Local SEO Content Strategy
Turning Passive Readers Into Paying clients
Local SEO Content Strategy
The Importance of Content Marketing For Local SEO
Local SEO content strategy is content marketing with a localized focus for empowering local SEO efforts. It all depends on the nature of the results of your query, and whether this content fits the web searcher’s intent behind the query the best. It’s not about whether it has the highest word count for the query. Writing custom local content with all of these factors will help you achieve the quality content Google wants to return for certain local results.
Not creating local content is risky. No one will come to your party without being invited. The solution is to present local content that is relevant and useful. Every piece of content needs a reason to be on your website.
While content alone won’t catapult your website to local SEO success, with local SEO-friendly content, you can drum up new business. The goal is to optimize each piece of content with a target keyword in order to attract users who are searching for these terms.
Expertise-Authority-Trust (E-A-T)
Depending on your industry, content marketing with a local focus, depth, breadth, and knowledge typically does well because it satisfies the Expertise-Authority-Trust (E-A-T) quality evaluation guidelines.
Google values websites that show E-A-T. Page quality plays an important role for Google organic search results. E-A-T is one factor that Google uses to evaluate the overall quality of a web page. Consequently, generating useful, informative and well-presented content significantly helps web page rankings.
Essentially, E-A-T is how Google assures that it provides accurate, truthful, useful information to searchers. Anyone can create a website and publish whatever they want on it. You don’t have to be a doctor to start a medical information website or have a finance degree to write about investing. So, E-A-T guidelines help separate the wheat from the chaff. It’s a quality guideline.
You’ll want to keep E-A-T in mind as you develop your website content. You want to develop content that shows your subject matter knowledge, expertise in order to show that you are a trusted provider for the services that they seek.
Let's Chat About Optimizing Your Content6 Essential Types of Local Content to Build Your Brand, Increase Rankings & Generate Revenue
Local Content Writing
Local content optimization is the process of making sure that your content is created in a way that makes it helpful, relevant and engaging for your target audience. Create content that answers your customers’ needs using the right keywords. Enrich your content by using multi-media such as videos, reviews, etc., to enhance user experience and increase your conversion rates.
The following are the 6 essential types of local content to help build your brand, increase rankings and generate revenue.
1. Location-Specific Landing Page
Your website is unlikely to rank locally without local keyword terms on a location webpage. It’s much easier to rank in the local search engine results pages (SERP) if you have a location webpage.
If you have multiple local businesses, then create a page for each location. You can see that’s what we did on our website by checking Digital Muzes location page which shows all our locations.
Be sure to embed a Google map on your location pages. Also, include driving directions from local landmarks.
2. Services Pages
Apart from your homepage and location page(s), your service pages are your meat and potato pages for local SEO. You want to present your services information in an in-depth manner. Also, if you have variations on the services, then do separate pages for each. It’s good to niche-down on services if your keyword research shows there’s sufficient search volume for the niche services.
It’s also helpful to embed videos on your web pages regarding your services. Videos are an amazing format that can significantly increase user engagement, website dwell time, rankings and enhance the user experience. Visual content can also be highly persuasive which then increases your local conversion rates.
Properly structure all your services pages so that it is well-organized, logical and easy to navigate. Make it super-easy to navigate.
On all your service pages, you will want to include call-to-action buttons for calling your business, or setting an appointment, or downloading relevant information. You want to include several on each service web page; ideally located at the beginning, middle and end of your service pages.
Be sure to add testimonials throughout all your service pages. If possible, include video testimonials. If you have numerous favorable reviews, do both video and written content in a slider so that the content attracts your web visitors’ attention.
Insert review buttons on your service pages to consistently increase your favorable reviews.
3. FAQ Pages
Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) pages are exceptional for local content optimization. This is a great way to showcase your expertise by responding to typical client concerns. It also provides you an opportunity to provide information regarding your business.
Additionally, you can generate a great deal of content responding to the People Also Ask (PAA) questions that you find in most local service searches. Simply search for your services in your location and scroll down the results to the find the PAA for every service that you provide.
Be sure to add your FAQs to your Google Business Profile section as well.
4. Specials
Specials and discounts can drive traffic. Provide your clients and prospects what they want by personalizing local offers. You’ll want to post an irresistible offer on your homepage, on your blog, on your Google Business Profile, video sites, social media and through your communication channels like email marketing, text marketing, and newsletters.
5. Hosting Local Events
Every Friday, look through Facebook events and you’ll find notices of local happening for the weekend. Local businesses use social media and other sites to drive awareness about their special events.
If you’re hosting a local event. be sure to announce on website, social media, blog, etc. to drive awareness, attendance and engagement.
6 . Blog Content
Blog content can be transformative for a small business. If you’re a local business, compete in your local search by having an active blog. It improves your rankings, can be repurposed for your other digital assets and drives brand awareness.
Content is essential if you want to be visible online and facilitate web searchers into paying clients. As a local business, create hyperlocal content that is useful, informative and engaging to drive the results that generate revenue.
Local SEO Content Ideas
- Your Blog
- FAQ Page
- Before & After Results
- Myths About Your Services/Industry
- Top 10 List
- Statistics
- Client Case Study
- New Laws/Regulations
- Day In The Life of Your Profession
- Step-by-Step Process
- Funny Stories
- Pros & Cons
- Lessons Learned Through Experience
- How-To Articles
- White Papers
- Video Blogs (Vlogging)
The Miraculous Power of Blogging
Local Content Writing To Sucess
The importance of blogging to attract organic traffic through local SEO can not be overstated. We have seen incredible, INCREDIBLE ranking results through the power of local blogs.
Typically the biggest issue for most businesses regarding their blog is what to write about. The good news is that creating your blogging strategy is made much easier once you know which keywords to target. With the right keywords and your subject matter expertise, optimizing your content for search engines is as easy as 1-2-3…4 & 5.
Make it your goal to blog regularly. Blogging once a week is a minimum.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on creating your winning blogging content market strategy.
1. Identify Local SEO Keywords for Your Blog
Before writing content for your blog, determine which keywords are worth targeting and how those could translate into engaging blog topics. It’s a good use of your time to write content that attracts organic traffic by targeting keywords that local consumers are using to find your services.
Find Niche & Geo-Specific Keywords
Make it your priority to find high search volume, low competition keywords to have the best chance of ranking these keywords in your local search engine and to gain local SEO momentum for your niche and location over time.
Your keywords should be related both to your service offerings and your target audience. Look at the keywords from your prospective client’s point of view as you determine which keywords to use and how to develop your content.
You want to find long- tail keywords which are best suited as blog post topics. Long-tail keywords are typically longer phrases and questions such as:
“How does passive solar work.”
“How to get a divorce in seattle, washington.”
“How to install xeriscape.”
For keyword selection, consider which keywords will likely attract potential clients within your specific geographic area.
2. Plan Your Blog Content
Create a content calendar to assure that you’re publishing fresh content consistently. You want to stay to task and avoid letting your blogging strategy end up on the back burner.
Some details you might want to include in your blogging schedule include:
- Focus keyword. Secondary/related keyword(s).
- Blog post title.
- Proposed word count.
- Publish date.
- Blog post description.
3. Write Engaging Headlines
When it comes to blog headlines, you first want to convert your target keyword into a compelling headline. You want to make it clear what the topic is about and what the visitor will discover when they read your blog in relation to the keyword. Make sure your content aligns with what your visitors are actually looking to discover.
It helps to do a Google search of your target keyword to see which pages are ranking. You’ll want to match the style of the article and the the tone used. For example, if the top-ranking pages are how-to guides, you’ll want to match that approach. Once you determine the direction of the blog, use your target keyword in the title.
Here are some examples for the keyword “How does passive work”:
How Does Passive Solar Work? A 5-Step Process
Navigating Passive Solar: How Does Residential Passive Solar Work?
How Does Passive Solar Work? – Advice from Solar Installers
It’s a best local SEO practice to use the exact keyword in your title. Ideally, you will want to add a secondary keyword if possible. Then use compelling words to grab users’ attention in the local search results.
4. Niche-Down On Your Topics
The point of having a blogging strategy is to drive traffic and attract potential clients to your business. This means you want to focus on relevant topics for your audience, niche, and location.
Determine how a given topic fits into your marketing strategy and whether it will attract your target audience. Consider what topics your existing clients, previous clients, or your social media followers are most interested in learning more about. Also check on your competitors to see what topics they are covering on their blog for ideas about yours.
5. Follow Blogging Best Practices For On-Page Local SEO
When it comes to optimizing your content for search engines, there are a few on-page SEO best practices you can follow.
While you don’t need to be an SEO professional yourself, it might make sense to work with
a consultant or agency if you have trouble implementing SEO.
Blogging Best Practices
- Include your target keyword in your post title.
- Add H1 – H3 heading tags to structure your post.
- Include internal links to other pages on your website.
- Reference your focus keyword throughout your post.
- Optimize your URL by using your target keyword
- Include bulleted or numbered lists where applicable.
- Add non-copyrighted images with descriptive alt text.
Branding By Way of Local SEO Content
Make it a regular practice to generate content on behalf of your business. It does miracles in terms of creating brand awareness. It may take some time, but local clients and prospects will look forward to your updates. They’ll subscribe, like and share your content.
Content engagement builds your brand. With repeated exposure to your brand and seeing it everywhere, locals will eventually know, like and trust you before they ever do business with you. For local businesses, leverage your target audience for your services.
Here are some ideas of the types of content you can produce as part of your local SEO content strategy.
- Take photos of your business, both inside and out.
- Take photos of your team.
- Take a photo of the special products or products related to services that you offer.
- Recognize the seasons, holidays, etc. especially at it relates to your services.
- Generate simple, short videos for 30 seconds or a minute, that show the kind of results that produce or work in progress.
- Collaborate with other local businesses especially those in a related field. Doing a joint campaign, doing a video together or running a special that cross-markets is a great way to engage both local business’ customer base.
- Local is community. Showcase your community spirit and point out unique, interesting and/or helpful information about where you live as it relates to your services.
- Get testimonials about your services, especially video testimonials. Post testimonials everywhere.
- Comment on local news and local events if it’s positive and show how it relates to your business.
- Congratulate local achievers. When the local high school tennis team wins a regional championship, comment on your digital assets to show support.
The big idea here is that there are plenty of unique and innovative ways to connect with your local community and remain on-topic with your content. Creating regular, local content goes a very long to connecting with your local community and build your business’ goodwill.
Local SEO Content
Where To Post Local Content
- Post on your website. Website posting is usually on the blog section. Don’t overlook posting in a photo and/or gallery, particularly if you work in a highly visual profession.
- Post on Facebook & Instagram. Connect with your community locally. Link to your website content, videos and RSS feed. Boost posts to get locals to see your post.
- Post on Twitter. Link to your website content, videos, post updates, and event announcements.
- Post & photos on your business listings such as Google Business Profile, Bing Business, Apple Business, Yelp. Link to your website content, videos, post updates, and event announcements.
How frequent should you post? Ideally, you want to post daily and no less than 3 times per week. To be successful, you’re looking for viewers to see your content, so once a week posting won’t generate the volume that you need for conversions. Creating content and posting it on a regular basis is what will generate the results that you want for new leads, sales and profit.
Work With Digital Muzes
The internet is a fickle beast. If you’re not surfing the online waves right you can easily get lost in the waves of information that hit you every day. That’s why you need a professional team like Digital Muzes to keep you on track and grow your business.
We are a team of local SEO professionals that has been working the search engine marketing space for a long time. We’ve identified local SEO best practices that work and those that don’t. We also know how to get the best results possible from search engines and major social media channels.