The world has changed since online marketing was introduced. Now, we can connect with customers who reside in distant geographical regions. We can extend our reach wider than ever, however, this ironically makes it harder for smaller local companies to engage with their intended audience.

Methods to enhance the local SEO of your website

Although there are lots of methods that you can employ to rank highly for local search terms, it is best to begin with a solid foundation on your site. Industry experts say that the elements listed below are the most crucial, if you wish to improve your visibility in the search engines:

Name, Address, Phone Number (N.A.P.)

All pages on your website should feature clear contact details for your company, such as your company name, telephone number and address. Doing this makes it simple for prospects to contact you at any time during the funnel. This information should be included in the headers and/or coding (or schema) so that Google can find it easily and display it to people who are using their search engine.

Create a Highly Targeted System of Hierarchy

When people visit your website (and when it is being analysed by Google), you need a highly targeted, clear system of hierarchy for your web pages. There ought to be a straightforward layout, with visible calls to action that encourage prospects to contact you. A basic contact form, clickable telephone numbers, or maps which automatically load Google Maps to offer directions to your company, are all good examples. You increase the likelihood that people will visit you if you make it easy for them.

Title Tags Relating to Location

A title tag is an HTML element that indicates the web page title. Mentioning your location within these tags allows Google to instantly register it, which helps you to appear in related searches. These are the kinds of indicators that search engines like, so this is an excellent way of incorporating geo-targeted keywords into your website’s back end – so that Google can react to them.

Optimising for Keywords

Keywords refer to the search phrases that people type into Google. A free tool which you can use to discover the keywords in your industry is the Google keywords planner.  This tool is provided for free if you have a Google Adwords account. You can learn how to use the tool here. Once you determine the keywords that are often used in your industry, good practice is to naturally incorporate these terms into your website. Best practise is to group keywords into topics called keyword groups and target one keyword group per page on your website.

Need Help Getting Your Business Online?

Professional Web Solutions have helped many local businesses increase their prominence online. Our web design services include on site SEO elements which form a great foundation for online success. Talk to us today for further information.