Local SEO:
Optimize Your Site To Get Local Leads
If you own a business which offers services to a local area you should be thinking of optimizing your site to be positioned on the first page when someone searches for the services that you offer.
The good news is that getting ranked in your local area might be easier than you think and with just a few strategic tips you will be able to dominate your industry.
Use the guidelines presented below to optimize your site for local SEO.
Get Listed
Your first step is to make sure that your website is listed in the search engines. A listing with Google Maps will take you a long way. In fact once you do this almost half the work is done! The process involves completing an application and getting verified. Once this is done there will be a few weeks of waiting after which your business will be added.
You may also want to consider Yahoo Local were getting listed is a much faster process since verification is not required.
Having your site listed in local online yellow pages directories can also significantly increase your traffic. Much like the yellow pages phone book of years gone by people make use of these directories to locate products and services that they need. Do not overlook these directories when promoting your business.
Other places that you could list your business to increase your local exposure are in classifieds like Craigslist, USFree Ads or other popular classifieds in your area. Millions of people scour these directories every day to find the things that they need. The fact that many of them offer free listings only serves as an added bonus.
Get Testimonials
Testimonials are a great way to increase exposure and build buyer confidence. Ask your customers to write you a review online if they are genuinely satisfied with your service. They can write these reviews on their own personal websites or on various local review sites.
If you are a member of your local Chamber of Commerce they will include a link to your site from their website. They may even allow you a full page write up of your business which should include your business name, type of services that you offer, location, contact information and testimonials from people that you have worked with. Use these resources wisely to get the most of them.
On Page Optimization
Your on page optimization is just as important as the external things that you do. For instance you should make sure that your local address and phone number is included on every page of the site.
Including a page with directions to your office with a link to Google Maps and Yahoo Maps will not only guide potential visitors but also signal to the search engines that you are indeed located in that area.
With the introduction of Google Maps local SEO has grown to be increasingly important. It is even more so with the advent and wide acceptance of smartphones so you need to make sure that your site is listed at the top for local searches.
By taking the time to get your site ranked locally you will see a sizeable increase in leads and revenue.
Good luck!
Vic Carrara
Masterwebsoftware.com
© 2011 Vic Carrara & MasterWebSoftware.com - All Rights Reserved
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