Local SEO Tips to Improve Your Ranking in USA

Search engine optimization (SEO), SEO
On March 17, 2021

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With 230.5 million digital shoppers, your local business has a huge margin to shine. In this blog on local SEO tips USA, you are going to find exactly that: local SEO tips to capture local US citizens who are finding you online.

In this blog, you will find:

  •         What local SEO is all about
  •         How local SEO can benefit your business
  •         Local SEO techniques that drive results
  •         Inside tips, tricks, and a lot more

So without waiting, let’s go local.

 

The science behind every successful SEO campaign is based on three essential points:

  • Goals to achieve: Objectives that you want to achieve and the results you expect
  • Targeted approach: Who is your target audience, and how you can reach them
  • Current industry trends: Scenario of search algorithms and popular tactics

If you miss out on any of these essentials from your SEO strategy, you will achieve anything but success.

So the need to know about local search engine optimization, local SEO tips, and how to do local is so essential because it:

  • Directs your SEO plans
  • Defines SEO tactics
  • Gives you firm grounds for success

If you haven’t planned your local SEO strategy USA, this is the right time to do it. Start it now!



What is Local SEO?

 

Let’s begin with the very basics:

Local SEO is a highly targeted search engine optimization approach that aims to make a business rank higher in local searches on search engines.

In other words:

Local SEO is for all those businesses with a physical presence and the desire to target audiences of a particular location.

 

 

Remember all those times when you hit the search bar with queries like:

  • the best restaurant near me
  • orthopedic surgeons in Houston
  • buy economical clothes in New York

Can you guess what all these are?

Local queries aimed to find a local solution for your problems.

So if a person wants to find the best eateries in New York, he doesn’t care about the list of restaurants in Melbourne.

He wants all the best places to eat something in New York.

In other words, his search intent is local rather than international.

IMPORTANT NOTE

The difference between local SEO and organic SEO is of ‘intent.’

Local SEO works to improve your search visibility and rankings on SERPs for people of a particular locality.

Whereas organic SEO focuses on improving rankings in the related queries irrespective of the geographical location of the searchers.

 

 

So from finding keywords, link building, and creating content, you do everything with a localized approach.

And Google has become way smarter to understand the intent of the searcher.

It scans the content, picks up keywords, and understands the underlying context, and overall purpose before determining the fate of a business for a local search.

That’s the reason that how to do local SEO for USA business is not only based on optimizing the website.

It involves optimizing the overall experience of your online business for local queries because:

  • Local search results are not only based on local organic search results.
  • It also includes showing maps, online reviews, etc.

 

 

You can see that all these things happen above the local organic search results.

So giving a localized touch to your whole company’s online presence is important to stay relevant on local searches by all possible means.

 

Why Local SEO Matters?

 

If you think that only big giants need to do SEO for their business, you need to think again.

All businesses are facing competition in their market, and they need SEO’s support to beat it.

Because:

Every business matters, and all companies deserve to rock the success.

That…

  • Barbershop down the lane
  • Bakery at the corner
  • Plumber in the market
  • Car wash at the other end of the city

…all these businesses can hit big in their local community only if they know how to capture the target market online and bring them to their doors.

That’s where local SEO for businesses in USA can help you.

Handpicked Reading: Read out SEO Tactics and Methods to Stay Ahead in 2021 for an easy SEO journey.

 

The good thing is that your local target audience is searching and trying to reach out to you through the search engine.

Americans are all about local search. They eat, sleep, walk, and play with local searches.

This opens up a large slot for SEO marketing USA in 2021.

 

 

These stats are enough to prove that local SEO tips USA matter for your brick and mortar business to stay winning in the local market.

If you are not doing local SEO California, you will miss all Californian searchers through an inch because they won’t be able to find you online.

And not being able to be found online means you don’t exist (even if you have a physical store!).

 

 

Now you know that local SEO matters, and it is your way to survive, thrive, and drive.

 

Benefits of Local SEO

 

Now you know the basics of local SEO.

What does local SEO mean?

Why do you need to do local SEO for your business?

Great!

But how can the best local SEO Company in the United States bring benefits for your business?

 

Handpicked Reading: Local SEO can improve your conversion rate. See this guide on How to Improve Conversion Rate With SEO Services for more information.

 

(HINT: It does more than just increasing your rankings for local searches)

Here is the answer:

 

#1: Highly Targeted Search Intent

 

As compared to generic searches, local searches are highly specific in nature.

People searching for products/services know exactly what they want.

For example, if someone searches ‘bakery near me,’ it means that the searcher wants to go to the bakery right now or in the near future.

50 percent of local searchers seek out the address of a local business on their mobile phone.

 

They want to know only about the good bakeries near them – not anything less or more.

So it minuses the guesswork of finding users’ intent, and when you try to rank for the local search keywords, you know you are doing things right.

 

#2: Immediate Need Gratification

 

Investing in SEO for local business in United States of America means that you will start reaping benefits quickly once you rank higher.

 

Handpicked Reading: See this guide on How to Rank Higher on Google in 2021 to boost your business on SERPs.

 

Because:

You get to meet people who mostly want to fulfill their needs immediately.

 

Source: ThinkWithGoogle

 

Working on local SEO tips USA takes you closer to the target audience who are really interested in your product.

#3: Higher Return on Investment

 

SEO can be costly, significantly if you hire the best SEO services USA because:

SEO is a lot more work than link building and finding keywords. So local SEO consultant in USA will definitely charge you for their hard work.

But…yes, there is a hopeful but in this game for you.

Your local SEO budget has a higher ROI because 66% of people searching for local products/services end up in a store.

 

Source: ThinkWithGoogle

 

So if you are investing in local SEO, you have a higher chance of getting better return on investment.

 

Handpicked Reading: Increase the conversion rate with this guide on How to Optimize a Website for SEO.

#4: Welcome Qualified Traffic

 

The best thing about local searchers is: they know what they are looking for.

They are not searching just because they don’t have anything else to do in their lives.

They conduct a search because they actually need something.

 

Source: ThinkWithGoogle

 

So when a searcher visits your site through organic search results, you are likely to receive a qualified lead.

 

#5: Reduced Marketing Budget

 

Question: How can you beat the number one organic search result?

Answer: With a PPC ad.

A PPC campaign can help you beat organic search results. That’s true because ads show above organic results.

You need to spend some money and BOOM. You skyrocket your website.

But does it give you more clicks?

A very sorry: no!

 

 

It shows that if you invest devotedly in search engine optimization USA, you:

  • Don’t need to locate a budget for PPC ads.
  • Can get more clicks organically.

So now you know that local SEO is not just a buzzword. It is the way to go for your business success if you want to fetch some real perky benefits for your brick-and-mortar business.

Next:

It is time to find out local SEO tips for USA businesses that really work.

 

Local SEO Tips USA – How to Do Local SEO to Optimize Your Site

 

At this point, you already know what, why, where, who, and when factors of local SEO.

Now it is time to figure out the how-factor: How to optimize your site with local SEO.

Here is given local SEO checklist to win your local audience with a local approach:

 

BASIC LOCAL SEO CHECKLIST

  • Create a Google My Business profile and add all relevant information into it.
  • Check out other important business citation sites to enhance your chances of appearing in search results.
  • Keep your profile on directories up-to-date with the latest business information.
  • Keep your NAP accurate and consistent throughout the web.
  • Create different contact us pages for different business locations.
  • Encourage your clients to give rankings and reviews to enhance your authority and reputation for search engines.
  • Search local keywords to appear in local searches.
  • Optimize your content for voice search by using conversational key terms and phrases.
  • Create content with a local approach to increase its relevance on SERPs.
  • Make an active social media profile to send social signals for ranking.
  • Optimize your site for mobile devices to cater to the search queries of mobile users.
  • Approach local sites for local link building.

 

STEP # 1: Create a Google My Business Page

 

Google My Business is an online listing platform of Google where you can register your business.

 

 

Listing in Google My Business helps Google to:

  • Know that your business exists for local searches
  • Determine how your business should appear in local searches

So before you jump on to any other local SEO technique, you should let Google know that you are in the game.

Now you may ask why I only mentioned Google listing; why not Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines?

The thing is that Google is the biggest player in the search market with a market share of around 92%.

 

 

So listing your business on Google’s business page is enough to give your business a tremendous push.

Setting up and optimizing your GMB page helps to:

  • Perform better on SERPs
  • Improve online presence
  • Build better online reputation
  • Increase chances of getting targeted traffic
  • Make your business easily searchable

So many benefits with just one method.

Moz has found that Google My Business Listing is an important ranking factor to appear in the local pack.

 

Source: Moz

 

Just make sure to add as much relevant information as if you are building your portfolio:

  • Company’s name
  • Address
  • Contact number
  • Logo
  • Website URL
  • Service description
  • Tagline
  • Images
  • Categories
  • Social profiles
  • Certificates

Once Google is able to verify your information, it is more likely to show you on Google local search results, maps, local search panels.

 

THINGS TO KNOW

  • Make sure to provide the most relevant, accurate, and up-to-date information.
  • Boost the visibility by regularly updating the latest information and interacting with your profile.
  • Ensure to offer the best user experience through your business profile.
  • If you have multiple business locations, create multiple pages for each location.
  • Add categories and business photos to enrich your listed profile.
  • Avoid adding any misleading information, inaccurate facts, promotions, vulgar ideas, or ideological fallacy in your content.

STEP # 2: Claim Citations on Important Business Directories

 

Listing on GMB helps you to rank higher on Google.

But listing on other local directories is also important because people directly search other online business directories to find local businesses.

Whether you should claim citation on a business directory or not depends on two important points:

  • Is it a well-reputed and authoritative site
  • Is it popular among your audience i.e. are your target audience using it

So find out which directories are popular among your target audience and get listed on them.

Need some inspiration?

I searched for the keyword ‘the best hair salon near me and the top-ranking search result is of the Yelp directory.

 

 

In fact, the other three top search results are also of Yelp citations.

 

 

It shows that listing on other local directories for your business also matters.

So go for it!

 

Handpicked Reading: Read out our blog on Local Citation Building Best Practices to get the most out of your efforts.

 

STEP # 3: Put Correct & Consistent NAP Information throughout the Website

 

Correct and consistent NAP (name and place) information is very important to avoid creating confusion for search engines.

If you add different information on different places, Google will get confused.

Like if you update your GMB profile with a new address, whereas your contact us page is not still updated (or vice versa), Google will get confused.

Consistency in your contact information is also important. It includes:

  • Where you place a comma
  • Abbreviations you use
  • The use of word separators

…everything matters.

For example, this burger place’s NAP listing is the best example of consistency:

 

 

The information on the Google My Business page and contact us page is the same.

Google can’t understand that avenue ave. means the same. So don’t confuse it, and go with the consistent information throughout the online world.

 

THINGS TO KNOW

If you have multiple shops and offices, create separate location pages for each one of them.

Throwing different locations’ information on one page is equal to giving Google’s bots a ‘solve the puzzle’ game.

Bots are not pro in winning this game, and if they lose this game, you will lose the business. Simple!

 

 

So facilitate things for Google by creating different location pages to avoid any confusion.

STEP # 4: Try to Get Customer Ratings and Reviews

 

Your potential customers have become a lot smarter, informed, and sensitized.

They want to get the best bang for their buck.

And one of their ways to make informed purchases is by reading online reviews.

93% of consumers check online reviews before making a purchase, and they trust them.

 

 

So having reviews means that you will have a higher click-through rate rather than if you don’t have good reviews.

And a high click-through rate means performing better on SERPs.

Handpicked Reading: Check out our blog on Actionable SEO Tips to Rank Higher that are proven to drive results.

 

It means that the business with more reviews is more likely to get a click than the one without any review.

And if all the businesses have reviews, then the business listing with more reviews has better luck than others.

For example, in this situation, the search result with 128 rating reviews might perform better.

 

 

So encourage your customers to leave reviews and ratings for you:

Offer them good services so that they leave good reviews.

 

THINGS TO KNOW

Customer reviews are itself a ranking factor for local searches.

According to Moz, review velocity, diversity, and quantity is a ranking factor for local search results.

It has an impact value of 6.47% on the search results.

So reviews not only improve your CTR but also have a direct impact on rankings.

STEP # 5: Use Local Keywords in Your Content

 

A person sitting in New York, finding the best treadmills, will use local keywords to find the related places rather than keywords related to Melbourne or even Chicago.

In this situation, working on local SEO optimization in NYC by using local keywords is your only way to appear in local searches.

But doing keyword research for local SEO is a bit tricky because you have to cater to two aspects:

  • Written queries
  • Voice search queries

People use different words while writing a query and making a voice search. So you have to cater to both these search ways to cater to both types of searchers.

 

#1: Written Queries

 

People type their queries in Google to find solutions to their problems. We all know that.

When they have local search needs, they use local keywords to find you.

So if you offer home décor services in New York, use the city name in your keywords.

Like this website has used local keywords in all important keyword placement places:

 

 

So now you know what types of keywords you should use for local written queries.

But how can you find out what keywords people are using exactly?

Here are local SEO tips USA to find local keywords:

  1. Use Google search to get keyword suggestions.
  2. Find out what keywords your competitors are using.
  3. Use tools like SurferSEO to know different variants of a keyword.
  4. Think from people’s points of view to judge what people are using.

#2: Voice Search Queries

 

People are actively using voice search to conduct a local search.

 

 

This change in the media consumption patterns has also changed the way you should select keywords.

Obviously, you can’t make different pages for different ways of finding queries.

The best way is to select keywords that fit both these methods.

Like, using medium tail and conversational keywords that are more focused and targeted.

Use keywords and phrases that people use while talking to each other.

Here is how you can do so:

1: Understand the search patterns of the target audience.

2: Analyze their search intent

3: Find their needs and address them

 

THINGS TO KNOW

Make sure to consider these local SEO tips for New York businesses while selecting keywords:

  • Choosing the right keywords is essential, but ditching the competition is also important.
  • Go with keywords with relatively better search volume but comparatively less competition.
  • Use focus keyword variants to make your content look natural, meaningful, and relevant to appear in search results.
  • Focus your research on finding the exact terms audiences are using, keyword modifiers, and location-based terms.
  • Prioritize your keywords based on the search intent, importance, competition, and search volume.

STEP # 6: Do Local Link Building

 

Finding the relevant link opportunities is an important SEO factor and their importance don’t fade away in local SEO tips USA.

 

Handpicked Reading: High authority backlinks are the best for SEO. Here is our guide on High Authority Backlinks Building in 2021 for your help.

 

But from where you get links matters a lot.

Besides focusing on:

  • High quality sites
  • Sites with a high traffic flow
  • Link profile of the selected sites
  • Social engagement on sites
  • Quality of content

…you should also make sure that you choose local sites for link building.

Understandably, Google will give more significance to a link coming from a local high authority site to another local site.

 

 

That’s why whenever you read blogs on guest posting, they talk about relevance and laser targeted approach.

You need a similar approach for successful local SEO.

What is Guest Posting Service?

Before finding an answer to what is guest posting service, let’s admit that:

Posting content on someone else’s blog is a lot of work.

So a guest blogging service helps you cater to the various requirements of guest blogging and fulfilling all the steps of the process.

This is actually an extended form of custom outreach services that only involve reaching out to blogger sites to build relationships or post content.

But the guest posting service gives a full package of help.

It includes finding the most relevant and the best sites, reaching out to them, creating content according to the instructions, and getting it published.

This is your handy option if you don’t want to handle all the fuss. But if you want to, then:

You should run a local SEO campaign to find local link-building opportunities no matter which local link building technique you opt for.

So you should run a local SEO campaign to find local link-building opportunities for the desired results.

THINGS TO KNOW

Local link building is a bit different because it can also work even without a do-follow link.

Get a brand mention on a local site, and Google will take it as a considerable signal of your authority and relevance.

Sponsor an event, interact within local communities, organize a charity, or become a part of a contest. It will give you a powerful link by securing a mention on the relevant sites.

STEP # 7: Make a Responsive Website

 

A website that works well on all devices sells well.

People don’t carry along their laptops everywhere. So you can easily predict that when they are searching for the local business on the go, they are using mobile phones to find you.

If you don’t give them a better user experience, they will switch from your site to a responsive site.

Here is how a non-responsive website negatively impacts user experience:

  • Content is scattered with poor readability.
  • Pop-ups don’t show up properly on the screen.
  • CTAs cover up other important information.
  • Important information is hard to locate on the website.

 

THINGS TO KNOW

You can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see if your website is responsive or not.

Just add in your URL, click on test URL, and you will find out where your website stands.

Here is how the result will look like…

…and you will know if your website is mobile-friendly or not.

It will also give the image of your responsive web page.

STEP # 8: Create Content With a Local Approach

 

Content Writing is a different league.

It should be:

  • Highly valuable
  • Accurate
  • In-depth
  • Engaging
  • Grammatically accurate
  • Precise

…if you want to vow readers and Google to boost SEO efforts.

Handpicked Reading: Read out What is Content Marketing insight to know how to create valuable content to let your business perform better in the online world.

 

But for local SEO success, your content should also have a local focus to make it work for local searches.

Give your content a local depth, tilt, focus, and direction.

For example, if you run a local tour business, your website content should talk about local travel destinations rather than other countries’ travel destinations.

Check out this house cleaning services website.

The content is written with a local approach as it:

  • Talks about the house cleaning issues in the New York city
  • Mentions about the environment of the city and its impact
  • Talks about conditions of house cleaning services in New York

That’s what you should also do for your business’ SEO New York city: give your content a local touch.

THINGS TO KNOW

Creating local content is not only about putting in local keywords. It involves giving your content a targeted local direction to look relevant to search engines.

The best way to create locally-focused content is to:

  • Understand the search intent of the target audience
  • Fully have a knowledge of the industry
  • Find out the problems and needs of the people

If you know these things, creating local content becomes a lot easier.

 

Conclusion

Local SEO tips USA tell us two important tips about SEO:

  • It is not only about following certain SEO techniques and criteria. It is about developing a fully-tailored strategy according to the requirements to get the outcomes.
  • SEO is useless if you don’t know anything about your goals and customers.

So no two SEO campaigns are the same. If you want to rank higher for local searches, you should think local, act local, and go local.

Now you know what it takes to boost your brick and mortar business on SERPs to appear in local searches.

Let us know your secret local SEO trick that we might have missed out on from this list.

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