A common mistake that many businesses make when it comes to their relationship with SEO (search engine optimization) is the belief that you need to be ranking at #1 on top search engines like Google for the most competitive keywords in order to experience any success. This is not the case – particularly if you rely on a lot of local business to survive. If you have limited resources, you can also focus on ranking locally on Google, Bing, Yahoo, other top search engines, listings, and localized directories.
In this article, we are going to tell you all you need to know about mastering local SEO for your Texas based business.
What Is Local SEO?
In a nutshell, whenever you search for a local service using Google (e.g., best dry cleaners near me), the local business listings that come up are masters of local SEO SERPs.
Rather than focusing on broader key terms and attracting website traffic from anywhere – local SEO is focused more on attracting website traffic from people in your area who are actively searching for the nearest and most relevant business who can meet their needs.
How To Master Your Local SEO
Before you can think about mastering your local SEO, first you need to get started – which means creating and optimizing your Google My Business listing. Once that is done, you can start fleshing it out and developing your long-term strategy.
Fill Out Your GMB Profile Thoroughly
It is not enough to sign up and add some generic info. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you need to fill out your profile thoroughly with the appropriate information and features:
● All Contact Info
Include your Name, Address, Phone Number, Email Address, and Website URL. Many business owners don’t bother putting their contact phone number on their GMB because they wish to avoid receiving too many irrelevant phone calls. This defeats the purpose. That, and so long as you populate your GMB with all of the relevant information, the majority of the calls that you do receive should be from people looking to book appointments and part with their money.
Getting some spammy emails or telemarketing calls will inevitably happen to any local business, so it is not worth trying to minimize it by sacrificing potential sales.
● Accessibility Info
How easy is it to find your establishment? Do you have parking nearby? Is there disabled access? Is your business child-friendly? The more information you can offer about your company, the better chance you have of differentiating your local business from competitors.
● Photos And Videos
Share photos of your business, your employees, your location, and any other appropriate media that may help bolster trust and improve conversions, such as shop tours and product or service descriptions.
● Link Your Social Media Accounts
Link your social networks to your GMB account and then whenever you create locally-focused social media posts on Facebook or Instagram and they will feature on your listing.
● Add And Answer FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
If you want to avoid receiving too many phone calls, add an FAQ to your website where you address the most commonly asked questions. This is a great conversion tactic and Google will rank you more favorably as a result.
● Respond To Reviews
Whether negative or positive, always respond to reviews. Engage with your customers and let any prospective page visitors know that you value your local community.
Submit Your Business To Other Local Directories
It is also worth submitting your business to as many local directories as possible. As the saying goes: “The bigger the net the more fish you will catch”. Join other directories like Yelp, Bing Places For Business, LinkedIn, Foursquare, or other platforms to expand your reach locally and regionally.
Engage With Your Local Community
Be active in your local community and engage in as many local events as possible (e.g., hosting meet and greets for entrepreneurs in your coffee shop, etc.). The more active you are in your community, the more likely your business will be to feature on various websites, blogs, and social media posts. This is all great for building your brand awareness in your local area.
Partner With Local Businesses
Another fantastic way to master your local SEO is by partnering with local businesses and building links. One great example of this is:
● If you own a coffee shop and you source certain produce locally, link to them in your blog posts and ask them to return the favor.
Partnership marketing is great for localized search engine optimization and sales.
Leveraging Local SEO Like A Pro
Ultimately, the key to mastering your local SEO is being prepared to go that extra mile (which is a reason why many businesses fail – because they remain stagnant). Look at your competitor’s listings and identify what their profiles are missing. How can you create a better, well-rounded profile that provides all of the information that one could need to make an informed decision and ultimately choose you instead?
If you follow the above tips, you will be in good stead for dominating the local SEO game in TX. Of course, if you are feeling overwhelmed and don’t have the time nor desire to commit so much effort to your local SEO, you will have no difficulty finding an SEO expert in Texas to assist you.
