Eight Ways to Drive Local Business In Competitive Markets With Search
- SEO |
According to Search Engine Journal, there are eight ways to to drive local business In competitive markets with search. Optimized GMB listings and location pages are essential. Learn top tactics and strategies to drive local business in competitive markets.
The author says that local search marketing is key for any location, but when faced with a competitive market, it's essential that you have strategies to help you stand out. The closer the user is to a location, the more likely it will rank. However, in denser areas, a location will face more competition. By accelerating efforts around Google My Business (GMB) and location page management, a location's relevance and prominence can increase a business's rankings resulting in increased local visibility, especially in competitive markets.
Distance looks at how far the results are from the searcher for the location term. Prominence refers to how reputable a location is in its local market. Plus, it takes into consideration factors such as articles, links, directories, review count, reviews score, and SEO. A business can only directly impact relevance and prominence. Distance is determined by where the user is and cannot be optimized for. Having a successful listing on GMB requires leveraging all the different capabilities and features offered. Maximizing the use of each will allow your business to increase its presence in your local market.
The author says that local search marketing is key for any location, but when faced with a competitive market, it's essential that you have strategies to help you stand out. The closer the user is to a location, the more likely it will rank. However, in denser areas, a location will face more competition. By accelerating efforts around Google My Business (GMB) and location page management, a location's relevance and prominence can increase a business's rankings resulting in increased local visibility, especially in competitive markets.
Distance looks at how far the results are from the searcher for the location term. Prominence refers to how reputable a location is in its local market. Plus, it takes into consideration factors such as articles, links, directories, review count, reviews score, and SEO. A business can only directly impact relevance and prominence. Distance is determined by where the user is and cannot be optimized for. Having a successful listing on GMB requires leveraging all the different capabilities and features offered. Maximizing the use of each will allow your business to increase its presence in your local market.
- Profiles: Google recommends that your profiles be "accurate, complete, and engaging." Start by accessing the Info tab within your GMB profile. Take advantage of all of the different features within this section. All Attributes should be updated so the listing is reflective of your current business operations. Make sure to also add any links to your website, for reservations, your menu, or even appointments. Hours of operations are also found within this tab and it is critical to maintain accurate hours every day of the year.
- Google Posts: Another way to make your profile more engaging is through Google Posts. Posts are a great way to keep your listings current and promote any key offerings. It also is a way for a business to share a quick update. Google Post content can also impact rankings. For example, if a searcher's query is for "expert wax grooming," Google will look at the content in your listing and leverage the Google Post content.
- Reviews: Reviews tend to be an overlooked area of GMB, but Google clearly states in their description of prominence that "Google review count and review score factor into local search ranking." Maintaining as high a score as possible will be key while also looking to increase review volume. The more reviews you have, the better your listing will perform. Receiving reviews on a consistent basis is critical. Implementing a strategy to solicit reviews can be helpful to increase review volumes and scores.
- High-Quality Photos & Video: Photos and videos are a great way to make your profile more engaging and let a customer know what to expect when visiting your location. Photos that match a product or service query will help a listing stand out too. Adding photos of new menu items, completed projects, items for sale, your store's layout, or storefront will all increase a user's engagement with your profile.
- Hyperlocal Content: Hyperlocal content is a great way to create unique content that stands out locally. And, you don't have to create long-form, time-consuming content. Content on a location page can often be boilerplate or rather generic.
- Schema Markup: Another great SEO tactic to implement is schema markup. When adding schema markup to a location page it allows for microdata to be included in a rich snippet since it "adds context and displays attributes that Google loves." These snippets help make a business stand out more prominently in the SERPs.
- Link Signals: Links are key to any SEO strategy. Links to your location's page from another site pass PageRank. The number of quality links to your site from others will determine how relevant a location is. Building citations through various directories has been a consistent way to build links relevant to local SEO. The focus should also be on building local links through a site that is considered to be a local authority such as a local paper, the city chamber of commerce, or the city's website.
- Core Web Vitals: With a recent major Google update, Core Web Vitals are now a ranking factor. Businesses should be looking to optimize their page's experience. Google provides a tool to see page performance and then you can act on anything that is affecting your Core Web Vitals performance. In some very competitive markets, businesses may not follow GMB's rules. Keyword stuffing in a business name is the most common tactic used that is against the rules. By optimizing your GMB listings and location pages, your business can expect to drive more business locally.
