Making local SEO work for you

Local SEO is becoming an important element of website optimization for many businesses. There are plenty of companies out there that can benefit from the growing trend of locally influenced searches. Google has invested heavily in this element in its quest to provide users with the optimum user experience and it is vital that businesses harness the benefits local SEO could bring.

There are several techniques that can be applied to get the most out of local SEO when updating your Google Places page. Here are just a few:

Keyword selection

With standard search engine optimization getting the right keywords in the right place is imperative to rank well. Using keyword stuffing in irrelevant places will cause problems and you're likely to become labelled a spammer by Google. You need to think carefully about where you place keywords when completing your profile.

Firstly don't be tempted to cram them into your business name unless of course the keyword is actually part of that name. Doing this will attract penalties and you'll get your Places page delisted. However, you can place keywords within your Places description. Again don't stuff it with words. Use the text in a considered way and get your target keywords in there.

Service area

You can select a service area which can work well for businesses that cover a certain territory such as cleaners, handymen and mobile hairdressers for example. You may be unaware of this option. It allows you to set up certain areas that the company serves instead of listing the business address. On the Google map it is indicated by a circle covering the service area rather than a pinpoint.

Customer reviews

The use of reviews can be very effective in boosting local search rankings. However, it can be a challenge to find good reviews as most people are only inspired to write when they have a bad experience. It's not possible to offer an incentive for reviews you can try some of the following tactics:
• Send a message to your social media communities or email list and request a review at the Google Place page
• When sending out reminders, follow ups or post cards add a call to action to add a review
• Add a link and call to action on the website for a review
• Set up a sign or devise a flyer that can be handed out or posted with a receipt or invoice
Make the review process easy by providing a link and detail the process they will need to follow to place a review.

Bulk uploads

If you have various locations then bulk uploads can make life easier. If you have over 10 locations you can submit a file of addresses to Google who will create multiple pages. However, when you bulk upload ensure you use the brand name in the company name, all entries are as unique as possible and you don't overstuff sections with keywords.
At www.searchengineoptimization.co.uk we offer a wide range of SEO services to a variety of industries.

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