If you’re looking to improve your website’s visibility in organic local rankings and the Google Map Pack, then you need to focus on your on-page SEO. There are many different factors that go into ranking well in your local area. Thankfully, most of them can be controlled with on-page optimizations.
As a business owner, it’s important to make sure that your website is ranking as high as possible in the local search results. Not only does this help with driving traffic to your site, but it also helps to legitimize your business and show potential local customers that you’re a credible source for their needs.
While many SEO guides focus on your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), backlinks, and directory citations, there is much more that can be done to improve your website’s visibility online. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most important local search optimization techniques you should be using on your website to attract potential customers.
What is on-page local SEO?
On-page local SEO is the practice of optimizing your website’s content, structure, and other elements to improve your visibility in the organic local searches and the Google Map Pack. This includes things like:
- Adding location keywords to your title tags and meta descriptions
- Including NAP information on your website
- Optimizing your site for mobile
On-page SEO is important because it can help you to rank higher in the local search results. This, in turn, can result in more website visitors and leads from your target market. Having a local SEO strategy is critical for driving qualified leads to your website.
The importance of the title tag and meta description in organic local SERPs
One of the most important SEO factors is your title tag and meta description. These elements are used by Google to determine the content of your website in the organic local search engine results pages (SERPs) and Google Maps.
Title tags are especially important in the organic local SERPs. They are used as the title of your listing. In addition, meta descriptions also play a role in determining the content of your listing. They are not as important for local map pack rankings, but they can still help to improve your visibility there.
Your title tag should target your local keywords, while your meta description should describe what you offer in a clear and concise manner. Both elements should be engaging and persuasive so that potential customers will want to click through to your website.
Including NAP information on your website
Another important factor for your website is including your business’ NAP (name, address, phone number) on your website. This information helps search engines verify that you are a legitimate business and helps ensure you’re shown in local listings.
You can include your NAP information in a variety of places on your website, including in the header, footer, and contact page. You should also make sure to keep your NAP information up-to-date and consistent across all your online profiles. Any local citations should use the same business information as what is listed on your website.
Important things to consider with images for search engines
When it comes to images and organic SEO, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, your images should be high-quality and relevant to your business. In addition, you should use optimized image file names and alt text descriptions that include your local search terms.
Like with your Google Business Profile, you should use authentic photos of your business instead of stock photos wherever you can. This will help to make your listing more authentic and trustworthy. Also, be sure to use location keywords in your alt text descriptions so that search engines can better understand the relevance of your images.
Including online reviews
Online reviews are becoming an increasingly important part of local SEO. They can help to improve your visibility in the local search results and help to boost your credibility with your target customers.
Including positive reviews on your website is a great way to show off your positive feedback from past customers. You can also display review badges on your website to help encourage more reviews too.
Optimizing your website for mobile
The final on-page local SEO factor we will discuss is optimizing your website for mobile devices. This is important because a large percentage of search traffic now comes from mobile searches.
You can optimize your website for mobile by using a responsive design, or by creating a separate mobile version of your website. You should also make sure that all your content is readable and easy to navigate on small screens.
Search engines, particularly Google, favor websites that are optimized for mobile devices. This means that if your website is not optimized, you could be missing out on valuable traffic and leads.
In summary
There are many different factors that go into ranking your website in your local area across multiple search engines. Your local SEO strategy should take all these factors into account in order to be successful.
The five on-page local SEO tips we have discussed are:
- Optimizing your title tag and meta description
- Including your NAP information on your website
- Update your image data to target local keywords
- Including reviews to boost your local keyword results
- Optimizing your website for mobile devices
As a local business, it is important to make sure that your website is properly optimized so that you can rank as high as possible in the local searches for relevant local keywords. Following these tips will help you to improve your rankings and visibility in organic local SERPs and Google Maps.
If you follow these organic SEO tips, you will be well on your way to improving your rankings in the SERPs. For more information on how to optimize your local business website, contact us today!
