Local SEO is crucial for small businesses as it helps them attract customers and generate profits. It makes your business more accessible and easier to find, regardless of whether you have a traditional brick and mortar store or not. But how exactly do you master local SEO?
Folks at LocalSEOGuide.com have looked at more than 100 factors across 30,000 businesses to determine how local businesses can get better Google rankings. Following the study, they have discovered what businesses should take into consideration this 2016 to ensure the success of their local SEO campaigns. Let’s take a look at their findings:
1. Links are more important now than ever
Since Google introduced the Pigeon update two years ago, experts believe that traditional SEO signals like links will rise in importance. Now, they have data to back this claim up. The Local SEO Guide report has found that “links are the key competitive differentiator even when it comes to Google My Business Rankings.” Data from Majestic, including AC Rank, Trust flow, and Citation flow, are among the top 10 link metrics.
2. Keywords still matter
Although Google has said that it is now using more sophisticated ranking methods, the researchers have found that using keywords on your site and engaging users still have a significant impact on your site’s performance. According to them, having well-written and relevant location pages can help improve your site’s rankings and your Google My Business performance.
3. Citation consistency is key
The study has found that citation consistency is important. However, the researchers discovered that it doesn’t really matter that much how many citations your site will get. Once your citations are all set and showing consistency, you should just leave them alone and move on to more important matters.
4. GMB signals are important
According to the researchers, signals within the Google My Business (GMB) page itself are crucial to getting excellent Google rankings. These signals include reviews, photos, and having the page associated with an Owner Verified profile. One of the most popular ranking factors is having a keyword in the GMB page’s business name. The study showed that if you do it right, it can help you rank at least 1.5 spots higher.
5. Geo text is not as effective as you think it is
Most people assume that if you use city and state names in your title tags, URLS, and on the copy of your web pages, it can affect your site’s performance in those locations. However, the study has found that there is no statistically significant correlation between using geo texts and an improved GMB performance. The researchers believe that you should not be wasting too much time on geo texts.
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