When it comes to ranking local businesses well in search engine page results (SERPs), it is often described as easy as getting a website, getting listed on several online business directories and also claiming your Google My Business Page. Once you complete these simple activities, you can experience an amazing shot at ranking high on Google for several local keywords like “SEO in Delhi.”
With the growing importance of digital marketing, local SEO today became more competitive. In today’s time, local SEO is highly competitive. What is the reason? Well, the main reason is that most of these local businesses finally realized the great relevance of performing local SEO basics and also are indeed implementing those of many basically local search strategies. This clearly indicates that numbers of local businesses are in fact vying for a limited number of high-ranking spots.
The most important thing is that the local search ranking factors drastically changed over the past couple of years, making it more complex to rank for those of several local search keywords. Moreover, if you decide to perform your task with those of local businesses, you should understand this changing the local SEO environment is highly important. Here, you will be able to explore some vital factors that tend to influence local search visibility that includes some latest changes that have in fact had a great impact on some current practices.
Google Local 3-Pack and Maps
Google recently decreased the local pack from a 7-pack to a 3-pack aiming to make it more competitive. Keeping in mind such change, it is in fact more important for a business for expanding their local SEO strategies with the use of varieties of techniques such as optimizing their Google My Business Page, adding in fact localized content to their website, getting listed on several online business directories and also citation sites and also having many happy customers leave reviews on Google and also those of other third-party online review websites.
In this image, we have used keyword SEO in Delhi and results appeared like this. The image shows three local SEO service providers with their respective details.
Importance of Google My Business for Local Search
Over the past couple of years, Google also made a large push for getting several local businesses, in order to claim their Google My Business Page. Moreover, Google has a completely separate team that is generally devoted exclusively to such initiative. The Google team in fact partnered with some local city Chamber of Commerce offices and also various local city government offices and many other business non-profits.
One of the most important things that generally stressed especially during such training workshops is certainly for those of local businesses mainly for filling out as much as details since they can on their Google My Business Page that includes uploading images of their products or businesses, logo, office or business hours, acceptance of payment and more. Once you add such information, then the business will definitely differentiate itself from those businesses that either have not verified their listing at all or also have chosen the easiest way out by offering only those of various basic information about their business. Creating your Google My Business Page as effective as possible is a great thing and it can indeed enhance the likelihood of your business indicating up on the local pack.
Writing Local Content
If you are seeking to compete locally, all you need to do is to concentrate on putting local content on your site. This is something that may clearly indicate writing those of various regular blog posts that generally mention several news, local events and also several other activities going on your city and also several surrounding cities, promotions or specials you are having at a particular business location, creating some city-specific pages on your website and so on.
Ensure you write approximately 1,000 words of useful content on every page and also use several specific keywords throughout. Besides, you must set up a completely unique page for every of your location, if you have several locations.
Online Business Directories
There are several local citations and also several online business directories that are considered to be an important way of getting backlinks to as several local business websites. In addition, there are many citation sites that get credibility with Google, a business’s listing of several sites can quite often show in several top search outcomes.
Get 5-Star Reviews
There are several online reviews becoming more important than ever. These reviews not only correlate with several higher local rankings but also several positive reviews assisting you in gaining customers’ reliability. When you get in touch with a happy customer for leaving some online reviews, make sure to tell customers of your business’ reviews site preferences. It is indeed great for having varieties of reviews on some different sites.
Word of caution – You should never ask for reviews from your customers at one time. As it will not appear natural to the review sites or also to those of potential customers. These reviews tend to be suppressed since they appear highly suspicious to those of several reviews sites. Undoubtedly, having a complete bunch of several positive reviews about your business on Google and lots of other reviews makes your business progressive online.
Google Possum
The leading online search engine Google already rolled out an important algorithm update, named Possum by the search engine optimization community. Moreover, Possum concentrated on enhancing the quality and also several local search outcomes.
