You may be ranking for national terms, but are you pursuing a local SEO strategy as well?
Google’s national and local search results actually use two separate algorithms to determine your rank. For local results, it now features a local “3-pack,” which selects the three most relevant companies in a specific area that fit a given query. To rank in this 3-pack, or in local results at all, you’ll need to pursue a local SEO strategy.
In some ways, local SEO is similar to national SEO—you’ll gain a boost in domain authority and rank if you publish lots of high-quality content and get lots of offsite links—but there are some specific ways to rank for local terms you’ll also need to follow:
- Clean up your local citations. First, make sure your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) information is accurate on your site and across the web on local directories. If there are any inaccuracies, Google could dock you major points. You also want to be listed on as many directories as possible.
- Include geographic keywords in your content. Be sure at least some of your content features keywords relevant to your geographic location, such as your city, region, or neighborhood. Just don’t stuff them in arbitrarily—write geographically relevant content around those words.
- Get published on local channels. The more local channels you can get yourself published on, the better. For example, reach out to local newspapers to get press releases published and try to link to your site from community blogs and forums.
- Be social. Be active on as many social media channels as possible, and take advantage of local events to show your presence in the community.
- Get better reviews. Google factors in the number and quality of local reviews for your business in its local ranks. Strive for better reviews!
Put these strategies to good use, and you should have no trouble achieving a local rank. If you have any trouble, let us know and we’ll be glad to help!
