Are you unsure that your business pop-ups at the top when people Google search for the products and services your business offers locally? Or are you sick and tired of working hard to come on the top local searches related to your business?
If yes! You still need to work on the most crucial Local SEO Ranking Factors.
When serving a local area, you must have a local SEO ranking strategy to take your business to heights by improving visibility and many other benefits that local SEO brings.
Let us begin understanding what a local SEO is.
What is Local SEO?
Optimizing your online presence that will ultimately bring an increase in local traffic benefits from local visibility and brand awareness is what we call local SEO.
A standard or basic level SEO works on optimizing Google MyBusiness Profile, finding local keywords, creating content, and consistently posting it.
Whether you have a brick-and-mortar business, a local service-based business, or a franchise serving multiple areas, this blog will help your business attain its best.
Understanding Local Search Algorithm Elements for Ranking
Local Search Algorithm uses three main elements to find a perfect match for your desired requirement.
#1. Prominence
Prominence showcases how important Google thinks a business is to its potential clients.
#2. Distance
How far Google believes a user is from a business when they search.
#3. Relevance
how closely related a Google Business Profile result is to the words a searcher uses in their query or by understanding the local search intent.
Let us work through the essential local SEO ranking factors that will help improve the local SEO. Get started!
20+ Essential Local SEO Ranking Factors
To improve your local business's visibility, you must work on the primary and pro levels of local SEO ranking factors. Here, we bring you the list of 20+ local SEO ranking factors, incorporate them, and see the wonders.
#1. Google Business Profile and Category
One of the top local SEO ranking factors is your Google Business profile. It is essential to work on optimizing your Google Business profile; all you need to do is Claim your Google Business Profile listing and fill it out.
Enter your address, contact number, operating hours, business category, and photos of your business. Optimizing Google's business Profile will give you a lead in local SEO ranking factors.
#2. Technical SEO
Technical SEO is all about getting things right on your website; it is an essential local SEO ranking factor that improves the ranks organically.
To make your website rank higher in local SEO, ensure that technical elements like crawling, indexing, rendering, and website architecture are in place. Let Google and other search engines easily find, crawl, index, and render the pages on your website.
#3. Photos on Google Business Profile
Another key local SEO ranking factor is your Google My Business Profile business photos. Add photos/videos of your location, products, staff, or customers to add credibility and interest to your listings.
An essential local SEO ranking factor helps a researcher find your business quickly. Adding photos sets you apart from the competition and showcases your authentic self of your business.
#4. Online Directories and Citations
Online Directories and Citations play a significant role in local SEO rankings. Thus, if you want your business to appear at the top of the Google search, then always claim your business in popular online directories.
Available online directories are Yellow Pages, Apple Maps, Foursquare, and Yahoo’s Localworks. Add the same address, location, and name of your business for every online directory, as it becomes easy for local SEO to track you down while ranking.
#5. Listings on Review Sites
As reviews are a critical local SEO ranking factor, thus it becomes essential for your business to get listed on review sites. So start getting your business listed on Yelp, Glassdoor, and Angie’s list and get the best reviews.
Listing on review sites can increase revenue and make your business seem more valuable to the clients. You can start listing on a few main sites and then on others.
#6. Number of Positive Reviews
Local SEO ranking is also affected by the number of positive reviews a business has. The idea is to achieve positive reviews and also interact with these reviews by responding with something valuable to your clients.
The high-quality reviews with interactions make a way to a higher ranking in local SEO. These will help improve your business’s visibility and enhance your chances of making customers visit your location.
#7. Reviews with Keywords and Locations
Not all reviews help increase your Local SEO rank, but reviews with a keyword or a location immediately signal to Google that your business is well-trusted.
Thus, the key is that when collecting reviews, you can ask your customers to add a location or a specific service they have availed. When someone searches for that specific service online, it becomes easy to rank you higher.
#8. Percentage of Negative Reviews
As the good reviews are counted, so are the negative ones. But the whole idea lies in having a proper plan to respond to your negative or positive comments.
You must learn to respond to negative comments wisely; responding to negative comments shows how well you are concerned about your customers. Also, you can use Google’s system which helps in removing inappropriate comments on your business.
#9. Reviews with Responses
As reviews build trust, thus it becomes imperative for a business to respond to the comments they receive regularly. When a business owner responds to the comments, the business is carried out well and actively managed.
Thus, reviews with responses are another Local SEO ranking factor that can take you higher or drop you lower. Ensure to reply to each received review on your business.
#10. Facebook Business Page
Facebook is one of the popular social media platforms that people often use as a search engine. Though it has a limited impact on local SEO ranking factors one can consider it to bring awareness to their business.
Thus, for an effective Local SEO strategy, you must not miss Facebook and create a business page. Keep the Facebook business page updated, add a description of your business, and mention the operating hours.
#11. Social Listing
Another essential Local SEO ranking factor is the social listings of your business. Whether you may be active or not on social media platforms having a business account on them is crucial.
Be part of Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and occasionally post on these platforms to bring users to your business website. Post updates about your business or go live sometimes to keep in touch with the audience.
#12. Consistent NAP
When it comes to adding information about your business on any platform, you must be consistent. Your business's (NAP) name, address, and phone number should match everywhere you create an account or publish details about your business.
A consistent NAP is an essential Local SEO ranking factor, making it easy for customers to connect with you. Also, it helps easily rank your business.
#13. Mobile Responsiveness
You may not believe but Google’s crawlers index your mobile site first. Thus, it is imperative to make your website mobile-friendly. 82% of people conduct ‘near me’ searches on mobile phones.
Thus, businesses should create sites that are easy for mobile visitors and receive the desired information. Also, remember to add click-to-call buttons to make your website more effective.
#14. Structured Data Markup
Local SEO Ranking factor also depends upon the use of structured Data Markup. Using a standard format for providing the details regarding your business helps search engines understand a webpage accurately.
The structured data correctly displays the snippets of information in the search results. The format includes the details of multiple departments, hours, addresses, menus, websites, and phone numbers.
#15. Click Through Rates
Yet another interesting Local SEO ranking factor is through click-through rates. Increase your click-through rates by focusing on meta descriptions and titles.
When a user reads the meta title and description, if it validates his needs, he will click on it, and thus, your click-through rates will increase—eventually a colossal factor in Local SEO rank.
#16. Localized Content
Local SEO ranking factor also depends upon your consistency in adding localized content. Content plays a significant role in acquiring a rank on local SEO.
Thus, set a goal for your content and post content consistently. Always add the keywords and location so that you can specifically target the location of your business. It will make it easy for the people searching for your business type in that area.
#17. Keyword Optimization
Content is valuable when it can target the right audience. Keyword optimization is a local SEO ranking factor that takes your content to reach the right audience at the right time.
Use keywords best; you can also use long-tail keywords for the specific target audience and achieve the desired results. It will help rank your website in the local SEO, which is crucial for local SEO ranking factors.
#18. Title and Meta Description
Title and meta description are responsible for click-through rates, an apparent factor for local SEO ranking. Work on making meta descriptions strictly of 165 characters with specific keywords.
Also, adding long-tail targeted keywords and location to your title and meta descriptions will help you simultaneously cover keyword optimization and on-page location. Thus, it will signal the local SEO, and your page will rank higher in search results.
#19. Schema Markups
When you use the available Schema Markup for your website, your content is eligible for rich results. Schema Markups are one of the influential factors for local SEO ranking.
Schema Markups are a form of structured data that was launched via schema.org. It was created by the collaborative efforts of various search engines like Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, and Google in 2011.
#20. Backlinks
Local SEO ranking factor is also affected by the back and inbound links. So, to gain a higher rank, you must work on bringing a range of inbound links that are relevant, authoritative, and gained organically.
Also, the Links from sites Google trusts are good for SEO. Lastly, you must ensure some sort of CTA on the linked pages.
#21. Inbound Links from Local Sites
Inbound links can help you elevate your local SEO ranking. Get links from local news sites, community blogs, and so forth to prove that your neighbors trust your site.
You can also do a press release to a local news station, and they will cover your business, what all you have to offer, and how your business is benefiting.
#22. Proximity to The Searcher
Proximity to the search is a local SEO ranking factor outside your control, which means you cannot optimize it. But it is a strong ranking signal, so for this, you need to claim a Google Business Account.
Make sure to add consistent details about your name, address, and phone number on your Google MyBusiness Account. It will help potential customers to search for your business in the desired area or location.
#23. Element of Building Authority for a Local Business
Work on building the domain authority of your website. Though building authority for a local business is not easy, it will pay you off handsomely once you do it.
Domain authority is a search ranking authority developed by Moz and is one of the affecting factors for local SEO ranking. It predicts how the website is likely to rank.
Still unsure about following the above local SEO tactics for your business?
Then read the benefits that will leave you amazed!
Benefits of Building Your Local SEO Strategy
Building a local SEO strategy can increase your business's visibility, attract web traffic to your website, and many more benefits. Know more advantages of incorporating local SEO tactics for your business:
- When you perform activities related to local SEO, it will help improve visibility in local searches and provide better online visibility.
- Local SEO strategies will induce more footfalls to your brick-and-mortar location.
- It will weep out the irrelevant traffic, ensuring that your business is only visible to users in your local area.
- It will bring more calls, queries, and visits from map users.
- It will aid in bringing stronger links, brand loyalty, and customer engagement.
- It increases customers' trust when you work on getting more reviews for your business.
- More online reviews will further bring an increase in sales.
- A local SEO strategy will play a direct role in improving the structure and performance of your website.
- It puts your business in a more competitive place.
Conclusion: Ready To set your local SEO ranking strategy
You can always appreciate the power of a good local SEO strategy for your business. It is one of the digital marketing tools that can amplify your business reach and is as important as traditional marketing tools.
Apply the local seo ranking factors to target the specific area or multiple areas to enhance the online visibility on local searches and ultimately grow your business.
Incorporating Local search engine optimization factors may seem overwhelming, but you can hire various local SEO experts who can turn the tables around by bringing profits to your business. Considering local SEO ranking strategy will take enough time to show its effects, but eventually, that time will be worth it.
Time to boost your Local SEO Ranking factors!
FAQs
#1. What are the significant factors affecting local SEO rankings?
The significant factors that affect local SEO rankings are creating a Google business profile, working on technical SEO, and listing your business on online directories and review sites.
Apart from that, it helps you increase the number of reviews, responding to every review, design a Facebook business Page, keep NAP consistent, Schema Markups, add backlinks and inbound links.
#2. What are GMB ranking factors?
Following are the GMB ranking factors that can affect your business to a great extent:
Adding relevant categories, photos of the business, keywords in the business title, Positive Google reviews, accurate locations, proximity to the searcher, operating hours, and website links.
#3. How to bring local traffic for your business?
To bring local traffic to your business, you can use local keywords and optimize meta titles and descriptions, check local web citations, list on online directories, build up links and back uplinks, respond to the reviews, and finally create relevant and consistent content.
#4. How long does it take to see the results of utilizing local SEO ranking tactics?
You can see the results of utilizing local SEO ranking factors within a few months. But it may take six months to see the actual conversions of customers towards your business. You can always experiment with SEO strategies to see what works best for your business.
#5. How do online reviews help local search ranking criteria?
Online reviews help local search ranking criteria by increasing the ranking signals for local searches, thus enhancing the chances of local businesses appearing at the top of local searches.
It increases the click-through rates and customers' trust in your business. Amplifies user engagement, and helps attain a long-term reputation of your business.