For those yet to harness the power of search engine optimisation (SEO) in your marketing strategy, you are likely missing out on loads of sales and business growth opportunities. SEO tactics allow your business to be better visible to search engines like Google by appearing higher in search results. SEO enables you to build brand awareness, direct more traffic to your website, and achieve higher conversion rates. It is not necessary to be a professional marketer or a tech whizz to implement SEO strategies for your business, and by following these simple tips, you’ll be able to achieve a successful local SEO campaign.
Optimise Your Google My Business
Google My Business is a powerful tool you can utilise that is free and lets you manage the way your business appears on Maps and Google Search. It allows you to add your business location, phone number, the hours you are open, as well as allowing you the opportunity to respond to Google Reviews.
To get started is a relatively simple process; the first thing you need to do is create an account. After logging into your Google account, click start now in Google My Business. Enter the information required and be sure to include if you deliver or list your location, and then choose a verification option.
There are several verification options that you can choose from, so choose the one which is most convenient for you. Once your page is verified its placed live; you can now add to it when necessary and use it to track your business on Google.
Create A Mobile Friendly Site
You’ve got to keep in mind users are no longer accessing your site on their computer alone, and for that reason, your website needs to be mobile-friendly. On average 40% of users aren’t going to wait longer than three seconds for a site to load, so if your website takes longer than this, you’re going to be missing out on a lot of opportunities.
But, it’s not only about how long it takes to load. Your site needs to be able to be navigated on a mobile device, in the same easy way as a computer. As many as 74% of people are likely to return to a mobile responsive page, so you need to ensure your site works just as well on mobile devices. It is important to consider; the majority of the time people are going to be searching for a local service, they will use a phrase such as ‘near me’ which means you should use these keywords to direct more traffic to your website. To do this, you want to be using targeted keywords combined with your location, so your website more easily located. Make no mistake, though, if your site isn’t easy to navigate, they won’t stick around long enough to read your content.
Use Structured Data Markup
Structured markup isn’t something seen by users, but it is undoubtedly something which impacts the result they see in the search engines. By including structured data on your page helps communicate what information is on it, making it easier for search engines such as Google, to crawl, organise, and display content. Structured markup provides your audience with the best results relevant to their search, but how does this help you?
Well, by adding your location to your website site and Google My Business, structured data markup helps more easily identify what products and services your website offers. Correct markup helps Google match your site to a higher number of user queries searching for the product or services you offer. Your location will be found and displayed on a map with your company name, allowing potential customers to find you easily. You’ll get more local customers using this little SEO trick, so it’s certainly something to keep in mind.
Get Customer Proof

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Audiences viewing your website typically look for reviews from people who have purchased from you in the past. If customers can’t locate any reviews or testimonials, it may look suspicious and make the transition to trusting and purchasing more difficult. As such, you need to make sure you are getting as much customer proof as you can, and positive reviews will go a long way in helping your search visibility.
If you find that you get a negative review, try to respond to it as soon as possible. Show other people that you care and you are willing to come up with a solution and deliver the best possible outcome for your customers.
Research Competitors For More Backlink Opportunities
There are several tracking tools you can use to find information on competitors within your industry. Perhaps one of the best tools you can have is competitor backlink analysis, a tool which enables you to find sites linking to your competitors but not linking to you. Make yourself a list of the most influential domains you see, and then outreach to those site owners to negotiate a backlink with them. Outreach to website owners will afford you more backlink opportunities and allow you to become more competitive.
Optimise your landing page

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Your landing page is the first thing people notice when they visit your site and will determine their first impression of your business. With 94% of first impressions relating to design, you must have an appealing interface to optimise the user experience when visiting your website. After a user clicks on your link on a SERP page, they quickly decide whether to leave or stay. The length of time they stay is known as your dwell time and indicates how well your page satisfied your users’ needs. Page dwell time is a determining factor for every page on your website and determines its visibility in the search results.
A form builder like Paperform is a great way to create beautiful and appealing landing pages and forms genuinely representative of your brand. Further integrations are also possible which allow you to easily and safely accept payments.
To conclude
A big misconception about SEO is you need to be technically savvy and have a generous budget to experience any kind of success. The truth is, you can spend as much or as little on local SEO strategies your budget will allow and with a bit of research, it is possible to increase the quantity and quality of traffic to your website. It may seem rather daunting, trying to manage your SEO while staying in touch with all other aspects of your business. However, by following the local SEO hacks mentioned above, you will be on your way to implementing a successful strategy to boost sales and drive business growth.