Ne universal truth of digital marketing best practices is that localizing your strategy for SEO rankings has always been good for business. If you install windows and doors in the Ottawa area, then you want people in that area to see you online. If you’re frequently popping up in the search engine results pages (SERPs) of people in Toronto and Montreal, then it doesn’t matter how well you rank in their searches. The bottom line is, non-local traffic to a highly localized business will just not convert. You need to focus on making the people searching for you in the same geographic region see you.
Utilizing local SEO services (as opposed to national) means optimizing your online presence to reach those closest to you. Local SEO rankings will depend on a number of factors, such as:
Geographic Keywords
Keyword optimization is always an important part of boosting your SEO rankings, but when you’re thinking local, it goes a step further. If your avant-garde chain of popular hipster coffee houses has yet to expand out of your city, then you don’t want to use “Canada” in your keywords. Try using phrases that include “Ottawa.” And you can even get more local than that! If someone is searching for the best place to get coffee in the ByWard Market (where one of your shops is), you want to be on those SERPs, too.
Accurate, Consistent Listings
When you list your business on Google, Bing, Facebook, and other such sites, make absolute sure that information such as your address, phone number, and business hours are always accurate, up-to-date, and the same across the board. This kind of local SEO service is especially important in the age of mobile browsing. When someone is already on the go and they use their phone to find your business, they need to know where you are and when you close. Customers’ trust is a delicate thing, so don’t lose it by letting them think you’re open when you’re not. Which leads to…?
Good Rankings, Better Reviews
Say your business is at the very top when someone Googled “plumbing services in Ottawa.” Well done! This high SEO ranking will surely get you the most traffic. Just one problem: your competitor, two rankings down, has a five-star review, and you only have three and a half. Now, not only will they get more clicks, but eventually that will lead to them topping you in rankings. Focus on delivering your clients the best service. Encourage higher rankings and word-of-mouth referrals. There is absolutely no substitute for quality content, products, and service, and with these, higher SEO rankings will happen organically.
Source: Seo Twist