Focusing on Local Websites for Local Business
In SEO, lots of experts have preached that the best and easiest way to rank well in search engine results pages is to get your website linked on a high ranked website. However, is it truly the only best way? And at this point in time, will it really work out for you?
Fortunately, there is a better method. What is it? Creating links with other local websites. How will that be effective? Well, unlike before, search engine algorithm does not put weight on location and region.
Let us say you are in Toronto, and you want to go to a coffee shop nearby, so you will search for a coffee shop using Google. Back then, Google will provide you with the best ranking site about coffee shop. It might be a shop or not. It can be a directory. But mostly, it will be the most recognized website relevant to the keyword “coffee shop”, but it did not necessarily give you the answer you wanted.
Fast forward to today, just keying the keyword coffee shop in Google will make it provide you with a list of local coffee shops near you. You do not even need to tell your location. And it will even provide you with a map.
The point here is that, nowadays, you do not need to compete globally in search engine optimization in order to be seen by leads and customers. All you need to do is to optimize your site to become more “present” in the local region your business is at. If you are a contractor, of course, you would want customers around your area to see you — not the whole world.
Basically, as a local business, your search engine optimization campaign should be always focused locally. If you do that, the following will happen:
- You will obtain greater amount of leads that are easily convertible to customers.
- You can obtain local authority in your region. You will be more present in the search results pages of people who are searching something locally.
- You will be more emphasized on map results.
What are the ways to execute this game plan anyway? The key here is to make your website locally inclined and visible. First, it is best that you generate content that is specific in your region. For example, involve some stories or news related to your industry and the location your business is in.
Another way is to produce press releases within your region. It is also a good idea to get yourself or your website mentioned in the local online newspaper and blog sites.
And of course, you can always deal with other local websites, and let them put your website’s link on their site or let them create citations that direct to you.