Local SEO: How to Improve Your Ranking on Search Engines

Local search engine optimization (SEO) means all measures that lead to an optimal placement in the local search results of a search engine. Because search engines have different indexes, for websites, pictures, videos, news and also for local companies.

For companies, local SEO is therefore becoming increasingly important. Small and medium-sized companies in particular can benefit if they optimise their website for local search.

5 Tips for Local SEO

But how important is SEO for local search really to make your business better known locally and generate more sales? And which measure influences the ranking in the local search? Here are some tips for improving local SEO so that your business appears optimally in the local results of hit pages on Google.

1. Optimize your website for keywords with local reference

Google considers several sources to determine the relevance of a web page for a location-based search query. These include, among other things, keywords on your own website. You should therefore mention the company location in the texts on the website.

For example, you can mention the location in combination with the company name, such as “Hairstylist London” or “Italian Restaurant London.” Use such combinations in the page title, the H1 headline and in the body text of the home page. Also include this combination on suitable subpages. If it suits your company, the website can also offer tips and tricks for the respective city, for example in the form of a blog or guidebook.

However, avoid over-optimisation, i.e. naming these words too often. This has an unnatural effect on the reader and can be considered spam by Google.

2. Ensure consistent data

In order for customers to find your company, the address information on the website must not be missing. It is also helpful to have directions via Google Maps. Make sure that the address data and telephone number are written in the same way everywhere. This applies not only to your own website, but also to entries in yellow pages and other directories. The uniform and consistent spelling increases the recognition value. This also makes it easier for search engines to recognize that it is the same company.

3. Create and maintain an entry on Google My Business

Google My Business is Google’s own portal for the maintenance and administration of company data. The profile is free of charge and can be created in under a few minutes. This opens several advantages for companies such as:

• All Google services can access the data stored in Google My Business.
• The company entry is displayed prominently on the search results pages in the so-called Local Packs.
• The company can also be found via Google Maps.

Customers can also rate companies on Google. You can access and respond to this feedback via Google My Business. You can also view various evaluations and statistics.

4. List your company in yellow pages and on rating portals

To find out how relevant a website is for a local search query, Google also analyses entries in yellow pages and rating portals. When it comes to SEO, such entries are called local citations. Companies should establish local citations in well-known, trustworthy and industry-relevant directories and rating portals.

5. Generate customer reviews

Google also considers whether a company has received customer reviews. For instance, customers rate companies directly on Google or on portals like Yelp or TripAdvisor. Now, naturally not every customer leaves a review after visiting your company. However, with friendly reminder e-mails you can encourage your customers to leave feedback. A request for a review is best followed by a link to the platform where customers should leave their feedback.

Friendly and objective answers to feedback, including criticism, have a customer-oriented effect. Under no circumstances should you succumb to the temptation to leave fake reviews. Sooner or later this will come out and have a negative effect on the company.