Google has made it again. In addition to its star search engine and video network, YouTube now offers a new battle space for those wanting to get clients through the well-known search engine Local SEO. And boy, is it practical!
What is Local SEO?
We understand SEO, the set of techniques to improve the positioning of a website within the Google results pages.
Local SEO is aimed at improving the positioning of a website for local searches.
What is a Local Search?
When a user turns to Google to search for information about a product or service in a specific geographic location, we say it is a local search. To understand this concept, let’s look at some examples of local searches:
- Cheap Hotels in Taiwan
- Tourist sites in Kerala
- Theme Parks In Dubai
Google results pages (SERPs) change their appearance depending on the user’s query. This is what,, we call “rich snippets” or rich results in SEO. When Google determines that the user’s search refers to geographic location information, it displays the Local Pack in the SERPs. That is, on the results page, a box appears with the locations in the sector that respond to the query entered by the user.
Benefits of Local SEO
Every day, people search more on Google. On many occasions, they do it to find information, like when your nephew uses Google to find out what the capital of Belgium is.
But there are also commercial searches, like when the person compares mobile phones or wants to know the cheapest inn in Manizales. In these latter cases, there is a purchase intention. So, your company has achieved the necessary local positioning. In that case, it will appear among the results recommended by Google and will have a greater chance of making the sale.
How to start?
If you have a physical business, don’t hesitate for a second to add your company to Google Maps. It is straightforward. Follow the next steps:
- Enter Google Maps. You can do it from your PC or from a mobile device.
- Locate the address of your business. It is much better if you have the geographic location service activated on your cell phone and are on the business premises.
- Right-click, and you will see a context menu with several options. Choose “Add your company”.
- Complete the information.
Google My Business
When you register your business to appear on Google Maps, you create your Google My Business listing (Google My Business). GMB is an application that gives companies with physical location visibility in the Google ecosystem and can interact with users.
The GMB listing is how basic company information is displayed. It is the business profile. The most important information you must complete makes up the NAP, called by its acronym in English: Name, address (address) and Phone (telephone).
The GMB tab contains other fields to offer more information to the user:
- Products: Here, you must specify a description for each item that the store sells and accompany it with one or more photos.
- Services: The same applies to products.
- Publications: They are similar to the posts you publish on social networks: an image accompanied by text. The idea is to communicate information to people in a pleasant way.Try to maintain a minimum posting frequency. You can automate the process with Google My Business scheduling tools.
- Statistics: In this section, you will see the performance indicators: direct searches, new visitors, words used, etc. A very complete data dashboard that correlates all analytics.
Google My Business creates a file with the necessary information to find your company.
Relevance in Local SEO
Although GMB is the epicentre of Local SEO, there are other aspects that we must take into account. Relevance in the commercial sector also influences. We need to send signals to Google indicating that we are essential in the business area and the locality.
How do we do this? Generating valuable content is a good practice. This shows that the company has the knowledge, personnel and tools to satisfy demand. Which also creates confidence in people. Furthermore, if the content is good, links will come from sites involved in the same topic. This is one of the signals that Google uses to calculate a site’s relevance. If, additionally, the website that links to us is from the exact geographical location, it will boost our local positioning.
Online Reputation
A company’s reputation is what people say about it. Suppose these people express their opinions on the Internet. In that case, the set of all these opinions makes up the online reputation of that company. For this reason, it is advisable to serve the visiting public well.
How does Google recognize a company’s reputation? Through the ratings made by customers on the GMB listing and the opinions that appear on other websites (such as local directories, for example). User response time has become a fundamental metric for assessing user service. Try to make it as short a period as possible.
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