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Originally Posted On: https://rhodeislandwebmarketing.com/blog/how-to-rank-locally-on-google/

Have you ever wondered how local businesses rank so high on Google search results? It is not because they offer the best products or prices. Instead, their website has all the necessary elements to appear at the top of the search engine results page. If you are interested in ranking high on Google, this article will show you how to get it done.

What is Local SEO?

Your business must be visible and accessible in places where people look for companies—like maps, to rank well in local searches. In other words, even if you rank high for national searches and have a great website, none of that matters if users cannot find you. Local SEO aims to get as many pages one local ranking as possible. Here are five ways to target local markets with keyword research: neighborhood Search (Subdivisions, Local Places). Users perform neighborhood searches when they want to find businesses in their area (1 mile around them) or nearby communities (5 miles around them). Achieving these kinds of searches helps to know how neighborhood boundaries are defined. For example, common neighborhoods include Downtown San Francisco, Downtown Oakland; The South Bronx 2. Latitude/Longitude 3. City/State 4. ZIP Code 5. Radius Search Around A Given Point

What are the main components of Local SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a collection of techniques to improve rankings and visibility in organic search results. Understanding how local search works, who does what, and how your business can get involved—in a way that generates leads—is essential for any small business owner who wants more traffic from their website. However, ranking well in local search is not as simple as it may seem at first glance. Several components create and manage an effective SEO strategy for local businesses. Here is an overview: ** Keyword Selection ** Keyword targeting requires some legwork upfront but will pay off big time when you see your site climbing up Google’s SERPs. Start by researching keywords related to your business that customers would use while searching for products or services like yours, then find out if they currently rank anywhere near page one.

4 Keys to Successful Local SEO

1. Location, Location, Location: As with many things in life, a site is critical for success with local SEO. Before you even start thinking about ranking in a new area, you will need to figure out where your customers are. If you have local competitors already and do not have any data on where they are located, consider asking them! You may be surprised at how willing they are to provide you with valuable information.
2. Understanding Your Audience: Once you know where your audience lives, it is time to determine what kind of search terms (keywords) they use when looking for your business or service. Knowing which keywords to target is often more important than the volume of search traffic that particular keyword might generate.
3. Developing Local Links & Citations: One way to show up as a top result for these search terms is by acquiring backlinks from sites that already have a high page rank or domain authority. Link building can get complicated quickly, but you should follow some basic rules so that your site does not get penalized by Google’s algorithm—and those penalties can hurt your rankings!
4. Mobile-Friendly Site Design: Even if only a tiny percentage of your potential customers visit your website using mobile devices, mobile optimization is still worth considering—for two reasons. First, more people are using mobile devices than ever before. Second, businesses that fail to optimize their site for mobile devices will end up missing revenue opportunities and customer inquiries due to poorly designed landing pages and other issues related to poor user experience.

Localized Content

Customers today are less likely to buy from a company they have never heard of before. This is especially true when searching for local businesses, restaurants, and service providers. To appear at or near the top of search results, you will need to create high-quality localized content that ranks well in your local market. When writing your localized content, try and use long-tail keywords and local addresses, phone numbers, and links. You should also add schema markup so search engines can understand what your business does and where they are located. Finally, make sure all your social media profiles include accurate location details; updating these details can often help push your ranking higher in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). The most critical factor for local search engine optimization is geographic relevance. And with around 40% of mobile searches happening in maps and map apps, do not miss a chance to appear in relevant SERPs!

Customer Reviews

A significant way that local businesses attract potential customers is through customer reviews. When potential customers search for a company in their area, they look at the results list and click through positive thoughts. Make sure you are getting reviews for your business! Many people do not take time out of their day to write a review, but even a simple five-star rating or I loved it! The comment makes all the difference. One easy way to ask for reviews is via email, asking If we did a fantastic job. Would you mind leaving us a review? We would appreciate it! Or send an email after work has been completed thanking them for their business and encouraging them to leave a review by clicking here. What might also be effective is including a link to where customers can post a review with every receipt when working with larger clients who frequently use your services.

Mobile Optimization for local search engines

The number of people using mobile devices to search for local businesses is projected to increase by 53% within just a few years. If you are using a website not optimized for mobile, you could be missing out on vital search traffic. As it stands, almost half of all local searches are conducted by people searching from their smartphones and tablets. Make sure your site has responsive design features so that your site renders correctly in any browser or device—or else you risk losing significant potential business. A responsive site is not only critical if you want to attract local customers; it can also improve conversions.