Local SEO: How to Improve Your Ranking in 2023
Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2024 6:11 am
Every year, Whitespark conducts a study on the most important criteria for optimizing local SEO and improving Google ranking.
Depending on your industry and geographic location , it can be more or less difficult to move up in search results and be seen by your target audience. However, your online visibility is a key issue for attracting new prospects while retaining your current customers. In fact, 78% of local mobile searches result in an in-store purchase 1 , so it should not be neglected.
In addition, 75% of Internet users do not consult the japan mobile phone number list second page of search results 2 , so it is not enough to be present: you have to work on your local SEO to be ranked highest.
In this article, we will provide you with some of the key criteria studied by Whitespark as well as little tips to help you optimize your SEO . You will therefore be visible to the greatest number of people and you will be able to stand out from your competitors!
1. Optimize your Google My Business listing
2. Work on your website
Conclusion
google my business local SEO profile
1. Optimize your Google My Business listing
Receive continuous customer feedback
Did you know that 87% of consumers look at customer reviews before going to the store and making a purchase 3 ? Indeed, customer reviews are very important: they inspire trust and reassure future customers. If they are present in significant quantity and they are good, it's even better!
It’s not just about having reviews on your Google (or Facebook) listings, you also need to respond to them. We recommend aiming for a 100% response rate.
Google considers businesses with regular reviews to be active and vibrant and highlights them in search results. In fact, 61% of French customers believe they trust a business more if it has recent reviews rather than good ones 4 .
We therefore recommend that you encourage your customers to leave reviews every time they visit your stores. To do this, you can set up emails or text messages to ask them to leave you a rating and/or comment. The advantage is that these operations can be automated and it works! 72% of customers submit a review if asked 5 .
Be careful not to receive too many reviews at once, though. If you receive reviews “in bursts”, the Google algorithm can analyze this as fake reviews and create the opposite effect by hiding you in the search results.
Indicate your main and secondary categories
If your main category on Google is not filled in, it will be impossible for you to be referenced during Google user searches. The main category determines your activity and will, therefore, be used in the majority of your potential customers' queries .
If your business is complex or you don't know how to choose from the list imposed by Google, there are several things you can do to help you make a choice:
Look at what your direct competitors have chosen
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes: what are they looking for to find you?
Find out what is most searched for on Google that is relevant to your industry. You can use Google Trends for example or reach out directly to your customers via a survey.
And above all, don't panic! If you make a mistake and want to change your main category, it is always possible to change it.
google my business profile main category
Example of a main category on a Google My Business listing
Alongside the main category, secondary categories are just as essential depending on your domain. They allow you to appear on more diversified and complete queries .
You can list up to 9 on your Google My Business page. They generally represent the products and services offered by your company or the subcategories of your activity. For example, if you are the manager of a multidisciplinary medical practice, you can list “Medical Practice” as the main category and “Ophthalmologist”, “Speech Therapist”, “Psychiatrist”, “General Practitioner”, etc. as secondary categories.
Generally speaking, the more information a customer has available, the more confident they are. They also save time because they don't have to look any further. They will therefore be more likely to come to you.
Bonus:
You can also list your detailed services with their price and some explanations on your GMB listing for even more chances of conversion.
google my business listing services
Example of services listed on a Google My Business listing
Include keywords in the title of the Google My Business file
The study done by Whitespark also shows that having keywords ( or not) in the title of your Google My Business page is important for local SEO .
Currently, there are two very distinct schools:
On the one hand, some companies choose to indicate the brand name and the associated location within the framework of a network of several establishments.
On the other hand, some prefer to indicate both the name of the brand, sometimes the location, but also key words describing their activity.
google my business profile titletitle google my business file keywords
Examples of Google My Business listing titles with and without keywords
Adding keywords to your GMB listing name helps highlight the specific features of the service.
The example above of Terre d'Ours, a store specializing in stuffed animals and dolls, is quite telling. Indeed, their main category is “Toy store” because it is one of the most explicit suggestions among the list proposed by Google. However, it does not highlight the specialty of the brand. By adding the keywords “Stuffed animals”, “Cuddly toys” and “Dolls”, the brand allows the customer to find the information while increasing its chances of appearing in more precise queries from potential customers.
Furthermore, if you search for “Toy store Strasbourg”, Terre d'Ours appears eighth in the search results, while it is first when you indicate “Plush toy store Strasbourg”.
Be careful not to put too many keywords in your page titles. Customer confidence will be diminished by a long name that seems less professional and Google may downgrade or even suspend your listings because you do not respect the rules imposed by the algorithm.
Depending on your industry and geographic location , it can be more or less difficult to move up in search results and be seen by your target audience. However, your online visibility is a key issue for attracting new prospects while retaining your current customers. In fact, 78% of local mobile searches result in an in-store purchase 1 , so it should not be neglected.
In addition, 75% of Internet users do not consult the japan mobile phone number list second page of search results 2 , so it is not enough to be present: you have to work on your local SEO to be ranked highest.
In this article, we will provide you with some of the key criteria studied by Whitespark as well as little tips to help you optimize your SEO . You will therefore be visible to the greatest number of people and you will be able to stand out from your competitors!
1. Optimize your Google My Business listing
2. Work on your website
Conclusion
google my business local SEO profile
1. Optimize your Google My Business listing
Receive continuous customer feedback
Did you know that 87% of consumers look at customer reviews before going to the store and making a purchase 3 ? Indeed, customer reviews are very important: they inspire trust and reassure future customers. If they are present in significant quantity and they are good, it's even better!
It’s not just about having reviews on your Google (or Facebook) listings, you also need to respond to them. We recommend aiming for a 100% response rate.
Google considers businesses with regular reviews to be active and vibrant and highlights them in search results. In fact, 61% of French customers believe they trust a business more if it has recent reviews rather than good ones 4 .
We therefore recommend that you encourage your customers to leave reviews every time they visit your stores. To do this, you can set up emails or text messages to ask them to leave you a rating and/or comment. The advantage is that these operations can be automated and it works! 72% of customers submit a review if asked 5 .
Be careful not to receive too many reviews at once, though. If you receive reviews “in bursts”, the Google algorithm can analyze this as fake reviews and create the opposite effect by hiding you in the search results.
Indicate your main and secondary categories
If your main category on Google is not filled in, it will be impossible for you to be referenced during Google user searches. The main category determines your activity and will, therefore, be used in the majority of your potential customers' queries .
If your business is complex or you don't know how to choose from the list imposed by Google, there are several things you can do to help you make a choice:
Look at what your direct competitors have chosen
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes: what are they looking for to find you?
Find out what is most searched for on Google that is relevant to your industry. You can use Google Trends for example or reach out directly to your customers via a survey.
And above all, don't panic! If you make a mistake and want to change your main category, it is always possible to change it.
google my business profile main category
Example of a main category on a Google My Business listing
Alongside the main category, secondary categories are just as essential depending on your domain. They allow you to appear on more diversified and complete queries .
You can list up to 9 on your Google My Business page. They generally represent the products and services offered by your company or the subcategories of your activity. For example, if you are the manager of a multidisciplinary medical practice, you can list “Medical Practice” as the main category and “Ophthalmologist”, “Speech Therapist”, “Psychiatrist”, “General Practitioner”, etc. as secondary categories.
Generally speaking, the more information a customer has available, the more confident they are. They also save time because they don't have to look any further. They will therefore be more likely to come to you.
Bonus:
You can also list your detailed services with their price and some explanations on your GMB listing for even more chances of conversion.
google my business listing services
Example of services listed on a Google My Business listing
Include keywords in the title of the Google My Business file
The study done by Whitespark also shows that having keywords ( or not) in the title of your Google My Business page is important for local SEO .
Currently, there are two very distinct schools:
On the one hand, some companies choose to indicate the brand name and the associated location within the framework of a network of several establishments.
On the other hand, some prefer to indicate both the name of the brand, sometimes the location, but also key words describing their activity.
google my business profile titletitle google my business file keywords
Examples of Google My Business listing titles with and without keywords
Adding keywords to your GMB listing name helps highlight the specific features of the service.
The example above of Terre d'Ours, a store specializing in stuffed animals and dolls, is quite telling. Indeed, their main category is “Toy store” because it is one of the most explicit suggestions among the list proposed by Google. However, it does not highlight the specialty of the brand. By adding the keywords “Stuffed animals”, “Cuddly toys” and “Dolls”, the brand allows the customer to find the information while increasing its chances of appearing in more precise queries from potential customers.
Furthermore, if you search for “Toy store Strasbourg”, Terre d'Ours appears eighth in the search results, while it is first when you indicate “Plush toy store Strasbourg”.
Be careful not to put too many keywords in your page titles. Customer confidence will be diminished by a long name that seems less professional and Google may downgrade or even suspend your listings because you do not respect the rules imposed by the algorithm.