Ranking on the search engine is not an easy task. It depends on the right application of the bundle of SEO strategies. As per statistics, almost fifty percent of searches on Google are local inquiries. But the local SEO is a sharp technique that is controlled by a lot of contributing factors. We will discuss the local SEO checklist that must be completed for the right implementation of local SEO optimization.
Technical SEO Ranking Factors
Fast & Responsive Website
Google ranks the website for its fast loading speed. Just like humans, we like a website that shows up quite fast than slower ones. The ranking criteria are the fast loading speed of all of the pages of the website.
Statistics show that with the increase in page loading time, the number of viewers who visited the website but left too early continues to rise. In just a delay of five seconds, leaving viewers were recorded to be ninety percent.
Mobile-Friendly Interface
Google ranks your website for its mobile-friendliness nature. The reason is due to the maximum number of mobile users scrolling the websites online. Google is scaling websites through mobile-first indexing. It analyses every website’s accessibility and user interface for people scrolling the website using their mobile phones.
Integration of Google Analytics & Google Console
You need to keep track of your website audience with Google Analytics & Console. It will help you to scale your website traffic. You can experiment with different local SEO checklist strategies and observe the traffic through these tools. It is best to integrate them with your website as soon as possible to start tracking your website audience.
Creating XML Sitemaps
An XML sitemap is a list of all of the web pages of your site. It is the information pack for search engines to crawl the URLs of a website. It is an essential gateway for your website identification. You must submit your sitemap to Google Search Console.
Creating Robots.Txt Files
These files decide on the crawling passages of search engines i-e… the file tells search engines which pages it should reach which it shouldn’t. The robot text file should be well put and not building it accurately will block search engines from crawling the website completely. The file is quite important and it must be set up very accurately.
Getting Rid of 404 Errors
The screaming frog tool can help you track down the error on your website pages and broken links. Some errors are natural to occur here. Too many broken pages can affect your website ranking. You should fix these errors as soon as possible or try to redirect users to error-free pages.
Website On-Page Optimization for Boosting Local SEO Strategies
Website on-page optimization is crucial to target local audiences & boosting local SEO strategies. It includes the pieces of information about the business that helps customers to find your location.
i) Taking Care of Homepage, About & Contact pages
The most common pages that viewers will like to visit are our homepage, the about us page, and the contact us page. A good website would engage its customers from here and would address the main agenda of the website.
ii) Including NAP
Name, address, and phone number is other Google ranking factor. The details should be correct and must be the same everywhere on the internet.
iii) Adding Google Maps
Adding a map location facilitates customers to reach your destination. It helps you earn credibility both from google and customers because of your pin location.
iv) Adding Locations Navigation Button
It’s best to add all of your business locations with easy navigation. For a business with fewer locations, all locations shall be shown in the website footer.
v) Adding Clickable Phone Numbers
You should integrate the phone calling option directly from your website.
vi) Prioritize Good User Experience
A good SEO cannot be done with a bad user experience. If the website is difficult to use or doesn’t provide a pleasant user experience, implementing & boosting local SEO checklist techniques would not work here. The users will find it difficult to navigate the website and will skip it for a better user experience.
vii) Optimizing Meta descriptions
A general rule is to add location & main keywords in your Meta description, URLs, header, and title tags.
viii) Using Optimized Images
The size of images shall not affect the loading speed of the website. The best strategy is to use suitable images that do not affect the speed of your website.
Optimizing SEO Content for Local SEO Strategy
Think of every new content as a new strategy for experimenting with local SEO checklist schemes. Every page is given a new indexing level by the search engines and so is the outcome of local SEO strategies on the page.
You can target different keywords on different pages and see the indexing results from search engines.
Local SEO keyword targeting cuts the general competition because it especially targets audiences in the locality. It’s best to work on the interests of your local audience and add terms that are specifically tailored to your interests.
You can add customer testimonials here too to add their interests and relevant keywords to your website.
i) Creating Quality content
Write quality content well suited to the topic and your business ideology. The content should be customer-oriented and it should answer all the queries of the customers.
ii) Optimizing Content
Local keywords shall be well-weaved into your content. It should also be present in the title, URL, meta-descriptions & headings. As per statistics, almost ninety-seven percent of people tend to the internet to find local businesses.
iii) Keeping a Minimal Word Count
The content on every page should not be less than 500 words. However, it should be written in a quality, informative and natural manner. The content should address the problems, including customer testimonials, and address customer queries.
iv) Removing Duplication
Duplicate content is a major setback. It takes away your website’s credibility and gives a non-reliable perception to your audience. It’s best to proofread your content a few times to avoid duplication.
v) Including Local Photos & Videos
Adding local photos and videos to your content can catch up with a lot of the audience. You can integrate local topic-relevant photos and videos into your content to make it more appealing for the local audience.
vi) Using Location-based Promotions
Locations act as strong keywords. It’s best to mention every location separately to get good indexing from google. You can promote separately for every location too to attract a greater audience.
Citations
A citation includes the business’s address details including name, address, and phone number (NAP). Google classifies the website as credible when it includes citations. Citations are an important referencing tool and need consideration of the below factors:
i) Using accurate NAP; Name, Address, and Phone
It is recommended to use the citation for every physical address. More citations earn better google credibility. Any local SEO checklist is incomplete without the work on the citation. However, it must be ensured that businesses address details (NAP) is the same all over the pages.
ii) Correct Linking to Right Location Pages
You may have many business locations mentioned on your website. The website link in citations shall be right and it should land on the relevant correct location.
iii) Performing Citation Audits
A thorough citation audit shall be conducted to check the duplication and errors in the citation.
iv) Research on Competitor Citations
It is best to keep track of your competitor’s citations. You shall find out the listings of your competitor and get yourself added to those listings.
v) Listing a business on City/Country Directories
You must try to get your business added to all local directories such as yellow pages, glass doors, yelp, etc. Don’t miss out on adding yourself to any local directory.
vi) Listing Businesses on Niche Directories
Niche directories are another important databank to add up your business. You can search for the relevant category of your business and get yourself added there.
Links Creation
Although citations will comprise link-building. However, you need to add separate backlinks too.
Links in your websites play a major role in the overall ranking. You must add as many links that stay relevant to your content & business portfolio.
- You should research the competitor’s links and identify to use relevant ones to your website
- You can create content on a broad niche that can use many links
- You can use guest posting on relevant niche websites
- You can add yourself as a partner with other businesses and get displayed on their websites
GMB Listing
Adding your business to Google My Business(GMB) is a crucial credibility addition. This is the platform that Google uses to rely on your business information and authenticity.
You would just need a couple of minutes here. You will be required to add your business category, information, address, website, and any contact details in GMB. Try to add as much information to all the queries. You must keep in mind that there might be an address check, so you should supply the correct & authentic information only.
i) Managing Listing
Customers might be able to add details here. You should make sure that you are managing all the right information here.
ii) Fixing up duplications:
You should check for duplicate listings. A duplicate listing can adversely affect your credibility in search engines.
iii) Adding accurate & correct data
You shouldn’t use any SEO-tailored keywords here. It is just the information bank. You should provide the right information and accurate data here.
iv) Each GMB listing for Multi-location
You should create multiple GMB listings in case of multiple business locations. Each GMB should be created for each physical location.
v) Adding Website URL
In the case of multiple business locations, you must link each GMB page to each relevant location.
vi) Picking the Right Business Category
You should select the most relevant business category as you will be targeting customers from your selected category. If you can’t find any, select the business category that best describes your nature of products and services.
vii) Adding Business Photos
Avoid stock images. Use real photos to build trust with both Google and your customers.
This is another trust-building factor. Try to add many business location pictures to earn credibility from both customers and search engines. The pictures shall be taken from the surroundings or from the locality to give an idea of the nearby area.
viii) Adding All Business Information
You should try adding more information like your services and products on GMB listings. You shall add your operating hours and any promotions or discounts on your offered products and services here.
