their feedbacks, ask them how they rate your products, and encourage them to give their suggestions for further improvement.
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You can even use the data you gather as a topic for new content. See? That’s hitting three birds with just one stone.
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*Be listed in Google Places and other local directories
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Often associated with Google Maps, this is a location-based results page that shows you an accurate map of the region or city you are looking for. Now why is it important to appear in such pages?
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First of all, this is a directory that offers its users directions or guidelines on how to find a business establishment from a specific place. When you have a credible presence here, it will increase your visibility over the Web and boost your chances of earning a top spot in local SERPs.
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Now for your enterprise to be listed, you just have to follow these steps:
Access your Google Account, preferably what you are using for your business and what you are using for Analytics and Webmaster Tools.
Go to http://www.google.com/places and click on the button ‘Add New Business.’ Afterwards, you will be redirected to a new page which could feature your contact information from Google Maps. You can edit this if the info is inaccurate.
Fill out the detailed information of your company such as address, phone number, category, description of business, email address, domain, office hours, and other necessary details. Then, click ‘Submit.’
Verify your identity via PIN. You can either do that over the phone or through email, although the former is quicker and easier.
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After that, you will find your enterprise on Google Places. You can add more information like discount rates, photos, sales offers, and more. This is definitely one great FREE service that will help your local SEO efforts.
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*Aim for quality links from localised sources
Authority websites that link to yours can undoubtedly enhance your position in SERPs. But to maximise the contribution of link-building, you must also focus on linking with sites related to your location. For example, if you are selling cars in Queensland, you can link with mechanics or repairs shops in Queensland as well.
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This also contributes to the relevancy of your content since the long-tail keywords you are using are already localised or specific.
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Another way you can build links is to post as guest author on locally targeted blogs. This will generate quality backlinks to yours, plus it will increase your visibility over the Web.
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*Optimise your content
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Although a lot of SEO experts say that content is no longer king, it is still immensely important for your website, especially since search engines are always prioritising high-quality posts.
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Of course, aside from ensuring that your articles are original, compelling, and relevant to your niche, you should also use keywords that are location-based to target local queries.
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CONCLUSION
These may seem irrelevant now, but you will soon see that even the most basic strategies can contribute a substantial increase to your ranking in results pages.
About the Author:
Emma Tomlinson is the Head of Retail at Smart Traffic, a top company in the UK offering SEO services to many countries across the globe.
