Local SEO is an important component to include within your digital marketing strategy. Optimising your Google Business Profile page can gain you higher rankings than a competitor who has invested more budget to focus on their organic positions.
The map results, known as the local pack, are usually above the organic results, and Google currently identifies these listings with a ‘Places’ heading. Only the more popular key phrases and three or four visible slots are available, so if you’re not within the top local pack results, then click through rates will be far less. So how do you increase your business listing into higher local pack positions?
1 Add your business to Google Maps, by creating a Google Business Profile page. You may already see your business (on the right-hand side of the Google results), if so click “Claim this business” or “Own this business?” and follow the prompts.
2 Build lots of citations! Google Maps citations refer to your business’ name, address, and phone number (NAP) that are listed on other websites and directories that Google then aggregates. Your citation (NAP) needs to exactly match across all these aggregators.
3 Encourage user reviews and reply to both positive & negative reviews.
4 Add your physical address to the footer of each page within your own website.
5 Keep your Google Profile Page updated and regularly add photos, events and news snippets.
HookedOnMedia is very experienced with local map campaigns and all other forms of digital marketing, so please call us on 01872 248 376 to see how we can help.
This article first appeared in the July/August issue of Business Cornwall magazine.
