Over 50% of the total working population in the U.S. works for a small business.

 

What’s more, there are over 28 million functioning small businesses in America!

 

Local businesses definitely make up a significant component of the U.S. economy.

 

But these statistics also indicate how difficult it can be to stay competitive in such a large market. This is particularly the case if you are thinking about launching a startup.

 

When it comes to staying afloat as a small business, digital marketing is truly your secret weapon. Online visibility can solidify your customer base and ensure that your doors stay open.

 

Website optimization, in particular, can gather larger local audiences. This will help build your business reputation in your community.

Local SEO Expert 

In this post, we’ll dive into the fundamentals of local SEO onpage optimization so you can take the lead in your industry!

What is Website Optimization?

Website optimization may sound like a foreign term if you are navigating the business world for the first time. In fact, it may sound like a phrase that applies only to computer scientists and marketing wizards.

 

However, you don’t have to have a degree in digital communications to master website optimization!

 

Optimization is essentially a digital marketing tool. Digital marketing tools are designed to help you get the word out about your business across digital platforms.

 

These platforms include a business website, social media profiles, and other online outlets.

Digital marketing is essential to every business’s success. This is because many consumers find information about products and services online.

 

One of the most common ways that consumers identify businesses is via search engines. You’ve likely used Google yourself to perform similar searches.

Local SEO expert

A standard user will type in a word or phrase that approximates their desire or need, such as “how to start a garden indoors” or “Chinese restaurant in Buffalo.” Once they have search results, they are likely to prioritize the listings at the top of the first page of results.

This is because Google lists search results in order of authority. The best search matches appear at the top, while the worst matches appear farther down the line.

 

Website optimization hinges on this principle. You can SEO optimize your website in such a way that your online content earns higher Google rankings.

Higher Google rankings boost your odds of getting organic clicks to your pages. And those valuable clicks can lead to so much more: higher conversion rates, greater blog visibility, and even better profit margins.

 

Let’s look at how site optimization applies to local audiences.

A Local SEO Expert and On page Optimization

Website optimization often involves optimizing your online content for global or generic searches. These searches are often related to your industry or basic services.

For example, global searches may include “mobile marketing” or “auto repair.” These types of searches are ideal for reaching broader audiences, especially if you are not a brick-and-mortar institution.

 

You can also use optimization for the sake of bringing in local customers. These searches are frequently location-based and specific to your community niche.

A basic local search may be “swimming pool in Los Angeles” or “best pizza in New York.”

 

Local searches don’t have to include city or town names. They may simply incorporate some sort of geography, such as “near the Rocky Mountains” or “by the train station.”

These keywords are essential as they can make your content digitally visible to users actively seeking your services or goods.

If your website has a high Google ranking for “bookstore in Portland,” you have a higher chance of seeing that user walk through your actual door.

What a local SEO expert will implement

Local SEO onpage optimization may seem a bit intimidating, but any business owner can implement local SEO effectively to achieve a high Google ranking. Keep the following tips in mind for your next local SEO campaign.

1. Gather Your Citations

Before you start any local SEO onpage optimization initiative, it’s essential to build your digital foundation.

When it comes to local SEO, this means gathering a lot of local citations. This may include registering your business on Google My Business.

This is an essential step in boosting SEO performance. A Google listing also makes your business visible on Google Maps.

 

Besides your Google listing, claim citations on review sites such as TripAdvisor, Yellow Pages, Angie’s List, or Yelp. Ensure that your contact information is consistent on all of these platforms.

You may also want to register your business on an industry-specific directory.

 

Multiple local citations can help build your authority in Google’s eyes. It also concretely places your local business on the map.

Both factors can leverage your website optimization. Make sure to markup your website as well during your local citation process.

2. A Local SEO expert will Choose Keywords Carefully

At the end of the day, a successful local SEO campaign depends on its keywords. There is an art and a strategy for selecting proper keywords for website optimization.

When selecting keywords, it’s important to assess your competitors’ performance beforehand. Perform a few organic Google searches on your own for industry-specific and local keywords.

 

Note where your competitors rank for certain keywords, particularly local ones such as “Atlanta florists.” Also, pay attention to trending or popular keywords.

You can use tools to help you select high-ranking keywords. Google’s Keyword Planner can be helpful in this regard, especially when it comes to choosing local phrases.

 

Many professional SEO services specialize in keyword selection and local website optimization. If you are wary of navigating keyword selection yourself, it may be worth it to outsource.

3. Honing Web Content is a key local SEO expert tactic

Website optimization involves more than merely sprinkling your content with trending keywords.

Google’s web crawlers are likely to flag sites that sporadically incorporate keywords without intention. They’ll also scrutinize sites that deliver poor or irrelevant content.

 

Read Google’s guidelines for establishing a search-engine friendly site. You’ll notice that Google places a premium on content that’s likely to be valuable to your visitors.

 

Valuable content is often informative, concise, and useful. It’s also free of errors and professionally delivered.

As you develop your local SEO, make sure your content checks all of these boxes. Relevant content can boost your Google ranking and impress those local customers you are eager to please.

4. Mix Local and Global Keywords

When optimizing your content, optimize individual pages for different keywords. What’s more, make sure your website has a variety of local keywords and global  keywords.

 

A healthy mix of keywords can increase your digital visibility and boost your authority in Google’s eyes. After all, search engines love websites that dedicate time to playing by the rules and catering to a broad sweep of customers.

 

Proper optimization should also not be obvious to users. Keywords should integrate seamlessly with existing content, even when deliberately placed in headers and introductions.

5. Google Analytics is key for local SEO experts

SEO is a digital marketing field that is always changing. While many marketing tools are fairly concrete, SEO is influenced by Google’s algorithms, trending keywords, and customers’ interests.

As a result, an effective local SEO onpage optimization campaign should constantly keep tabs on its performance. You can do this by using Google’s free Analytics tool.

 

Google Analytics can help you evaluate your keyword performance and see the tangible results of your SEO campaign. It can also give you insight into the nature of your organic traffic.

This can be valuable for modifying keywords and honing your SEO strategy further.

6. Incorporate Social Media

Your social media presence can powerfully leverage your local SEO performance. Most business owners underestimate the great potential of Facebook or Twitter in this regard.

You can optimize social media content, after all. Optimizing your Instagram posts for keywords, for example, or incorporating a local keyword in a Facebook post can improve your online visibility.

 

What’s more, it’s possible to incorporate keywords in images, videos, and other media!

If you haven’t done so already, build business profiles on prominent social media platforms. Incorporate up-to-date contact information and enable customers to leave reviews for your services on your profiles.

 

Launch a social media marketing campaign that is optimized for local searches. This content is searchable, even if it is in the form of a small post.

Embed links to your social media accounts on your website pages themselves.

Final Thoughts: Local SEO Onpage Optimization

SEO should be in every small business’s arsenal of digital marketing tools. As more and more people rely on the internet for information and commerce, it’s essential to do everything you can to be digitally visible.

SEO enables you to put forth valuable content your customers are likely to search for. Local SEO on-page optimization, in particular, can attract local eyes, leveraging your business’s role in the community.

 

Let’s recap. When implementing local SEO, ensure that:

 

• Website content is authoritative and honed for optimization.
• Gather local citations and spend some time choosing top-notch keywords.
• Always track your campaign’s performance with data analytics tools.
• Don’t underestimate the potential of social media.

At the end of the day, it is possible to defer to the experts when it comes to navigating local SEO.

 

At contentwriterireland, we’re here to help you grow your digital presence the right way.