Local SEO, meaning making sure your business shows up when people search for services or products in your area, is incredibly important if you want more visibility, especially if your business relies on local customers.
Think about it this way: when someone searches “best pizza near me” or “plumber in Chicago” on Google, local SEO helps your business appear in those top results. And by optimizing your online presence, you can increase foot traffic and bring in more customers from your community.
But, how can you use local SEO in WordPress? Keep reading to help your business climb the local search rankings ladder.
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
When you search on Google for a specific business, chances are its Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) will be the first thing you see. This tool is one of the most important ones for getting your business noticed in local searches. Why? This seemingly “common” tool can determine whether or not you show up in Google’s Local Pack, which are the top three results for local businesses.
What’s more, if you can make a potential customer interact with your Google Business Profile, there’s more than a 50% chance that they’ll visit your website. (The Media Captain) And, once you get them there, you can use all the tools in your marketing arsenal to make them perform your desired action! Talk about a missed opportunity.
However, if you’re not actually missing out on Google Business Profile, here’s how you can make the most of it:
- Make sure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent and accurate.
- Add high-quality photos of your business and services.
- Update your profile regularly with posts, promotions, and updated hours of operation.
- Encourage customer reviews and actually answer them. 90% of users read reviews before purchasing, and 88% of consumers would use a business that replies to all of its reviews. (The Media Captain) (Bright Local) Make sure you’re active within the community you’ve created and make space for growth when the review isn’t what you were expecting!
2. Target Local Keywords
However great Google Business Profile is, if you’re not using local keywords, you might as well not even exit. These are the phrases people use when searching for anything near them – think of “plumber in Miami” or “best pizza near me.” By doing keyword research and adding these into your site’s content, meta tags, and headers, you can increase your chances of showing up in local searches, as people are more likely to see your business when looking for something that you may offer.
Did you know that 46% of all Google searches are local? (SEO Tribunal) And not even that, 76% of people who search for something nearby on their phone visit a business within a day! (Google) If these don’t make you want to focus on local keywords, we don’t know what will.
Here’s how to actually find the right local keywords:
- Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find out which relevant terms based on your business and location are most searched for.
- Create specific landing pages or blog posts that target these keywords for your local audience.
3. Build Local Backlinks
Backlinks by themselves can have a big impact on your SEO. Add in to the mix links that come from local sources, and you have a recipe for SEO success. These signal to search engines that your business has a good reputation and is well-regarded in your community, helping you rank higher in local searches. This is because Google takes its job very seriously, which is not only to show people what they’re looking for, but to show them the best of the best.
If you don’t believe us, research done by BrightLocal showed that 82% of local businesses think of link building as an essential component of their local SEO strategy. (Outreach Monks)
Here are some tips for building local backlinks:
- Getting involved with local events or sponsoring community activities can not only build your business’ sense of community but also lead to backlinks from event websites or local news outlets.
- Listing your business in online directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, or industry-specific sites, and making sure your NAP information is consistent across the board is very, very important for local SEO.
- And last but not least, collaborating with other local businesses to swap backlinks and support each other’s SEO is also a great way to give your SEO a boost.
4. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
With more than 50% of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, the need for a mobile-friendly website is bigger than ever. (Google) But it’s not only web traffic from cell phones that take the #1 spot, most people searching for local businesses are actually doing it from their phones! In fact, 78% of mobile local searches end up in an offline purchase. (Mobal.io)
That’s why having a mobile-friendly website is crucial for local SEO. Plus, Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it takes into account your website’s display from a mobile device first, and desktop second when determining your rankings.
Luckily, WordPress makes this whole process incredibly easy, as most of its themes are mobile-responsive. However, if you want to make absolutely sure your content is displayed properly across devices, here are some tips:
- Choose a responsive theme that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes.
- Speed up loading times by compressing images and using caching plugins.
- Make sure your contact information and calls to action (CTAs) are easy to find and clickable on a mobile screen.
There are a ton of benefits that come with creating mobile-friendly content. It can boost your website traffic by up to 55%, help your site rank higher in search results, and give your visitors a much better experience overall. (Newsletter Pro) And with WordPress, it’s easier than ever to do it, so it would be a waste not to leverage its features.
Final Thoughts: Boost Your Business with Local SEO
If you want to make your business stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to being the #1 spot in town, local SEO is a must. But remember, this isn’t a one-time task. You need to regularly update your content and make adjustments when needed, otherwise you’re just wasting time and effort.
By staying consistent and following these tips, you’ll set your business up for long-term success. But if you feel this is a little out of your reach, at EpicDevs we specialize in optimizing WordPress websites for local SEO, helping businesses like yours grow. Contact us today to start improving your local search visibility.