How to Optimize Your Local Business Listing for Effective Local Search Results

Location-based search gives businesses with physical locations a steady flow of traffic and bridges the online/offline gap. As a lead generating strategy, local SEO will bring in prospects with high purchase intent and a desire to make the purchase immediately.

Things have changed a lot in recent years but most of the fundamentals are the same — so you should have the basics in place.

Website Optimization

Your website is the heart of your brand’s online presence and is an important factor for location-based SEO. While Google Maps provides users with key details about your business, it’s not a space where prospects can interact with your brand directly.

The user may start in Google but the website will usually be where the user lands, so you should pay attention to the following:

• Mobile optimization: The overwhelming part of local searches will be done on mobile devices as users try to find their way to the store they need.
• Loading times: You don’t want to offer a poor experience when users navigate to your website — especially on mobile.
• Content: Depending on the type of message you want to send out to users, make sure you factor local search into your content. For example, if people want to see your products, make it clear on your website that they can visit your store/location to do so.
• NAP — Name, Address, Phone: These need to be consistent across your website and anywhere else they’re listed (Google My Business, directory sites, review sites etc).

LocalBusiness Schema

Schema markup provides Google with information about your business at the code level, helping it deliver your content to the most relevant audience. This is applied to location-based search as well — you can use LocalBusiness schema to provide with more specific information — such as opening times during or price range for products.

Moreover, you can use this to enable interactions on your Google My Business listing, allowing users to book appointments, reserve hotel rooms or book a table. Adding schema to your pages is a bit more complex from a technical point of view, but completely changes the perception of your business on Google My Business.

Accurate and Complete Google My Business Listing

Google prioritizes user experience and wants to provide the most relevant results for local search queries. That’s why you need to have the complete, updated information details on your business:

• Make sure your address is accurate and complete
• Verify your location in Google Maps
• Specify the city, town etc, that you’re targeting in the title of your Google My Business page
• Choose the relevant categories in Google My Business
• Indicate your opening times
• Link to your website

Moreover, think about the type of images you want users to see on your local listing. While users can upload their own images of your business for others to see, you can also upload your own pictures in certain categories (e.g. cafes and restaurants), displaying menus, food or interiors.