Do you know where your business stands in terms of local SEO? If you don’t know how your local search optimization efforts are going, it can be hard to make helpful and timely adjustments that can keep your business visible online. Here are a few quick questions to ask yourself in order to gauge your local search health!
Do You Have a Google My Business Listing?
If you don’t, you should claim your listing! Creating a local business listing on Google My Business is simple and free, and it allows you to directly add your business information—such as business name, address, phone number, website URL, hours of operation, and more—into Google search and Google Maps. This means you don’t have to wait for your business information to be pulled by Google from your website or other online business directories. Instead, you can control, monitor, and update the information searchers will see.
Have You Claimed Other Local Business Listings?
While Google My Business is the most important directory for listing your business information because of its direct input into Google search, there are several other local business directories where you should be adding local listings, including Bing Places, Yelp, Yext, and Facebook. Setting up your local citations across these directories not only makes it easier for potential customers to find you, but these directories can also provide trust signals that help Google determine when and where to show your business in local search results.
Do Your Local Listings Have Missing or Incorrect Data?
Not having the right phone number, address, website URL, or hours of operation can be detrimental for small businesses trying to compete in local search results. Nearly 80% of consumers lose trust in a business that has missing or incorrect information in local listings, which means you could be missing out on new business if your information is sending people to the wrong location or giving them the wrong contact information. Be sure to frequently monitor your local listings across the web to ensure all data is correct and consistent.
Is Your Information Listed Correctly on Your Website?
Having your business information listed on your website is certainly a great start, but it’s unfortunately just the start. You need to ensure that all local citations on your website are accurate and consistent with the data that displays in Google My Business, as well as other local business listings on the web. This is yet another way to provide trust signals to Google while also helping your website gain additional visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) for search queries with local intent (i.e., “near me”).
Are You Responding to Online Business Reviews?
Business reviews are a significant local search ranking factor, so you’ll want to make sure your business is responding to all reviews coming in through Google My Business and other local directories. Regardless of whether the reviews you’re responding to are positive or negative, the fact that you’re taking the time to reply shows that you value your customers and their feedback. If your business isn’t currently responding to reviews as part of an ongoing local SEO strategy, make a plan to start monitoring and replying frequently.
Need help with your local SEO? Hurrdat has local search optimization services that can help your small business improve online visibility. Sign up for our Local Search Fuel solution or contact us to learn more!
