Local SEO Techniques to Grow Your Business
Written by Kacey Karczewski Thursday, 14 April 2011 04:56
Local SEO is a way to get your website well ranked in the search engines for local listings. This article will be focusing on some effective ways to use local SEO to get your website a higher search engine ranking.
Every industry has big names, and if you want to get the most from those local searches, you'll do your best to get listed with those names. This talks about Maps by Google and Local by Yahoo!. These are the biggest names you can list with, so you should focus on that first before you think about moving forward. If you can list with them, the rest is downhill because the search engines and human searchers will always know where to find your website. Getting listed in Google Maps isn't that difficult if you take the right steps. It only requires filling out a tiny form and then responding to a phone or email message that will allow you to verify your identity. After that process is completed, you'll only have to wait a few weeks before your site begins to reveal itself within the local searches. Google and Yahoo! are very similar in their application process, only Yahoo! doesn't require a verification. With Yahoo!, you can make your listing look anyway you want.
The plus point here is that the approval process is quick and doesn't take weeks, unlike Google. Don't ever forget that technique, as that can take you further than any other tip you'll learn in reaching out to those you're trying to target. Most of the local websites out there have no problem with business owners asking clients and customers to post reviews (Yelp is one of these sites). Since this is allowed and it could help you a big deal with your local SEO efforts, why not just go ahead and do it? Make sure you mention it in your email signatures, thank you page of your contact form, invoices, etc.
Try to diversify your anchor text. All SEO marketers understand just how valuable it is to use long tail keywords with your marketing efforts to the search engines; when you practice Local SEO, that is what you're using. Long tail keywords allow you to play around with the anchor texts of your links, the diversification of your anchor texts and you are better able to expand your efforts. For example let's say you sell chocolate in New York: don't just concentrate on "New York Chocolate Store".
Try to diversify your anchor text. Every SEO marketer understands that having long tail keywords is valuable and having them in place can help you better rank your business in the search engines; when you use local SEO that's exactly what you are trying to do. Long tail keywords allow you to play around with the anchor texts of your links, the diversification of your anchor texts and you are better able to expand your efforts. For example, you want to use more than just "New York Chocolate Store" if you sell chocolate in New York. Try to create incoming links that use other types of the same phrase like "Chocolate Store in New York" or "Chocolate Stores in Manhattan, New York." Whatever you do, don't forget that search engines place a lot of value on anchor texts which means that you need to use as many variations as you can if you want to raise your rankings.
If you use these local SEO tactics, you will find that you can get publicity for your business and more traffic to your site..