Search engines hold massive influence over how consumers find products and services. Over 80 per cent of consumers will look something up online before purchasing it. This is why more and more companies are investing in digital marketing services.
One of the major perks of technology is its accessibility, which, in turn, empowers its users. Now, they no longer have to drive a town over for a service nor do they have to wait for days to get what they need. Consumers are using technology to find a product or service they need where and when it’s convenient for them. This is why a strong local SEO strategy is important for any business to have.
With so many options on how to go about it right now, underutilizing this digital marketing tactic naturally leads to missed business opportunities. For instance, oftentimes, a company loses potential customers because they lack location-specific content or their listing details are incorrect. When consumers find your business lacks this bit of crucial information, they will skip onto the next company in the results page.
Maximizing your local SEO requires you to invest in the right tools and adopt practices that work. Start by looking at the tools that well-established companies stand by. Moreover, study your competitors’ digital strategies and identify which factors are beneficial when applied to your business.
Improving Your Local Ranking with Top-Tier Tools
It doesn’t matter if you’re in Los Angeles or Denver, SEO is essential in making sure your target audience finds your business. Having a strong local search presence ensures that you are generating strong leads that you can convert for your business. These days, there is not a lack of effective tools that improve local SEO strategies. The ones we’ve listed here are those trusted by big and small brands alike.
1. Moz Local
This local SEO tool was created to help companies boost their visibility within their vicinity. The local listing management tool allows you to claim and verify listing submissions for your business. Its verification feature alerts you on any errors that could be harmful to your SEO.
- Its local listing dashboard manages, tracks, and optimizes your listings while gathering information on their performance.
- It submits your company’s information to data aggregators and online directories to improve your searchability.
- It syncs with Google My Business so that you can easily update information about your name, address, and phone number (NAP).
- It boasts a review management feature that allows you to monitor any comments made about your business on different websites.
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2. BrightLocal
BrightLocal provides a collection of tools that allow you to gather important insights on your current strategy. Additionally, it lets you compare your rankings with those of your competitors.
- Its auditing features allow you to locate and monitor your citations across the web, including your Google My Business listing.
- It lets you track search rankings across several search engines which can streamline the way you generate reports.
- The BrightLocal team has real-time services that will fix any citations that contain errors.
3. Synup
Designed to streamline the NAP submission process, this tool gives you insights on your business using different directories, search engines, and even review sites. Using Synup for your business allows you to optimize your strategies for each local listing.
- Its instant-sync feature makes it easier to manage locations because it updates your data across different sites in real-time.
- It monitors interactions and notifies you whenever someone leaves a review or comment about your business.
- Aside from location management, Synup lets you monitor and manage your listings on niche
4. Yext
Yext is unique in that it is one of the few that offer an automated listing management tool. This allows you to update your listings and NAP across different directories and sites in real-time. Once you’ve completed this, Yext cleans up any errors you’ve missed to keep all of your information consistent.
- Its duplicate listing suppression tool enhances its data cleansing by removing any repetitive listings.
- It optimizes local pages to ensure that your customers receive relevant and accurate information about your business.
- Its listings management has been optimized through its integration with different maps, search engines, and social networks.
5. Local SEO Checklist
This is a free local SEO tool powered by Synup. This organizational tool gives you 40 options to accomplish specific SEO tasks. You can also use it to determine which parts of your website need to be optimized to improve their local searchability.
- Its schema scanner determines which of your content have a relevant schema.
- It also has a Google checker that verifies if your listings meet the guidelines for Google My Business.
- It offers a checklist for small businesses to help determine which tasks are essential in growing a brand online.
Utilizing Best Practices for Better Local SEO Rankings
Aside from using the latest tools, you will also need to adopt practices that are geared towards improving your local SEO strategy. In integrating these tactics into your digital marketing campaign, you are maximizing your investment in the tools you’ve purchased.
1. Optimize local pages on your website to improve their discoverability.
Your tools can only do so much to improve your local SEO. Your website’s local pages need to be optimized for them to qualify in top search engine rankings. The content you publish on those pages has to be useful, relevant, and authoritative. These pages should also be available on different devices. Accomplishing these makes it easier for search engines to discover your business.
2. Make sure your Google My Business profile is up-to-date.
Your Google My Business listing is one of the major determinants of your visibility online. It contains relevant information, such as your business hours, address, and contact details. A recent upgrade now lets you upload photos of your business. Keeping all of this up-to-date ensures that your brand will be featured in local search results.
3. Encourage customers to leave reviews and comments.
Dealing with reviews is part of maximizing your local SEO strategy. The Internet has made sharing these comments, both positive and negative, essential in the customer’s journey. Your new digital marketing campaign should encourage customers to leave reviews of your products and services. These will help improve your reputation online. As for the negative reviews, use them as a way to improve your business. You can also use them as a means to engage with customers.
Taking on a more proactive approach to your digital marketing campaign will give you better results. In optimizing your strategy for your local audience, you are creating a digital presence that can drive consumers toward your business.