Three Ways to Improve Your Performance on Hyper-Local Searches

Recently, Search Engine Land came out with a list of six types of businesses that would especially benefit from stronger local Internet search rankings. They write about plumbers, medical practitioners, lawyers, restaurants and bars, real estate services, and pet services.

Even if your business doesn’t fall into one of these types, it may be critical for you to strengthen your search engine optimization (SEO) for local searches. Many times, when people try to find businesses online, they perform a hyper-local search – they look for a business near them, not just in the general region or city, but within a mile or two or within a few blocks.

How would your business perform on these hyper-local searches?

The following are a few ways to strengthen your hyper-local search presence:

1. Ensure that your online information is accurate in every respect. Across any listing you’re on or social media account you’ve set up, make sure that your business name, address, phone number, email, and website link are all up-to-date and correct; fill out profiles completely and include striking, high-quality photos of your business. If you have multiple locations, make sure they’re clearly distinguished from each other, without the information getting mixed up (and on your business website, make a different landing page for each location).
2. Adapt yourself to mobile devices. People will frequently search for you on-the-go; even at home, they’ll often look you up on a smartphone or tablet. This means, in part, creating a responsive website where the relevant information about your business can easily be found.
3. Build local content. On your website and social media accounts, share information that would tie you to a specific local area. For instance, you can write about local events or notable sites near your business (make sure to highlight your participation in any events, such as a neighborhood or community fair). If there are aspects of a culture closely associated with your locality, such as a special kind of cuisine, also mention it in your content. Furthermore, respond to local news stories when they’re relevant to your business (for instance, if you’re a medical practitioner, mention a local flu outbreak and how you’re on hand to help).

For further advice and assistance with strengthening your hyper-local SEO, please contact us. Staying competitive means building a web presence that associates you with your local area, using information that’s compelling and accurate.