Local Ranking Factors

Google’s algorithm updates fairly regularly. There are now hundreds of ranking factors that determine local rankings. Implementing best practices for your digital marketing to address these ranking factors as a part of your SEO strategy requires skill and diligence for getting the best results.

Local Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of good local SEO. Creating content without doing careful keyword research first, results in offering digital blather – search terms no one looks for. Our discussion of local keyword research discusses the importance of proper keyword research and the significance of determining intent in keyword analysis.

Local Content Marketing

One of the best cost-effective ways to drive targeted online traffic to your website is through local content marketing. Understanding the differences between service pages, blog post articles, and how to properly group them throughout your site’s hierarchy can make the difference in ranking.

Google algorithm updates have prioritized useful or helpful content. Consider your website and ask whether:

• You have useful content for your intended audience.
• Clear content that demonstrates your company’s first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge.
• Your website shows a primary focus. It’s very clear what you offer.
• Your content provides information sufficient to the viewer to address their questions.
• Your content provides the viewer a satisfying experience.

On-Page Optimization

Your small business’s website architecture impacts your rankings. Google allocates a crawl budget to your website. If it is disorganized, that crawl budget is not being used efficiently for indexing your web pages. Google’s stated objective is to provide the best user experience for inquiries. If your website is sloppy and your content is inadequate, your web pages will not rank.

Properly optimize web pages for search engines involves more than just creating web pages. Various factors assist Google to understand the relevancy of your content for satisfying searchers’ intent. The better your content addresses their questions, the more frequently Google will show your web pages and for more broader topics.
On Page local SEO improves search engine rankings through:

• Website Structure
• Optimized title tags, meta descriptions, and page headings.
• Optimized page speed and user experience.
• Internal linking
• Image optimization.
• Schema markup for better click through rate
• FAQ page 

Off-Page SEO

Building backlinks to your site is important. Yet, bad backlinks to your website can be negatively consequential if done improperly. We review local link building and address:

• Why links are important for small business
• Proven link building strategies for local businesses
• Best practices for building links and digital PR campaigns

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)

Google Business Profile is a fundamental for your small business’s digital marketing strategy. Without proper optimization your company will not be able to rank in the map pack when people are searching for your services nearby. We’ll cover how to optimize it to rank higher in local SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

Local SEO vs Pay-Per-Click 

Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are leased digital assets. They rent the top ranking positions for online visibility which disappear once the rental payments end.

Local SEO, on the other hand, are owned digital assets. Consequently, they are an investment that continues to provide returns year after year so long as you maintain your assets. The website content and backlinks created from that content have lasting, powerful ROI.

While PPC has its benefits and place in local marketing, PPC for small businesses can be very expensive. For example, it may cost you $200+ per click if you’re bidding for a high commercial intent keyword such as “roof replacement San Antonio.” Without continuing ROI from investing in PPC, it may not be a sustainable digital marketing channel for many small businesses.

It’s value is primarily for new businesses and for those small businesses who already own the search engine result page results and want to fully dominate the page by completing it with their PPC ad.

Local SEO vs Google Local Service Ads (LSA)

Google Local Service Ads are a great way to increase lead generation. Not every profession has access to LSA but for those that do, it can be very beneficial. They way they work is that you have to prove to Google that you are a licensed professional and that you have a legitimate business. You also have to complete a background check. The ads are very competitive.  Rather than paying per click, you pay Google per lead.

Local SEO vs Social Media Marketing

Search beats social media by more than 300% as a traffic source. The reason is due to the user’s intent. With local search, people are actively seeking services. Social media users, on the other hand, are passively receptive to service offerings.

Social media has it’s place in local search. It’s useful as a complimentary digital asset and sends social signals to Google regarding your services, engagement, etc. It’s also beneficial for expanding your brand name recognition and building trust signals because you are showing up in multiple locations online.

Additionally, paid social ads are great for promoting specific offers and building your email list with link bait such as free guides, checklists, etc.

The first position in Google search results carries a 31.7% click-through rate. Only 0.78% of Google searchers click on results from the 2nd page. If you run a small business and want to generate new clients as part of your local search marketing strategy, much of your success hinges on whether or not your website can be found in Google search.

Prospective clients use local organic search to find and hire small business for various services. Investing in a local search marketing campaign can be measured by search analytics but, more importantly, by your return on investment.

When analyzing various marketing channels, most small business benefit most from local, organic SEO.  Local organic SEO are owned assets that provide direct responsive web pages to specific local searches.  The better optimized your website, the more leads that it can generate for your business.

When your prospects need services that you offer, they often find service-providers through word-of-mouth, social media or search engines. Search engines, by far, are the most popular. For most people, local search is their primary way for finding services. Social media and word-of- mouth recommendations are helpful to many, but for most, online search has become the primary approach for researching small businesses that provide services that they seek.

For most small businesses, local search marketing outperforms social media and paid advertising. Of all the marketing channels your small business can invest in, local search marketing optimization is the only one with the ability to return compounding returns over time.