Answers to 5 Common Local SEO Questions

In today’s article, get answers to 5 common questions about Local Search Engine Optimization (Local SEO).

5 Local SEO FAQs You Never Knew
You Needed Answered

Undertaking Local Search Engine Optimization today is extremely important for all businesses trying to build a solid local online presence -- just read our latest blog post on why Local SEO may be the best investment you ever make.

Today we’ve decided to summarize 5 local SEO FAQs you didn't know you needed answered… or maybe you did, and that’s why you’re here? Either way, we’ve got you covered.

#1. Does my business require a website for local SEO to be most effective?

The top rankings in local search are given to businesses that Google can trust. Getting into the top positions of the Google ‘Local Pack’ requires some website SEO – so yes, it is important to have a website!

Google correlates the address information on a website with the information provided on Google My Business, and then further validates this with the information about your business that is listed across the Internet.

A primary trust factor with local search is having a website that includes relevant content to your business categories with Google My Business, as well as having accurate NAP information (Name, Address, Phone Number).

Google will attempt to match up your services in your business listing with what you show on your website. If there’s a match then the trust-factor, and overall effectiveness of local SEO, will increase.

#2. So, what makes a perfect local search listing?

There are three core components which together will ensure that your local search-listing stands head and shoulders above the rest.

1. Accuracy and Consistency: Your business information across all directories, websites and local search listings has to be accurate and consistent. Particular attention to detail should be applied to your NAP and website URL.

2. A complete listing: Every field in your local listing should be fully completed. This includes photos, opening times and a detailed description with your business keywords incorporated. Completing all sections of your listing, not only provides more information for the search engines to deliver better results, but it gives the searcher more information about your business

3. Up to date information: Keep all information up to date across all of your listings. This includes incorporating any special offers and updating your opening times if necessary. It’s important to also manage and respond to any comments or questions. Visit your Google My Business dashboard to check on reviews and update your information.

#3. Do I need to build links to my Google My Business page and directory listings such as Yelp, or is link building primarily targeted to the website itself?

Most people are linking to websites that they find are of high quality, or relevant to their own business, hobbies or interests. At least that's what they should do anyway, so links to directory pages or a Google My Business page don't make much sense. This also doesn’t represent a reason to rank a business higher than another business, as most of these links would be built by the business owner and not earned.Generally, the type of links that help your listing rank higher are ones that point at your website.

#4. I’ve heard that submitting to directories can now cause ranking punishments by Google. How can I avoid this but still build the required citation links?

If the business listings are spammy and incorrect, then yes, Google may punish you. And it is correct that building links from low quality directories to gain links has been considered spammy for a long time now. Even with high quality directories, a spam factor that Google would look for is a business name with search keywords stuffed in it, or categories with location keywords being used.

So, as long as you are creating/claiming local listings with high quality directories, such as Yelp and other top directory websites, and you keep your NAP information accurate and consistent, then you don’t need to worry about any kind of ranking punishment.

Tip: Use the local testing tool my Moz to see what local SEO score they give you and to test the accuracy of your listings throughout the top quality directories.

#5. What if my business is relocating?

Relocating your business is challenging in the real world, and unfortunately in the online world it can be very challenging as well.

This process of change is not easy, and it is vital that all citations and business information is amended quickly and efficiently. Depending on your specific circumstances, various strategies can be implemented to keep your online presence visible during the transition. Unless your team has experience, then it's highly recommended to work with local SEO professionals to re-establish your new location online.

Top 7 Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Unfortunately, many businesses make email marketing mistakes that cost them time and potential customers. Here are seven common email marketing mistakes most businesses make and how to avoid them. 

Mistake #1: Not Segmenting Your List

Do you send the same email to every subscriber on your list? If you do, you’re missing a major opportunity to target each customer in a way that might influence a response.

For example, you can segment your list by customer type. You likely have people on your list who signed up for your newsletter, but have never purchased anything from your business. You probably also have people who made a one-time purchase, but haven’t purchased your monthly service. Then, there is the batch of regular customers.

Each of these segments will need something different from your email messaging. Prospects want to know why they should buy. Old customers need a reminder of the products and services you offer. Your most active customers don’t need to be educated about your products, so maybe you should thank them or offer them a referral discount instead.

By segmenting your email lists, you can deliver the perfect message to that group of customers.

Mistake #2: Not Personalizing Your Emails

How do you address your emails? One of the most common mistakes we see is simply starting an email with “hey” or “hello.” This practice often leads to emails ending up in the trash.

Customers want to buy from people that they know, like and trust. The fastest and easiest way to show that you know them is to address them by their first name (assuming you have that information available in your database for the contacts you’re emailing).

Including personal information about the sender of the email is another great way to personalize your campaign. For example, in our email newsletter I always include a note about something happening with me or my family. This helps to humanize your emails and build a personal connection.

Mistake #3: Not Tracking Your Emails

How many emails in your last campaign were opened? How many emails converted to actual sales?

To know how successful your email marketing campaign is, you need to track the performance of your emails. Most email marketing tools have basic tracking for opens and clicks. However, to track sales you’ll likely need to take this a step further. For e-commerce businesses, you can use Google Analytics to track the online sales. For businesses selling via the phone or in-person, you can use special coupons or tracking phone numbers.

It’s important to analyze this data fairly regularly to notice any large fluctuations. For example, if you suddenly lose a bunch of email subscribers, you want to look at the most recent campaign to see what could have caused that. Or, if your click-through-rate increases a lot you’d want to figure out why and repeat that messaging.

Mistake #4: Not Using Conversational Language

Email marketing is not the time to show people how professionally you can write. Inboxes are flooded with dozens of emails per day and the reality is people don’t have the time or interest to read all of them.

Your audience wants to read something that’s easy and gets to the point. Keep your emails conversational and make sure to tell them right away why they should keep reading. Keep your paragraphs brief so they can be quickly scanned. Save the most technical language for white papers and how-to manuals.

Mistake #5: Not Being Consistent with Frequency of Emails

Nurturing your list is an important part of email marketing and you can’t do that unless you’re consistent with sending out your newsletters.

Stick to a schedule, whether that’s once per week, twice per week, daily, or once per month. Keeping the frequency consistent helps subscribers to remember who you are and why they signed up to be on your list.

Plus, if you’re providing content that is interesting and highly engaging to your audience, they’ll come to expect and rely on your emails. Again, they have the opportunity to read dozens of other emails, don’t risk letting yours get replaced by not sending them out as frequently as you should.

Mistake #6: Not Providing Value in Your Emails

Because people are constantly bombarded with emails, they’re likely doing anything they can to free up space in their inbox. To reduce email clutter, they’re going to resent any company that wastes their time and they’ll unsubscribe.

Ask yourself what your email subscribers are really looking for from your email list. Do they want discounts? Reminders of sales days? Expert information? Recommendations and referrals?

Go even further than this and ask what topics they really want to read about. For instance, if you’re a dentist, what do customers constantly ask about? Try to provide this type of value to them so subscribers don’t just ignore your emails.

Mistake #7: Not Asking for the Sale

Perhaps the most common mistake it not asking for the sale. It takes a lot of time to craft wonderful and compelling message or provide customers with great information. You want to make sure that time pays off and in order to do that you need to convert subscribers into customers.

If you don’t tell them what to do next, you’re missing out on a major opportunity to drives sales for your business.

Many people fear looking too pushy and think they’re going to push subscribers away. However, if you never ask for the sale, customers aren’t going to buy. Remember to include a call-to-action for a specific offer that will entice people to do business with you.

Why Local SEO Might Be the Best Investment You Ever Make

Remember the days that you had to Google a place for lunch before you left the house earlier that day? Or, take it even further back and think about a time that you opened up the phone book to find the closest hardware store.

The growth of mobile technology has made it possible for us to search for nearby businesses literally at the exact moment we need them. If you decide you have a craving for ice cream while walking around downtown, you can take out your phone and simply type in “ice cream shops near me” and be given a list of local spots to indulge in your favorite sundae.

These local search results are an amazing opportunity for businesses to generate traffic and prospective clients in the geographic area they serve, making them ideal prospects. That’s why local SEO is such an important part of any small business’ digital marketing strategy.

Moz recently released their 2017 Local Search Ranking Factors Report that details the elements that affect local SEO. With the updates to this report and the growing importance of local SEO, I figured it would be a good idea to get our SEO analysts to weigh in on ways to improve local SEO. Read on below to find out their top 6 tips for improving your rankings in search results. 

1. Verify and Optimize Your Google My Business Profile Page

It’s important to ensure your Google My Business Profile is set up correctly and maintained for accuracy. Local search results feature the most relevant results for each search. If your business information is complete and accurate, then it’s much easier and more likely that Google will match you to the right searches.

Make sure that you have entered all of the correctly business information into Google My Business. You should select the profile category that most accurately describes your business and verify your location(s). Make sure that when someone looks at your profile they know what you do, where you are, and when they can visit you. List your updated hours, phone number, and any other relevant contact information in your profile.

And it’s important to keep this information up to date. For example, if you’re closed for a holiday, you should make sure that’s in your profile so it says you are closed at that time. Or, if your phone number or location changes, this needs to be updated as well.

2. Get Your "NAP" in Order

If you want your business to rank at the top of the local maps results, it's critical that you keep your "NAP" consistent. NAP refers to your business Name, Address, and Phone number.

You'll want to keep your NAP consistent anywhere you can, including:

• Your website - make sure to include your NAP on the footer of your website so it's on every page
  
  
• Business profiles and directory listings - you can use MozLocal to check for any errors

And if you've ever changed business names or addresses or phone numbers, then you'll want to search for instances of old/outdated info and get it updated.

3. Get LOTS of Citations

"Citations" are mentions of your NAP across different websites and listings. Here are the steps we recommend for getting lots of citations.

1. Submit to the major data aggregators. You can do this via several companies including MozLocal or YEXT or BrightLocal or AdviceLocal. The best deal we've found is BrightLocal which is $55/year.
   
   
2. Get listed in lots of directories. Focus on local, national and industry-specific directories.
   
   
3. Publish press releases. By including your NAP in the byline of your release, you can get dozens or even hundreds of citations when your press release is republished online. You can read about this approach in this case study here.

4. Get Reviews and Respond to Them

Whether customers are finding your business on social media or simply searching in Google, one of the first things they see is your business reviews. This can instantly put a good or bad taste in their mouth, depending on what those reviews say.

From eating at a new restaurant to buying new clothes or choosing a doctor, people are reading reviews. Positive reviews on social media and Google My Business can show your potential customers that your past clients trust you and believe in the product and services you have to offer. By asking your past customers for reviews, you will not only be helping your local SEO, but you will also be helping attract more people to your business.

You can add another layer to this by making sure to respond to reviews. If someone leaves you a positive review, thank them. If for some reason someone leaves a negative review, make sure to promptly provide a response that is nice, professional, and explains why you feel that’s not correct. By connecting with your customers, it shows that you care about their opinions.

5. Optimize Your Website for Service + Geographic Keywords

One way to improve the likelihood of ranking in Local Search Results is to make sure that the pages on your site are optimized.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is having one “Services” page on their website that lists all of the different products or services you have available.

It is much more SEO-friendly to have separate service area pages for each of the services your business offers. That way, when people are looking for a specific service of yours, that specific page can rank in Google. In addition, if you operate in multiple towns, then you may want to add "service area" pages focused on each of the 5-10 primary towns within your service area.

It’s also extremely important that the title tags and meta descriptions on your site are optimized.

Think of the title tags and meta descriptions on your site as key real estate to promote and describe your business. Title tags can have geographical keywords in them to promote your site to the areas you want to rank in. Meta descriptions can be a little longer and have more descriptive keywords to relay the message your title tags are already saying.

Ultimately, both title tags and meta descriptions can serve as perfect billboards in search results that illustrate your business’ services and improve your SEO presence.

6. Avoid Keyword Stuffing

There has been a long standing belief (mainly through black-hat SEOs) that adding multiple cities or ZIP code keywords into the footer of your website helps boost the ranking of a website for different location-based search queries. At one time this actually worked.

However, Google is smarter than that. They have since released algorithm updates which have penalized sites who try to manipulate the search engine with this frowned-upon technique. Therefore, if you stuff keywords into your site it can actually hurt your rankings rather than help them.