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Typically, small businesses get most of their customers from their local area. The key to getting more users is ensuring your site gets a high rank when search engines deliver results to nearby users. For that to work, your website needs to be optimized for SEO, but you also need to apply tactics that are specialized in improving your local SEO. Here’s how you should implement optimizing your small business website for local search and how to get more business from customers in your area.
When people mention SEO, almost everyone immediately assumes that the discussion is about Google. However, you should remember that there are other search engines, so it might be good to research what people are using in your area. Most of the advice in this article is universal and will help you achieve a good rank regardless of the search engine. Some search engines require additional setup steps, but that shouldn’t worry you since many online searches in Armenia are done through Google. That means that you should focus improving your SEO specifically with Google in mind.
Realistically, most users turn to Google when they need to look something up. The first step for improving local SEO is setting up and claiming your Google Business profile. Filling out the required information is pretty straightforward, but you should still be thorough and make sure everything is correct. Having a Google Business profile is one of the best ways of optimizing your small business website for local search, and it will get you on Google’s Map Pack. These represent Google’s picks for local searches that are displayed on a small map on the SERP page. Additional contributing factors can get your business listed, but the Business profile is the most important one.
Unfortunately, it’s not enough to create your Google Business profile and leave it dormant. You need to upload photos and videos regularly onto your account. This will prove to both users and Google that your business is still active, and your site will get brought up more often. Another good tactic is to encourage your users to post their own photos and leave good reviews. Remember that you shouldn’t be too pushy; ask customers kindly if they can help you with a short review if they are satisfied with your service.
User engagement is great for driving local SEO, and it can also encourage more people to do business with you. Some people take a look at a business’s reviews before deciding to make a purchase. If your profile is full of satisfied customers and glowing reviews, that could improve your bottom line. You can also have a section on your website dedicated to reviews and testimonials. Engagement on your site is a surefire way to boost your SEO.
Besides just getting your business listed on Google, you should also look into specialized citation websites. Some users are reluctant to pick a random business from their search engine and feel more confident getting a recommendation from specialized business directories. Do some research to find out where businesses from your branch of industry do most of their advertising. Is there a specific citation service they use, or do they have a forum where users gather? You can also have your business promoted on the most popular Armenian citation website to ensure that a large number of people get to see your listing.
If your business has offices in multiple locations or cities in Armenia, it is good to create individual pages on your website for each location. Although it may sound obvious, many business owners still forget that your own website should include a local citation for your business. It’s perfectly fine to rely on Google and have your business listed in multiple other directories. However, you should still consider optimizing your small business website for local search by having the relevant business information listed on your site. You can also include an FAQ section on your website with directions on finding your offices or store.
While you were researching website citations, you have undoubtedly run across the acronym NAP. It stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Although those three used to be considered the only relevant information required for a business listing, modern directory websites will allow you to add additional information to boost your SEO. If you want to optimize for local SEO, you should include information like your website URL, working hours, and price range.
Most importantly, you need to ensure that this information is consistent across all of your online listings. If the information is mismatched, Google might think that some of those listings are fake or outdated, and it might omit them from search results. Or, even worse, your website could suffer a negative SEO penalty. For this reason, you should carefully inspect every listing and verify that all of the information is correct and up to date.
Keywords are an essential part of any SEO tactic, and you need to do specific research to see what users in your area are searching for. Focusing on keywords that are used in local searches can have a big impact on your SEO efforts. Research the specific dialect and the phrases people in your area are looking for. Make sure to include those keywords in the location-specific pages on your website we mentioned earlier.
If you are willing to do some research and put in the effort, you can do a lot to make your small business website stand out. Optimizing your small business website for local search is the key to getting more customers from your area. Having a solid user base in your local community is the key to the success of any small business. It might be time to check where your business is listed and make some tweaks to your website to improve your local SEO.
I-AM.AM LLC was founded with the ultimate goal to support the economic growth of Armenia. By connecting Armenian Owned Businesses globally, creating a centralized hub of everything Armenian and implementing numerous projects that will boost the economy of the outer regions of Armenia, I-AM.AM community is creating a self-sufficient economy throughout the country.
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