Today, local SEO is really important for businesses that want to be found online by local customers. It helps them show up higher in search results and get more customers. However, it can be scary to figure out local search algorithms and competition without a clear plan.
If you’re a small business owner trying to grow in your area or a big company with many locations trying to be successful in local markets, this roadmap will give you helpful tips and ideas that are just right for you to rank high on Google Maps.
Start this journey with confidence. Use the right knowledge and strategies to make local SEO work for you. This will help your business reach new levels of success. This helpful post is meant to help you succeed with local SEO.
32 Steps to Rank High on Google Maps
Local SEO service providers utilize a comprehensive 32-step strategy to elevate their clients’ rankings on Google Maps. This meticulous approach ensures that businesses gain optimal visibility and effectively connect with their local audience.
Well Designed Desktop Site
Having a good desktop website is important for how users experience it and for SEO, it determines how well you do in local search engines. Doing well with local SEO depends a lot on giving a great experience to users which results in getting good reviews from them.
It’s important to make sure your website works well on phones and shows up in local searches, because lots of people search for local things on their phones. A good desktop website is important for users to have a good experience.
Although, for businesses to do well in local searches and bring in customers from their area, they need to focus on many different things, a well designed desktop that is pleasing to the eyes and easy to understand is the first step to start.
Mobile Responsive Site
A website that works well on phones and tablets is really important for local SEO success because more and more people are searching for local stuff on their mobile devices. A mobile-friendly design makes sure that people have a good experience no matter what device they use.
This can make them more interested and less likely to leave the website quickly. Also, Google prefers websites that work well on mobile phones. These websites are more likely to show up at the top of search results, especially for local searches.
Businesses can raise their chances of being seen by more people and getting more customers by making their websites work well on phones. This can help them do better in local searches and be more successful.
Blog Integration
Having a blog section in your website can help improve your site’s ranking in local search results. By adding good and relevant content, businesses can focus on words that are specific to their area, get natural links from other local websites, and become trusted in their area.
A blog helps businesses talk about local problems, show what they’re good at, and connect with local people. Also, whenever a new blog post is published, it can help more people in the local area find the website through search engines.
This can increase the number of people visiting the website and help build trust with local customers. By using blogs strategically, businesses can improve their visibility in local search results and show that they are trustworthy experts in their local area.
Details in Header and Footer
It’s important to add the address and phone number of your business at the top and bottom of your website so that people can find you easily in web searches. This will help your business show up in local search results.
This makes sure that important contact details are easy to find on every page, so visitors can easily get in touch with the business. Also, Google and other search engines use this information to check if the business is real and where it is located.
This can help the business show up higher in local search results. Businesses show where they are and how to contact them by putting their address and phone number in a noticeable place. This helps more people find them when they search for local businesses.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Customer reviews and testimonials are really important for doing well in local search engine optimization (SEO). Good reviews not only make people trust the business more, but also make it more likely to be found in local searches.
Search engines like businesses with lots of good reviews. They show these businesses more in local search results. Encouraging happy customers to write reviews on websites, and industry-specific directories can help more people see your business and bring in local customers.
Also, when you reply to reviews, whether they are good or bad, it shows that you care and helps build a good reputation for your business in your area. This can also help your business be more successful and visible in online searches over time.
Contact Us Page
A contact us page that is set up well is very important for making sure your business can be found easily in local searches. It’s a place where important information about a business is stored, like the address, phone number, and hours.
Search engines use this information to check and rate local businesses. Adding a map showing where the business is makes it more relevant to the local area. Furthermore, a clear invitation encourages visitors to contact you, which helps increase sales.
Improving the contact us page with schema markup and keywords makes it more important to search engines. When businesses give complete and correct contact information, they become easier to find in local searches. This can lead to more people visiting their store or website and making a purchase.
Redirect Non-www to www
By using a 301 redirect, businesses should make sure their website’s web address stays the same, preventing problems with having the same content in different places and making their web address more powerful.
Search engines see the www and non-www versions of a website as different, which could make it harder to improve the website’s SEO. Directing non-www to www versions helps bring the website’s authority together and shows search engines the preferred domain version.
Redirecting a website from non-www to www can help improve its local search engine rankings. This keeps the website’s local SEO strong, so it has a better chance of showing up higher in local searches and getting more local visitors.
High Quality Content
Quality content is really important for getting found in local searches. Businesses can attract more local customers and become an expert in their field by making interesting and helpful content that is specific to their area.
This can help them get more attention online and show up higher in search results. Creating content that focuses on the interests, events, and issues in a specific area helps connect with the people there and gets them involved. Good content also gets shared by local websites and on social media, making it more seen and trusted.
Consistently updating and improving content according to local trends and feedback helps to keep a good position in local search results, bring in more visitors, and build trust and loyalty with customers.
Also Read: 12 Steps After Writing A New Blog Post
Keyword Research
Local keyword research means finding the words and phrases that people in a specific area use when they are looking for things to buy or services to use. Finding the right keywords that people use to search for local needs is really important for doing well in local SEO.
Businesses can make their website better for people in their area by using specific words that are important to those people. This can help them get more local customers. This means using words related to specific places, like cities, neighborhoods, and landmarks, in website content and data.
By understanding what people are looking for and how they search online in a specific area, businesses can make changes to their website so that they show up higher in local searches. This will make more people see their website and visit it, which will help the business do better in local searches.
Keyword Mapping
Mapping keywords on different pages can help improve the chances of your website being found by people in your area. Businesses can make their website pages better for different places or services by using specific map keywords.
For instance, a company that fixes roofs might focus on “fixing roofs near [city]” on one webpage and “changing roofs near [another city]” on a different webpage. This helps businesses to meet different local search requests and increase their chances of showing up in different places.
By mapping important keywords on different pages, businesses can show up more on the internet, get more local customers, and do better in local search results. More preference should be given a particular keyword according to the local needs.
Keyword Optimized URL
A clean and keyword optimized web address is really important for local SEO to work well. When businesses use the right words in their website addresses, it helps more people in their area find their web pages when they search online.
Clear website addresses with important keywords in them help search engines know what a page is about and how it relates to various locations. Clean URLs which are easier to read and share make it better for users and increase the chances of clicking on them.
By using short and relevant web addresses with important words, businesses can make it easier for local people to find them in online searches. This can help them appear higher in search results.
Unique Titles
Having unique titles is important for doing well on local search engines because they help the search engine crawlers understand what each page is about. By creating interesting titles that describe the content well and include important keywords, businesses can show up better in local search results.
Every page needs a unique title that shows what it’s about and where it’s from. This helps search engines know if it’s related to local searches. Also, different titles help to make sure that pages are not the same, which reduces the chance of having the same content twice and makes the user experience better.
By choosing unique titles, businesses can improve their local SEO and bring more specific visitors to their website. It also helps them differentiate the content in different pages of your website easily
Good Descriptions
Creating original and detailed descriptions is very important for being successful in local SEO. Every page on a website needs a short description that explains what the page is about and includes important words related to the location.
These descriptions help search engines understand what the page is about and make it easier for people to find it in local search results. Unique descriptions make each page different from the others, so that there are no problems with having the same content.
This makes it better for users. By writing interesting and helpful meta descriptions, businesses can get more people to click on their website when they are looking for local products or services. This can help bring more visitors to the website and increase sales.
Heading Tags
Heading tags are really important for making sure your website shows up in local searches. They help search engines figure out what your webpage is about. By using heading tags in a smart way, businesses can show the most important words and key points about their local services.
Using location-specific words in headings helps search engines know where the content is about and makes it easier for people to find it in local searches. Using the right heading tags makes it easier for people to read and use a website. This helps them find the information they need about local products or services.
Alt Tags
Alt tags are really important for local SEO because they tell search engines what the images on a webpage are about. Businesses can make their pictures easier to find in local searches by using detailed descriptions and important keywords in the alt tags.
Using specific words about the location in image descriptions helps make the content more relevant to the area, which can make it easier to find in local searches. Also, alt tags make it easier for people with disabilities to use the internet by giving them descriptions of images in text form.
By using the right words and descriptions in the picture tags, businesses can improve their local search engine rankings and get more specific visitors to their website. It also helps visually challenged people yo easily understand your content.
Schema.org
Using Schema.org helps businesses succeed in local SEO because it gives search engines the required information about the business’s location, products, and services in a structured way. There are various schema markups available for your business.
By using schema markups like LocalBusiness or Organization, businesses can improve how easily people can find them in local searches and stand out more in important search results.
Schema.org helps businesses to give more specific information like address, phone number, business hours, and customer reviews. This helps to make search results more accurate and helpful for local searches. By using schema markup, businesses can improve their local SEO and bring more specific visitors to their website.
Also Read: Positive and Negative Local Search Ranking Factors Every SEO Expert Should Know
Internal Linking
Internal linking is important for local SEO because it helps search engines understand how your website is organized. By connecting important pages on a website, businesses can share the strength of the links between those pages and help search engines crawl the site better.
Using keywords in links tells search engines where the linked pages are related to, making them easier to find in local search results. Furthermore, connecting different pages on a website helps users find their way around and discover local information more easily.
By adding internal links in their website, companies will be able to improve their local search engine rankings and make their website work better. But, you should not over do it since it can lead to bad SEO.
Facebook Business Page
Having a Facebook business page is really important for local businesses because it helps more people find them when they search online. It makes the business more visible in local search results.
Keeping the page up to date with interesting offers, replying to customer questions, and asking for reviews and check-ins helps to create a strong connection with the community and keeps customers coming back.
A good Facebook business page helps local businesses get more customers by making their website show up higher in online searches. This makes them more trustworthy and easier to find in local searches.
NAP in Facebook Business Page
It’s important to add your name, address, and phone number on your Facebook business page to help people find you better in their area. Businesses can make it easier for people to find them in local search results by making sure that their name, address, and phone number is correct and the same everywhere it is listed.
This makes sure that people who might want to buy something from the business can easily find and talk to the business, either on Facebook or other websites. Having the same name, address, and phone number listed everywhere online helps show that the business is real and reliable.
This can make the business show up higher in local search results. Adding NAP details to your Facebook page helps your business show up better in local search results and brings in more local customers. This can help them look more trustworthy to potential customers.
Google Places Page
Having a Google Places page is really important for doing well in local searches on the internet. By claiming and improving this listing, businesses can be seen more online and get more customers in their area.
Giving correct and current information, like when the business is open, where it is located, its phone number, and website, makes the listing more trustworthy and useful in local search results.
Also, keeping the GMB page up to date with pictures, messages, and feedback from customers helps to connect with and build trust with people who might become customers. Having a good Google Places page helps a business show up more in local searches, bringing in more customers from the area.
Address in Google Places Page
It’s really important to add the exact business address on your Google Places page to help people find you in the area. By adding the correct address on their Google Places listing, businesses can make it easier for people to find them and appear more trustworthy in local searches.
This makes sure that people can find and get to the business easily, using Google Maps or searching online. Also, when a business has its address confirmed on the GMB page, it makes the business seem more trustworthy and important, which helps it show up higher in local search results.
Website in Google Places Page
It’s important to add your business website on Google Places to do well in local online searches. When businesses add their website link on their GMB listing, it gives people an easy way to find out more about what they sell or offer.
This helps more people see and trust the business when they search for it locally because they can find more information and ways to get in touch. Also, when the GMB page has a verified website link, it makes the business seem more real and official, which helps the business show up higher in local search results.
Categories on Google Places
Choosing the right categories for your Google Places page is really important for getting found in local searches. By picking the right categories that describe the business well, it helps the business show up more in local searches.
Google uses these categories to connect businesses with what users are looking for, making sure they show up in the right searches. Also, picking the right categories helps people find the business when looking for a specific industry or type of service.
Businesses can improve their chances of getting more local customers by picking the right categories on their GMB page. This also helps with local SEO since tagging the right category for your product or service helps users to easily find it.
Images and Videos in Google Places Page
Uploading photos and videos to your Google Places page helps with getting found in local searches. Pictures and videos make a business seem more attractive and reliable, which makes people more interested and trusting.
Businesses can share pictures of their place, things they sell, work they do, and their team to show customers what they offer. This helps customers know what to expect. Also, videos are a fun way to share information and show what the business has to offer.
Adding good pictures to your business’s Google Places page makes it easier for people to find it and makes them more likely to visit and buy from your business. It also adds a human touch to your website.
About Us on Google Places
Creating an about us section for your Google Places page can help your business show up in local searches. This page lets companies tell their story, goals, and beliefs to connect with possible customers.
By sharing details about their background, skills, and what makes them special, businesses can stand out from competitors and gain the trust of local customers. Also, adding important words and location details in the about us section helps make the GMB page more noticeable in local searches.
Adding a section that tells people about your business helps it show up in local searches and brings in more customers from the area. It helps to connect with people’s interests and get them to try your service.
Business Hours in Google Places Page
It’s important to add your business hours on your Google Places page to help people find your business online. Showing the correct hours for a business helps customers know when they can visit or call the business.
This makes the experience better for the user and makes it less likely that they will miss out on something. Also, giving the hours when the business is open on the Google Places page helps to make the listing more trustworthy and important in local search results.
People are more likely to interact with businesses that have set hours, which can lead to more sales and bring in more local customers. They have an assured feeling that their time will not be wasted visiting your place.
Yelp Business Page
It’s important to claim a Yelp listing so that local businesses can be found easily in online searches. By verifying the listing, businesses can manage how they appear online on a popular review website. This helps them give the right and current information, like when they are open, how to contact them, and their website address.
Listed businesses can also reply to reviews, communicate with customers, and deal with any worries or questions. In addition, having a listing on Yelp makes the business look more trustworthy and easier to find in local searches. Many people use Yelp to find local businesses and services.
Local Directories
It’s important to claim your business on local directories for good local search engine rankings. By making sure their business information is correct and the same in different directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Bing Places, businesses can be seen more online and trusted more.
When businesses claim their listings, they can give important information like their name, address, phone number, and website. This helps customers find them easily and get in touch.
In addition, when a business is on well-known directories, it helps improve its reputation and credibility in local search results. Being in many local directories helps the business’s local SEO, bringing in more specific visitors and sales.
Reviews on Google Places
Receiving feedback on your Google Places page is really important for doing well in local search results. Good reviews make people trust a business more and can also make it more popular in local search results.
Encouraging happy customers to write reviews makes it easier for people to find your business and makes it look better in local search results. Also, when a business replies to reviews, good or bad, it shows that they are involved and helps improve their image.
Good reviews help businesses stand out and get more customers than their competitors. Organizations can improve their chances of success by asking for and handling reviews on their Google Places page. This helps them with their local SEO.
Response to Reviews
It’s important to respond to reviews to help your business do well in local searches. Interacting with customers, whether they say good things or negative things, shows that you care about making them happy and makes your business look good.
Reacting quickly and in a respectful way to reviews tells possible customers that their opinions are important. This makes them more likely to interact and leave reviews. By keeping an eye on and replying to reviews, businesses improve their chances of being found in local searches and can connect better with local customers.
Also, answering reviews makes the business easier to find and more trustworthy in local searches, because search engines take into account how customers interact with the business when deciding which local businesses to show.
Google Search Console
Creating a Google Search Console account for a website is really important for doing well with local SEO. GSC helps you understand how Google sees and organizes your website. It helps you find and fix any problems that might lower your site’s ranking in local searches.
By linking your website with GSC, you can see how well it’s doing in searches, if it’s being indexed, and how easy it is to use on mobile devices. This helps you improve your site to show up better in local search results.
Also, GSC lets you send sitemaps, ask for new content to be added to the search results, and get alerts about important problems that could affect how your site works. It gives an overview of the performance of your site.
Google Analytics
It’s really important to create a Google Analytics account for your website to do well in local SEO. Google Analytics will help you understand who is visiting your website, what they are doing on it, and how well it is working.
This information can help you make smart choices about how to improve your website’s search engine rankings in your area. You can see how well your local SEO is working by looking at important numbers like how many people are visiting your site, how many leave right away, and how many people actually buy something.
This can help you figure out what’s working and what needs to be better. It also helps you see how people are using your website, if they are meeting your goals, and how effective your local search ads are. This can help you make your website better and more visible in local search results.
Wrapping Up
Understanding and using the local SEO roadmap is not just about completing tasks, but about constantly working to improve how people in your area can find you online. As you go through this journey, keep in mind that local SEO is always changing and needs to be adjusted and improved regularly.
By following the steps in this plan, you will have what you need to do better than your competition, bring in more local customers, and make your business more visible in local searches. Success in local SEO takes time and effort, it doesn’t happen quickly. It needs you to be patient, keep trying, and be willing to change based on what you learn.
As you start doing local SEO, make sure to pay attention, keep an eye on how you’re doing, and be ready to adapt to any changes in how people search and act online. With hard work and a good plan, your business can do well in local search. This will help you build strong connections with your community and keep growing and being successful.
FAQs
What do I do if my business moves to a different place?
If your business moves, make sure to change your address, phone number, and business name on all the websites where your business is listed, like Google My Business, your website, and local directories. Inform customers about the move using email, social media, and signs at your old location to make sure the move goes well and people can still find your business online.
How do I make my business show up in local searches if I have many stores?
If you have many places, make sure each place has its own special webpage that is filled with important keywords and contact details. Also, make separate Google My Business listings for each location and manage them separately to get more visibility in the local area.
How much time does it take to see results from local SEO efforts?
The time it takes to see results from local SEO can be different for each business. It depends on how many other businesses are competing with you, how well your strategies work, and how much you keep trying. Usually, businesses can start to see their local search rankings and website traffic getting better after a few months of using a good local SEO strategy.
Is it possible to boost my local SEO without having a physical store?
Yes, even businesses without a physical store can still do well from local SEO by focusing on their service areas or specific target locations. Create content that is specific to your local area, improve your GMB profile by including your service locations, and try to get good reviews from happy customers in the areas you want to reach.
How can I check if my local SEO is working?
You can see how well your local SEO is working by checking important things like where you show up in local searches, how many people visit your website from local searches, how many local visitors become customers, and how many times people click, call, or ask for directions from your GMB listing. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to understand how well your local SEO is doing and make changes based on the data.
