In the last 2 years, Google searches for local places have grown by 150%.

Google are constantly refining their service to address users needs and remain the search giant of the internet.

Local SEO is Google's way of helping your customers find what they need, where they are.

This local SEO guide outlines how to optimize your business website for local search, making you more competitive against bigger businesses.

Why Does My Online Business Need a Local SEO Checklist?

You're probably thinking that there's no need to be optimized for local SEO if your business is entirely online, but there are benefits to local SEO even if you're not a brick and mortar store.

Google is increasingly using location in its algorithms. This is due to the mobile search dominating the playing field, which means that people are likely on the go while searching.

More and more devices are becoming location-enabled, so even if you only operate online you can use local SEO to outrank bigger businesses simply by being in the physical range of a person searching for your service.

So, How Do I Optimize for Local Search Results?

Glad you asked!

It's not a difficult thing to do. Just follow this local SEO checklist, make a few adjustments to your site and you'll be more competitive in your local market and industry.

Set Yourself Up for Google My Business

This is a free Google service that sets you up with a Google business listing that shows your key business information. This includes connecting you to Google Search and Google Maps. 

This means that not only will you be optimized for local SEO, but when you appear in search, users will have easy access to your most relevant information on the SERP itself.

Include Your Address in Key Locations on Your Site

It sounds obvious, but showing up in a local search isn't going to help you if your site doesn't actually say where you're located. Users will quickly bounce from your site if they need a local business but can't tell if that's you.

Places to include your address are:

• You're website footer
• Specific service area pages
• Landing pages
• Product or service pages

It's important that you write your address the same way in every location, otherwise, Google will read it as two separate addresses canceling out your local SEO efforts.

Create Content About Your Local Area

Add local content to your content marketing strategy. This can be:

• Articles about what your business does in your local area
• Photos with local keywords in the caption, alt text, and meta description
• Video content that links your business to your local community

Optimize for Mobile

With mobile search making up over 50% of online searches, there's no argument that your site must be mobile-friendly.

This is especially true for local SEO. People search for a local service when they are away from their local area. This means they will likely be conducting that search on their mobiles.  

Opt for a responsive website theme to make sure your site looks great on all devices.

Keep at It

It's important to remind ourselves of the popular saying "don't boil the ocean". It's easy to get so focused on your local SEO strategy that it becomes overwhelming and time-consuming.

Your local SEO checklist is something you should keep working on as your business grows. SEO doesn't show results overnight, so don't lose sleep trying to cover every base in one go.

Feel free to get in touch with me for professional advice on everything digital marketing related.