Local SEO has become more important than ever before, especially in light of Google’s recent Pigeon update. Yet, as a company that is often hired as a Magento designer and online marketer, we see a lot of customers who need help in this area. That’s why we thought to put together five local SEO tips that you must implement immediately if you hope to top SERPs and increase your site’s traffic.
Use Local Keywords
While the “power” of keywords may be waning, Google still scans the words on your pages to see what your site is about. Therefore, it’s still necessary to write copy around keywords. However, it’s even more important that you make sure these keywords include local identifiers. There’s no point in hitting the top of Google for “bakery” because you’ll be getting a ton of irrelevant traffic.
An experienced Magento designer can also help you put those local keywords “behind” the images and videos you post too so Google has no problem deciphering what they’re about.
Make Direct Data a Priority
Another form of content you need to begin prioritizing is known as “direct data.” To put it simply, this is the detail-level information that really matters to customers at a glance. This is the content that speaks to their initial qualifiers – things they want to know about before proceeding to continue with your site.
For example, if you run a restaurant, direct data would be things like your address, phone number, hours you keep, your prices, whether or not you do takeout, etc.
Every Magento designer at ADX understands how to make sure this information is easy to find so Google knows your business cares about its customers’ experience.
Take Local Directories Seriously
To many of you, this is already a no-brainer, but you want to get listed in as many local directories as possible. They usually come with a backlink, plus a lot of people still use them when looking for local businesses.
That being said, it’s vital that you take them seriously. This means doing regular audits to make sure that the information these directories list about your company is accurate. Obviously, you don’t want potential customers getting bad info about your business. In terms of SEO, though, Google will also downgrade your ranking if information about your organization isn’t consistent across the web. That’s why you must do these audits and submit the correct info wherever possible.
You Want Local Backlinks
Backlinks are always a great way to improve your company’s rankings. As long as they’re from quality sites and you’re not harvesting them in a spammy fashion, Google will generally look kindly on a website with lots of love from other sites.
Just make sure that, as a local business, you’re looking for this backlink love from other local sites too. Aside from the fact that Google will appreciate it, this is also just a good way to get in front of your customer base. Try to get your company in all local publications’ sites and look to social media pages too. A lot of times, the people who run these sites/accounts are always on the lookout for content, so if you supply them with something useful, your reward will often be that precious backlink.
Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly and Fast
This is good advice for any company. Every Magento designer we employ knows how important it is for a site to work well on mobile devices. Fortunately, Magento has this capability built in.
The reason why it’s especially important for local businesses to have these two aspects is because this is sometimes all it takes to jump several places in line on the SERPs. Sadly, a lot of local businesses don’t change their sites for years at a time. As a result, their page may not show up well on a mobile device. It may take too long to load as well (which, these days, means it took more than about five seconds).
Don’t let something this simple be the reason Google decides to keep you off the first page.
If you need a Magento designer, ADX Media would be more than happy to help. We also handle online marketing needs, though, including SEO. Hopefully, the above tips have helped you understand what your local company’s website needs to do in order to win top ranking, but should you need further help, just let us know.
