Gyles SewardLast year saw a number of changes when it comes to local search, especially the Google Pigeon update. It’s one of the few things that can be relied upon year on year, that seismic shifts will happen and SEOs everywhere will start to panic at shifts in recognisable patterns. With the race on to get to the top of Google’s local results, here is our handy guide to getting ahead on Google after Pigeon.
What you must consider when carrying out local SEO changes.
Location and keywords
Make content that helps get you noticed by focusing on how you can gain visibility through creating content that actually helps people in your location with the questions that they have. Show how your products and services are best suited to solving that problem.
Even if you have multiple locations for your stores, you still need to tailor content specific to the areas which you operate in to achieve better local search engine results.
Google+
While SEOs have been talking about the importance of Google+ for years, it might be fading now that the chap who was in charge of the project has stepped down. Instead, you may want to focus on your business page on Google, making assure that all the information is up to date and correct, as errors can have a detrimental effect on your ranking.
Your website
Keep your website up to date too, and keep adding new and relevant content to ensure that you aren’t falling behind your competitors. Build up new links and get yourself in reputable local directories as well as niche directories specific to your sector.
Images
All of the images on your website can also be optimized for local SEO by incorporating place names into the alt-tags where appropriate. Don’t go overboard and start keyword stuffing, however, or you will be penalized.
Video
With the move by Google to incorporate video into its search engine results page, businesses that have utilized and optimized video into their site have found themselves doing better.
Reviews
Reviews are very important to local search. They help to show Google that your business is high quality and well-visited, encouraging it to send more people your way.
SEO tools
Make sure that you are taking advantage of all of the free SEO tools that you can that will help you to tweak your site and ensure that you are doing everything you can to succeed in your local area.
Plan, Plan, Plan
Start off with a structured list and work your way through all of the elements for your site. You won’t hit the top of Google in two days, SEO is a tireless effort on your behalf which should be carried out on a regular basis to ensure that you not only reach the top but also stay there.
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