Website optimization over the last two decades has focused largely on how sites can win internet searches. However, with millions of websites popping up around the world on a yearly basis, standing out from the crowd gets more and more difficult.
As such, the vast majority of SEO efforts in recent years have focused on how to win local searches. Not only does having a localized focus help narrow the playing field, but it also puts businesses in contact with more high quality leads actively looking to make a purchase.
With this in mind, the following 5 website optimization tips can help your business dominate in local lead generation.
Create a Branded Local Page for Each of Your Business Locations
A whopping 70% of customers say that they prefer using hybrid and online commerce as a means of supporting local businesses.
So it is up to the business website to be the front line for getting local customers to the nearest local branch.
When discussing this topic, there is a major debate as to whether or not multi-location businesses should create a separate localized website for each of their stores.
While multiple websites can be beneficial for local SEO, understand that it requires a lot of work and oversight to ensure that each site is optimized.
In many cases, multiple websites end up cannibalizing traffic from each other and hurting company performance overall.
What can always be beneficial for local SEO efforts is to create branded local pages for each location on your parent website.
This is usually as simple as adding the specific location to the end of your business’ URL.
This will ensure that all interested customers end up at your website and can easily find the location most proximate to them.
Some other tips for optimizing branded local pages on your business website include:
- Implementing the best store locator software so that customers are automatically directed to the page of the nearest location based on their GPS coordinates
- Keeping contact information for each location updated and accurate
- Use pictures featuring recognizable landmarks so that customers can easily identify the business from a streetside or parking lot view
- Embedding tagged social media posts and interactions with the local market
Update Your Blog With Location Specific Content
People have an insatiable thirst for information in 2022.
In fact, it is estimated that Google processes roughly 63,000 search requests each second.
Clearly, the internet is viewed as the top information authority by contemporary customers, so it is critical that your site is in position to be their local source.
When creating blog and vlog content for your local market, be sure to add local tags. For example, if you have a building materials business, don’t just make a post titled “The Best Roofing Tiles for Impact Resistance.” Add the name of the city or county at the end to help Google identify your site as the local authority in that area.
Make Your Homepage Google Friendly
Despite the ability to process more than 20 petabytes–a number of bytes too big to try and write or accurately explain–of data, Google actually shows a strong preference for websites that are easy to understand.
As such, a simple website is better than a complex website for SEO purposes.
This all starts with the homepage.
The homepage should clearly state who you are, what you do, and where you are located.
And you don’t want this information bogged down in cumbersome text. The homepage should feature high quality images, with all pertinent information contained in the title, header tag, and meta description so that Google can easily understand it.
Build Pages for Each of Your Products and Services
Just as each business location should have its own dedicated page on your company website, elite localization will also feature pages for each product or service that your business offers.
The more specific, the better when it comes to local SEO. You want to make the search as easy as possible for the search engine and have your business appear as the top local solution.
If you are a landscaping business that has locations in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, it is worthwhile to provide dedicated pages for each of the services within your location pages. For example, in addition to your localized page for “best landscaping service Houston” it would be better to create a subpage for “best Houston commercial lawn mowing” and “best Houston hardscaping.”
Use Social Media to Link Build With Your Local Market
Roughly 90% of customers state that they buy from businesses they follow on social media.
While this figure is impressive on its own, social media has even greater potential for impacting your local market. If a customer is tagged, featured, or has one of their posts shared by your business, you have very likely created a customer for life.
Therefore, your website must include prominent buttons that provide easy access to your social media accounts. Not only does this get customers engaging with your brand, but websites with strong click through rates will rank higher for SEO than those who have visitors leave voluntarily.
Get Creative to Dominate Local Lead Generation
The best website optimization efforts in 2022 will be directed at dominating local SEO. With this in mind, creating branded local pages featuring shopify store locator software, creating fresh localized blog content, making your homepage Google friendly, building pages for each of your products and services, and using social media to link build are 5 powerful ways to increase local lead generation and achieve a boost in profits!