Local SEO involves optimizing your website so that it ranks higher for localized searches. As search engines and internet users keep evolving, there is an increase in the number of local searches compared to a few years ago. In a bid to get the best, most relevant results, searchers are now looking for location specific information. 

Many searchers now use their mobile phones to search for products and services near them with the aim of making purchase in the future. A recent study by MOZ showed that there are as many as 7 billion localized searches every month. Now you know anything with a ‘B’ behind it is a big thing and you should pay attention.

You should try and get as much as possible from the increased localized searches. However, like any new thing there are few who get it right and multitudes don’t get it at all.

So below are the 6 biggest local SEO mistakes that you can easily avoid and join the few that are benefiting from local SEO:

1. Not creating listings for every location

Many people for whatever reason find it difficult to create different local listings for each location they serve. This is the case especially where the locations are close to each other. People prefer to just create one listing and hope that it will serve all the different locations.

However, to get the most from local SEO make sure you create unique Google, Yahoo and Bing listings for each of the locations that your business serves. It will take time but it will pay off many times over.

2. Not seeking reviews from happy customers

Numerous case studies have proven time and again that reviews greatly impact rankings on search engines. The more the reviews your business has especially on its local listings the higher it will appear on SERPs.

Ensure that you have as many reviews as possible on your G+ pages as well as other local listings. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers to write a review about your business. The best time to ask and get a good review is when you have just served the customer and he is happy with the product/service.

On the other hand you can offer discounts to customers who give an honest review about your business.

3. Selecting poor keywords

Just like with SEO in general your local SEO will rise and fall depending on what keywords you choose.

For best results go long tail. Don’t optimize for what everyone else is optimizing for. Yes it may be a big money keyword but at the end of the day how will you benefit if you use all your resources chasing one keyword.

For the best results ensure that you strike the ever elusive balance among competition, traffic and buyer intent!

4. Failure to do thorough competitive analysis

Again just like in general SEO to succeed in your local SEO campaigns you have to understand what your competitors are doing. What are the top 5 guys for the keyword you are targeting doing?

Where are they getting their back links from?

Once you have that information then work to beat those guys.

5. Not producing fresh content regularly

Setting up a local listing is not the end. You have to continuously and on a regular basis produce top notch content that visitors to your pages can engage with. 

Not only will your readers look forward to the content you produce you will also position yourself to rank better in SERPs.

6. Forgetting to include location specific terms

For the best results ensure that you include location specific keywords in your titles, Meta description and the content itself.

Don’t overdo anything though. Just sprinkle a few local search terms and names in your pages to avoid being penalized for keyword stuffing.

Way forward

We are the leading experts in local SEO and can help you get the most from people searching for your products and services near you.

Talk to us now for more details!

Coffee Shop photo from Shutterstock.