Quick Start Guide: Optimizing Local SEO

Optimizing Local SEO is crucial if you want your business to be found by potential customers in your local area (which – let’s be real – you do).

Regardless of what you’ve heard, SEO is not just one thing. Rather, it’s an entire range of components that all add up to making your company the one that comes up when a prospect searches for what you do in your area. The possibilities with SEO are endless as you continue to grow, but if you haven’t gotten started yet – here’s a quick start guide you can use to get yourself set up for success.

Take these steps now! You’ll be so glad you did it later. Here’s an easy-to-follow process for optimizing local SEO:
Step 1: Optimize your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is a free listing that appears in Google Maps and search results when people search for businesses in your area. To optimize your Google Business Profile, you must (must must) ensure it is complete and accurate. Here are some things you can do:

1. Claim your profile: If you haven’t already, claim your profile on Google My Business. This will give you control over your listing and allow you to update and respond to reviews.

2. Add accurate information: Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate and consistent across all online directories and platforms.

3. Choose the right categories: Select the most relevant categories for your business and ensure they match your products or services.

4. Add photos: High-quality photos of your business can help make your profile stand out and give potential customers a better idea of what to expect.

5. Get reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews on your profile, as this can improve your search rankings and help potential customers decide whether to choose your business.

Step 2: Use UTM Codes to Track Traffic

UTM codes are tags you can add to the end of your website URLs to track traffic from different sources. For example, you can add a UTM code to a link that you share on social media or in an email newsletter to see how many people click through to your website from that source. This can help you measure the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts and make adjustments as needed.

Step 3: Build Citations

Citations mention your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. Building citations can help improve your local search rankings and make it easier for people to find your business online. To build citations, add your NAP information to your website and then list your business in local directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Angie’s List.

Step 4: Create High-Quality Content

Creating high-quality content is an important part of local SEO. This includes creating blog posts, articles, and other types of content that are relevant to your business and your local area. Your content should be informative and engaging, and it should include keywords and phrases that people are searching for in your area. This can help improve your search rankings and drive more traffic to your website.

Step 5: Build Links to Your Website

Building links to your website is another important part of local SEO. This involves getting other websites to link to your website, which can help improve your search rankings and drive more traffic to your website. To build links, start by contacting other local businesses and asking them to link to your website. You can also create content other websites will want to link to, such as infographics, how-to guides, and other resources.

By following these five steps, you can optimize your local SEO and make it easier for people to find your business online. Remember to track your results using UTM codes and make adjustments as needed to ensure that your local SEO efforts are as effective as possible. Contact us if you need any support, we’re here to help!