Houston Local SEO helps businesses optimize their online presence in order to appear prominently in search results for searches conducted by people who are near them or looking for products and services in a specific location. It can also drive more traffic to your business’s website and physical locations.
Over 67% of user clicks go to the first 5 organic Google search results. Investing in local SEO can put your business on this list.
As part of your local SEO strategy, it’s important to understand the keywords your audience is using to find businesses like yours. This will allow you to create content that is more relevant to the needs of your audience, while also helping search engines better understand where your business is located.
Performing local keyword research is a little different than traditional keyword research, as it involves identifying keywords that are both general and specific to your business’s offerings. The general keywords are those that describe the products and services your business offers, while the modified ones include your location (i.e., “croissants near South Beach Miami”).
When performing local keyword research, it’s also a good idea to take a look at the SERPs for some of your competitors. This will give you an idea of what terms your competition is ranking for and help you fill in any gaps in your own research. Additionally, it will let you see what types of content your competition is creating that is attracting the attention of searchers.
You can perform local keyword research on your own by conducting a basic Google Search or using some of the many paid keyword research tools out there. However, we recommend using a tool that can provide you with more advanced data and filters to tailor the results to your specific niche.
Once you have a list of local keywords, it’s time to start building your website content. Ideally, your content should include both explicit and implicit local keywords. Explicit keywords include the location modifier, such as “family lawyer,” or “plumbing services.” Implicit local keywords are those that don’t contain a location, but that Google can still figure out is a local search by other factors.
When choosing keywords, it’s a good idea to prioritize those with high search volume and low keyword difficulty. The more competitive a keyword is, the more difficult it will be to rank for. Also, be realistic about the resources you have available; trying to compete for a keyword that is being targeted by industry juggernauts with marketing budgets that are likely multiple times your annual revenue is a recipe for failure.
Local Business Listings
Local business listings are the foundation of local SEO. They provide search engines with the information they need to rank businesses in relevant SERPs, and help consumers connect with the products and services they’re looking for. Local listings can be found on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram as well as online directories such as Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Bing Places for Business.
These days, it’s more important than ever to make sure your business listings are accurate and up to date. Many people conduct online research before making a purchase, and it’s easy to see how inaccurate information can lead to frustration or even disaster (e.g., residential phone numbers accidentally published on a print Yellow Pages ad resulting in a year of unwanted home calls for the homeowner and no revenue for the business).
Aside from being the main source of information that search engines use to display your local business results, local listings can also serve as a good indicator of how trustworthy your website is. If your local listing content is backed up by high-quality citations, you’re more likely to rank in the search results.
As a result, maximizing the number of quality citations you have is one of the most important things you can do to improve your local SEO rankings. One of the best ways to do this is to get listed on as many local business directories as possible. This includes major players like Google, Yelp, and Yahoo Local, as well as less popular but still authoritative sources like Facebook Local, Apple Maps, and Yext.
To make the most of your local listing efforts, be sure to include relevant keywords in your descriptions and address field. Using a keyword tool can help you find the right ones for your specific business, but remember to avoid keyword stuffing or you may be penalized by the search engines. Also, be sure to link your local listings back to your website. This will give you a much better chance of appearing in the “Map Pack,” a group of top results that appears on the SERP above the regular organic search results.
On-Page Optimization
Local SEO is similar to traditional SEO, but focuses on optimizing the website for a specific location. This includes optimizing titles, tags, and on-page content. It also involves ensuring that all business information is consistent across the web. In addition, local SEO incorporates specialized strategies like citation building and review generation. These practices help businesses rank higher in search results and attract more local customers.
When a person searches for something on Google, the engine looks at its index to find the best matches. When a search is local, the engine takes into account the user’s location to provide relevant results.
For example, if someone searches “best jogging pants,” the engine will display results from nearby stores that sell them. This feature makes it easier for people to get the products they want without having to drive long distances. It also helps businesses connect with customers in a more personal way, which increases conversions.
Local searches are a great opportunity for small businesses to attract new customers. In fact, 76% of consumers who look for something locally on their smartphone visit a store that day (Google). Local SEO can help a local business improve its online visibility and boost its rankings in Google Maps. This can help a local business gain more exposure and generate more revenue.
In addition to listing your business on directories and social media, you can optimize your website for local searches. To do this, you need to include a city or region in your keyword strategy. You should also add a localized description to your site that highlights your business’s unique features. Finally, you should add click-to-call buttons to your website and GMB profile. According to a recent Moz survey, these types of links are one of the most important signals that influence local search and snack pack rankings.
In addition to these on-page optimizations, you should also focus on improving your business’s reputation. Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile and website. Authentic reviews can significantly increase your chances of showing up in the snack pack and driving more local traffic to your website.
Link Building
Backlinks are a key factor in SEO because they provide search engines with important context to help them understand your content. Local SEO link building is a special type of backlink that promotes your business to your target market in your local area. It shows that others within your local community trust and endorse your product or service, which can have a significant impact on your local search engine rankings.
Creating locally relevant pages on your site can also enhance your local SEO efforts. This includes dedicated landing pages for each of your locations, blogs that include local keywords, and any other page on your website that you can use to target specific regions or neighborhoods. By including local keywords in these pages, you can boost the relevance of your content for these types of searches.
While many of the same principles for link building apply to local SEO, there are a few key differences that you need to be aware of:
- It would be best if you focused on high-quality links rather than quantity.
- You should only link to websites that are relevant to your business in your local area.
- It would be best to notrefrain from manipulatingyour local search engine rankings through spammy techniques like buying or reciprocal links.
Aside from the quality and volume of your links, it is also important to pay attention to the linking domain authority of the sites that are linking to you. The more authoritative the domain, the higher your link will rank. Finally, you should aim to get links from websites that have a high percentage of local traffic.
Another key factor in local SEO is reviews and ratings. According to a study by Moz, these reviews can have a significant impact on your local ranking. It is important to collect reviews on your Google Business Profile and 3rd party review sites, such as Yelp and Thumbtack. It is also important to respond to reviews, both positive and negative.
