Big Jaw
With most potential customers being Internet users, small and medium businesses (SMBs) need to build and maintain an online presence in order to generate and convert leads. However, simply having a website is not enough. You have to make your website easily seen by potential customers in your area using local search engine optimization (SEO). This post will break down local SEO, how SEO audits play into it, and how both can empower your business.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO specializes in helping businesses become more visible to Internet users within a specific geographic area. Imagine if you own a plumbing service in Salt Lake City, Utah, and someone nearby searches for “best plumber near me” or “best plumber in Salt Lake City.” With local SEO, your business appears in the search results for relevant queries, increasing awareness about your services and driving customers to your website or storefront.
Traditional SEO and local SEO mainly differ in location-based targeting. While general SEO does not target any specific area, local SEO focuses on a particular city or region. For SMBs whose customers are concentrated within a specific location, local SEO can be more effective in driving targeted traffic and leads.
Why are SEO audits important?
Think of an SEO audit as a health checkup for your website. It helps identify areas and elements of your website that are doing well and highlights those that require improvement. Its goal is to ensure that your site is optimized for search engines, enabling it to rank higher and become more visible in the search results.
The process may seem unfamiliar to anyone unfamiliar with digital marketing, but it doesn’t have to be. You can work with an SEO agency whose team of experts can perform the audit for you. They can also create and implement SEO plans to boost your business’s online presence.
What is a local SEO audit?
Similar to a general audit, a local SEO audit examines your website but focuses on the factors that influence its performance in local searches. These areas include:
Google Business Profile optimization
Formerly known as Google My Business (GMB), Google Business Profile is the listing that appears when people search for businesses near them. This makes GMB optimization one of the most powerful SEO strategies for local businesses. A local SEO audit ensures your listing contains accurate information, including contact details and business hours.
NAP consistency
Ensuring your information is consistent and accurate across all platforms, including your website, social media, and business directories, is critical to maximizing your SEO efforts. An audit uncovers any inconsistencies in your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information hindering potential customers from finding or contacting your business.
Reviews and reputation management
Customer reviews help your business in many ways. They provide social proof and can influence potential customers’ purchasing decisions. Reviews can also boost your visibility on local search, especially when you engage your customers by responding to their feedback. A local SEO audit can help you discover new ways to encourage customers to leave feedback and address negative reviews.
Local citations
Citations refer to mentions of your business name and address on other websites, such as local directories, review platforms, and social media posts. An audit helps ensure that your business is properly represented by finding missing or incorrect local citations.
Local keywords
Keywords are a big deal in SEO, and optimizing your website with the right ones makes your website more likely to appear in relevant searches. Auditing your website helps you determine if your keywords include your location and services. For example, instead of using the keyword “plumbing service,” you should be targeting “plumbing services in Salt Lake City.”
Mobile-friendliness
More and more people are surfing the Internet through their tablet or smartphone, so your website needs to be optimized for mobile. A local SEO audit can help confirm that your website functions well on any screen size, providing a smooth experience to mobile users.
With nearly everyone turning to search engines for nearby business and product recommendations, you need SEO audits and local SEO to bolster your online presence. When customers can see your business in the search results, you attract more leads, invite their trust, and increase your ability to convert them, enhancing your business’s potential for growth.
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