With more firms working remotely due to COVID-19. Businesses are now capable of working with clients in a way that eliminates face-to-face contact, but your office location still matters when it comes to your digital marketing strategy.
Why is a physical location important for local SEO?
Businesses that want to succeed on the internet must use SEO, and in order to reap the benefits out of local searches, an online presence is required. When a prospective customer types in a certain service in Google, Google displays a list of local search results with businesses with well-optimised websites and Google Business Profiles being prioritised first. To be accepted for a Google Business Profile, you must be able to provide and therefore verify your company’s physical address. This address allows customers to locate you on Google Maps and learn where you are relative to their company. In fact this was part of Google’s algorithm update from many years back (Dubbed Google Venice) which focused on prioritising localised website results towards the top of the search listings.
Why engage in local SEO?
While you may work with firms anywhere in the UK, many companies prefer to keep things local. For example, what if they have some paperwork they’d want to deliver to your office or they want to meet face-to-face? Being able to promote your business locally is just as essential as marketing nationally. In reality, focusing on local SEO may make it simpler to rank in the search results for your region.
Your business’s website may benefit greatly from local SEO. Creating a Google Business Profile is only the beginning; after that, you can utilise the Profile to get feedback from satisfied clients, which will improve your SEO rankings; to post short videos that describe your services or respond to common questions, and to make essential information such as opening hours readily available.
Ensuring your local SEO is up to scratch
So, how do you begin promoting your business on Google so that it appears starts to appear in local search results? There are two essential factors to consider.
The first is that your website must be optimised for local search. This requires using relevant location based keywords in your content, adding the correct localised Schema markup in the web development code, and having a clear location page with your address, contact details, and a map reference.
Lastly, you’ll need to claim and optimise your Google Business Profile. After you’ve claimed the listing, Google will verify the location and you can begin adding important details such as hours of operation, a short description of your company, and a list of key services offered. All of this optimisation of your Google My Business profile is essential and worthwhile.
Thereafter, you must constantly maintain your Profile, making sure it’s up to date and ensuring that your website includes fresh, relevant material on a regular basis. Of course, this may be time-consuming, therefore outsourcing your local SEO is an excellent option.
