Originally posted by me on Medium, February 7, 2022
All content is my original content

Your complete Guide to Local SEO in 2022

What is Local SEO and why should you care about it in 2022?

Local SEO has become a very important part of digital marketing, especially for local businesses. If your business isn’t optimized for local search, then you are missing out on an enormous amount of potential customers.

In this guide we will cover:

• How Local SEO works
• The importance of local SEO
• Best practices for local SEO
• Why Local SEO matters now more than ever before
• And much more!

So let's get started…

How Local SEO Works

Local SEO is all about optimizing your website so that it ranks higher in the organic results when people use certain keywords related to your area or industry.

The first step to getting started with local SEO is to determine what kind of keywords you want to target. Keywords are basically words or phrases that people type into a search engine like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc., to find something they're looking for. For example, if someone types "restaurant" into a search engine, they may be searching for a restaurant nearby.

The second step is to identify which pages on your site are relevant to those keywords. This could include blog posts, product descriptions, images, videos, etc. Once you've identified these pages, make sure they have content that includes those specific keywords.

Once you've done this, you need to optimize each page individually by adding title tags, meta description tags, alt text, keyword-rich content, internal links, external links, social media sharing buttons, etc.

The changing landscape of Local SEO in 2022

As technology advances, so does our ability to track and monitor online activity. In fact, according to Search Engine Land, 90% of consumers expect websites to load within 2 seconds. That means that if you aren't optimized for mobile devices, you are losing a lot of potential customers.

Another big trend in Local SEO is the rise of voice search. According to eMarketer, voice search will account for 20% of all searches by 2020. As such, it's critical that your website is optimized for both desktop and mobile devices.

Why Local SEO Matters Now More Than Ever Before

There are several reasons why Local SEO matters now more then ever before.

1) People Are Using Mobile Devices To Find Businesses Online

According to Statista, there were over 7 billion smartphone users worldwide as of 2021. Of those users, 80% used their phones to look up information about local businesses.

2) Consumers Are Expecting Fast Loading Websites

According to Search Engine Land, 92% of consumers expect websites loaded in less than 3 seconds.

3) Local Searches Are Increasing

According to comScore, U.S. mobile search queries increased from 24.4 billion in 2016 to 30.9 billion in 2017.

4) Local Searches Are Becoming More Important

According to Google, 60% of mobile searches are location-based.

5) Local Searches Are Getting Easier

Google has made it easier than ever before to add your address to Google My Business. You can also upload photos, create reviews, and even schedule events.

6) The Competition Is Stiffer

In order to compete effectively in today’s market, you must rank highly for your targeted keywords. In addition, you must do this while competing against other local business owners who are actively trying to rank high for similar terms.

7) It's Not Easy Being Green

In order to stand out among your competitors, you'll need to invest time and money into building an effective digital marketing strategy. However, many small businesses don't have the resources necessary to implement a robust strategy.

Why Should You Care About Local SEO

If you aren't doing any local SEO, you are losing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business. According to Search Engine Land, there were over 2 billion searches made from mobile devices in 2018 alone. That means that there are billions of people who are actively using their phones to look up information locally.

If your business isn't optimized for local search, you are missing out on a massive amount of potential customers. In fact, according to Moz, 64% of consumers start their purchase journey online. However, only 8% of retail purchases happen through a mobile device. So, if you don't have a presence on mobile, you are missing out.

You can also see that the majority of searchers (57%) begin their search within 5 miles of where they live.

This means that if you are not ranking well for local terms, you are losing out big time on traffic.

What Are Some Of Your Favorite Places To Find Local Businesses?

What Is A Good Keyword Research Tool?‍

Best Practices For Local SEO

Now that you know how local SEO works, here are some best practices to help you improve your rankings:

1) Use Long Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are usually longer than 3 words. They are typically used as long-tail variations of broader keywords. For example, if you sell shoes, you might do research and come up with different keywords such as "shoes," "sneakers," "high heels," etc.

Long-tail keywords are often less competitive, meaning that they will yield better results for your business.

2) Include Location Information On Every Page

When you add location information to every page on your site, you are telling Google that your business is located at a particular address. If you don't include it, Google won't know where your business is located.

3) Add Photos And Videos

Adding photos and videos to your website helps Google understand more about your business. It's another way to tell Google exactly what your business looks like.

4) Create An Online Reputation Management System

An online reputation management system allows you to monitor reviews and feedback about your business. This gives you an idea of what people think about your business. It also lets you respond quickly to negative comments or reviews.

5) Optimize Your Website With Schema Markup

Schema markup is a set of HTML elements that tells Google precisely what your page is about. These elements include things like headings, paragraphs, lists, images, tables, and even video.

6) Link Out From Other Websites

Link building is one of the most important aspects of local SEO. When other websites link back to your website, it shows them that your site is trustworthy. Plus, when someone clicks on those links, it sends a signal to Google that your content is relevant.

7) Get Reviews About Your Business

People love talking about good businesses. You should ask your clients and customers to leave reviews about your business.

8) Make Sure That All The Pages Have Unique Titles

Every page on your website needs a unique title. This includes all internal pages, blog posts, product descriptions, etc.

9) Keep Updating Your Content

Content is king. Always be updating your content so that it remains fresh.

10) Monitor Competitors' Rankings

Monitoring competitors' rankings is a great way to stay ahead of the game.

11) Maintain Consistent Branding

Consistency is key when it comes to branding. You want your brand to appear consistent across all channels.

12) Be Patient

It can take months before you see any real results from your efforts. But once you start seeing improvements, keep going!

13) Track Progress

You'll need to track your progress over time to make sure you're making the right moves.

14) Don't Forget About Mobile

Mobile search has become increasingly popular. So, it's essential that you optimize your mobile presence.

15) Use Social Media To Gain More Traffic

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become incredibly powerful tools for driving traffic to your website.

16) Look At Your Analytics

Analytics allow you to measure how well your campaign is working. They will show you which keywords are bringing in the most traffic.

17) Offer Promotions

Offer promotions to get new visitors to come to your site.

18) Build Links Through Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a great way to build links to your site. However, only do this if you feel comfortable doing it.

19) Find Ways To Improve Conversions

If you want to increase conversions, then you need to improve the user experience. For example, you could add more information to your forms.

20) Consider Offering A Free Trial

If you offer a free trial, you'll be able to collect valuable data about your users.

21) Include Calls-To-Action (CTAs) On Every Page

A CTA is a button that encourages action. If you use CTAs correctly, they can help convert visitors into leads.

22) Create Landing Pages

Landing pages are web pages that lead potential customers to sign up or purchase products online.

23) Optimize Images

Images play an integral role in the success of your website. It's crucial that you optimize your images.

24) Add Video

Video is becoming increasingly popular. So, you should consider adding some videos to your site.

25) Create An Email List

An email list allows you to communicate with your audience directly. And by creating an email list, you can send out regular emails with tips and advice.

26) Utilize Live Chat

Live chat allows you to interact with your visitors as soon as they arrive.

27) Get Reviews From Clients

Ask your clients and customers to write reviews on Google Maps and other review websites.

28) Focus On User Experience

The best websites focus on providing a good user experience. That means ensuring that your site loads quickly, is easy to navigate, and provides a smooth customer experience.

29) Provide Clear Navigation

Make sure that your navigation is clear and intuitive. This makes it easier for visitors to find what they're looking for.

30) Keep Up With The Times

Keep up with the latest trends in technology so that you can provide your audience with the best possible service.

31) Write Regular Updates

Regular updates are important because they let people know when there's something new happening on your site.

32) Make Sure You Have Good Content

Content is king. Without quality content, no one will visit your site.

Conclusion

Local SEO is all about ranking on local search engines. It's a great way to drive high volumes of traffic to your site. And the more visitors you have, the more opportunities there are for them to convert into new customers. So use these tips and advice to help give you an advantage over your competition!