The Small Business Guide to Local SEO: Outrank Your Bigger Competitors

Ever feel like your small business is drowning in the vast ocean of Google search results? I get it. As someone who helps local businesses boost their online presence, I've seen firsthand how frustrating it can be when bigger competitors seem to dominate every search. But here's the good news: local SEO is the secret weapon that can help you compete with (and often outrank) those bigger players.

Why Local SEO?

Think about the last time you searched for a local service. Maybe you searched for something like "coffee shop near me" or "best plumber in [your city]." Those local search results are your golden opportunity as a local small business. When someone in your area is looking for products or services that you offer, you need to make sure that you are right there at the top of their search results page, regardless of your business size.

Getting Started: Your Local SEO Game Plan

So, how do you get started with SEO? What even is SEO? Well, as we mentioned earlier, search engine optimization (or SEO) is how you make sure that your business shows up at the top of the list when someone goes on a search engine like Google and searches for keywords that are related to what you do. As I talk to business owners in the area, SEO continues to be an area that is confusing, and people are not really sure how it works. Well, I want to try and help clarify it for you because it can be one of the most powerful tools for helping to grow your business!

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Here are some steps that you can take today to make your business more visible online and in your community:

1. Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is like your digital storefront. This is what people see when they search for your business, and also what gets you into the Google Maps pack. Here's what you need to nail:

- Complete every single section of your GBP profile

- Add high-quality photos of your business, team, and products that you offer

- Keep your business hours accurate and updated

- Add your services or menu items with descriptions and prices

- Respond to all reviews (yes, even the negative ones!)

Pro tip: Update your profile at least monthly with new photos, posts, or offers. Google loves fresh content, and so do potential customers. This also shows Google that your business is relevant and active so it is more likely to show you in the search results.

2. Master Your Local Keywords

This isn't about stuffing your website with keywords - it's about understanding how your local customers search. For example, if you run a bakery in Green Bay, you'll want to naturally incorporate phrases like:

- "best cupcakes in Green Bay"

- "custom cakes Green Bay Wisconsin"

- "downtown Green Bay bakery"

3. Optimize Your Website for Local Success

Your website needs to clearly tell Google where you are and what you do if you expect it to find you and present your business as an option.

To ensure this happens, make sure to:

- Include your complete NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) on every page

- Create location-specific pages if you serve multiple geographic areas

- Add an embedded Google Map to your contact page

- Include local information in your content where relevant. Anything regarding community stories, local landmarks, or neighborhood news stories will help!

4. Build Local Citations and Links

Think beyond Google. Get your business listed on as many online resources as you can. This could include:

- Local business directories

- Chamber of Commerce websites

- Industry-specific directories or trade organization websites

- Local news websites and blogs

Remember, consistency is key. Your business name, address, and phone number should be identical across all listings. Any links that you share on your site, and any time your site is shared on another site, will help your page build authority and relevance for the search engines.

5. Generate and Manage Reviews

Reviews are pure gold for local SEO. Google loves reviews! This means that you can get an easy boost to your visibility by developing a simple system for requesting reviews from happy customers!

Send a follow-up email after each transaction with a direct link to your Google review page. Get cards made with a QR code that links directly to your review page. Put a QR code on the counter of your shop or in the window of your store’s door. You can even reach out to past customers via email with what we call a retargeting campaign offering a coupon for a future purchase if they leave you a Google review! Make it easy for customers to sing your praises!

***Advanced Tips to Edge Out the Competition

Want to take your local SEO to the next level? Try these proven strategies:

1. Create location-specific content that showcases your community involvement

-Share news from local community organizations, or your local high school

2. Develop partnerships with other local businesses and cross-promote

-The easiest way to gain exposure to new potential customers is to share audiences with other local businesses!

3. Make sure that your website pages are indexed via an XML Sitemap and use schema markup if you are comfortable with HTML code to help search engines understand your local business data on your web pages

4. Monitor and respond to all "Google Q&A" questions on your Business Profile

***Common Local SEO Mistakes to Avoid

I've seen many small businesses stumble with some basic SEO tasks, which can be be fixed for some quick wins:

- Inconsistent business information across platforms (name, address, and phone number needs to be the same on every source listing!

- Neglecting to respond to reviews. Not responding to reviews tells Google that you are not responsive or active, and it is also a missed opportunity to interact directly with your customers.

- Creating duplicate Google Business Profiles. Google does not like duplicate profiles! Doing this will get your GBP frozen and maybe even blacklisted and disabled!

- Failing to optimize for mobile users. You need to make sure that your website is mobile optimized for ease of use on mobile devices. This also includes using local keywords in your content for when customers perform mobile searches on their phones.

Lastly, Track Your Success

Don't just implement these changes and hope for the best. Keep an eye on:

- Your Google Business Profile insights

- Local search rankings for your key terms

- Website traffic from local searches

- Review quantity and quality

- Phone calls and direction requests over time

Remember, local SEO isn't a one-time task - it's an ongoing process. It requires a tag-team effort of website optimization and tactical content generation. But, while it will take consistent effort and attention, your small business can absolutely compete with (and often beat) larger competitors in local search results, and it definitely feels good to be number one in your local area!

Need more guidance? We would be happy to help you, as local SEO is one of our specialties! You can contact us to discuss your website and SEO at [email protected] .

Think that you can give it a go, but maybe you don’t know where to start? Start with one element at a time. Focus on fully optimizing your Google Business Profile this week, then move on to website optimization next week. Small, consistent steps lead to big results in local SEO.

Best Wishes,

Dr. Lange