SEO can be difficult at a local level. When optimizing your website for local targeted audiences, you can get caught up in pursuing the right strategies or including adequate information regarding your product or service. Learn about seven common local SEO mistakes to avoid and find the best ways to conduct SEO.
7 Common Local SEO Mistakes You Must Avoid
No Contact Information on the Website
Not providing your contact information on your website can make it more difficult for customers to find what they need to purchase or engage in your service. If you have your contact information on your website, customers may know how to contact your office, and they will know where your business is located. On the other hand, not utilizing contact information on websites creates a missed opportunity for search engines to rank your business, as users will be unable to reach you. To avoid this, you should include a contact page on your website where you provide your contact information, such as your phone number, email, and address. However, when implementing a contact page, ensure it’s the same across other platforms and directory listings. You should also check your map pin and ensure it displays the correct location if you utilize that tool.
Keyword Stuffing
Keyword stuffing is problematic because it will lower your website’s ranking on search engines. When providing keywords, you should use geo-centric keywords or, at the very least – use keywords that are utilized and searched by consumers looking for similar products or services to yours. Keyword stuffing is epitomized by the overuse of keywords in different areas of your website. With too many keywords, sites become “over-optimized” and not friendly to your potential customers. Avoid keyword stuffing by including your keywords in page titles, body content, and meta descriptions, but not too often.
Unoptimized Blog Content
A common mistake is not optimizing your blog content if you have a blog on your website. Using a blog, the goal at times is to drive more traffic. However, with keywords to focus your content and to categorize it on search engines, you will be able to drive traffic and you will be able to increase your viewership. Follow on-page SEO techniques to optimize your articles. You can revamp your title tags, body content, and internal links to increase traffic and optimize your blog.
No Google My Business Listing
Another common mistake when conducting local SEO is not including a Google My Business listing. You need to use Google My Business to rank in Google Maps and list your business. One of these profiles makes it easier for customers and leads to find your business in search engines. With a Google Business Listing, it can also be easier for users to find your business offline because you may need to include important information regarding where your business is located. If you are currently making this mistake and need to make a profile, do not worry.
To make a Google My Business Listing, you need to submit your information to the site, then “claim” an existing listing. You can include your business hours, categories, customer reviews, photos, and NAPW. Offering a complete Google My Business profile will drive local traffic to your website in no time. Find out more here about revamping your Google My Business Profile.
No Directory Profiles
You can rank higher on search engines if you provide your business information to directories like Google My Business, Bing, Places, Yelp, and Yellow Pages. Typically, businesses make the mistake of only offering their local listings in one directory, or they do not post them at all. Therefore, to avoid making this mistake, list your business in more than one directory and consider other opportunities you can provide consumers with to find your business. Identify a few guides that will help your website drive more traffic, and be sure that your NAPW is the same across all platforms.
Unlocalized Keywords
Another commonly identified mistake is neglecting to use the correct keywords. Sometimes, businesses looking to drive traffic at a local level include keywords with high volumes but are not geographically associated. Therefore, geo-specific and service-specific keywords must be used to attract your target audience in a given region when using keywords to optimize. For example, instead of using the keyword “marketing agency,” you would use “Boston marketing agency.” You will target audiences in that geographic area, making your keyword strategies more tailored to local consumers.
No Customer Reviews
Lastly, businesses sometimes fail to offer customer reviews – a big mistake. When conducting local SEO, adding customer reviews can improve your ranking on search engines. You can avoid this mistake by including positive reviews about your product or service on your website, social media platforms, and other online profiles. Providing customer reviews is a fantastic way to generate leads and demonstrate the trustworthiness of your business. This information also gives Google insights into how reputable your company is.
You can also read about:
- 5 Google’s Free SEO Tools Make Your Life Easy
- Why Digital Marketing Is Important
- 13 SEO Tips for Lead Generation to Boost Your Organic
Local SEO strategies can be a catalyst of organic traffic for local businesses. Considering how integral keyword use, customer reviews, and blog content is to the success of companies, you should avoid these seven common local SEO mistakes. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about conducting effective SEO strategies, check out our website. Summit Crew is here and ready to help you learn more about optimizing your website.
If you need help growing your business and averaging 400% or more ROI from your digital efforts, give us a call today or schedule a free strategy session with one of our experts in digital marketing. You will have an opportunity to discuss your business and your marketing goals, and we will provide recommendations on what you should be doing based on our BOOST Method. This is a sales-pitch-free no-obligation meeting, just real advice.
