Investing in quality local SEO services is definitely worth the possibility of achieving a top three Google rank for your desired keyword. Looking at statistics, it’s easy to see why the significant share of clicks goes to the highest-ranked search results.
Ranking on the top spots of Google is every entrepreneur’s dream, for the incredible benefits it brings. Different studies have put traffic share of the first position at about 33%, second at 15% and third at 9%, with a significant drop-off after the fifth position. The subsequent pages share only about 25% of the clicks.
To put this into perspective, if 1,000 people search for a keyword that you rank at number one, you can expect to get about 300 clicks to your website. The remaining 700 will be distributed among the other sites, with the second runners up getting more clicks than the rest. Of course, more eyeballs to your platform means more conversion rates and more business.
That being said, the question now becomes, how do you rank on Google in your location?
The reality is that any company can grow its business and attract more leads using local SEO services. Experts have the right tools and experience to help entrepreneurs stand out. But if you are keen on learning about what goes into the process, this article shall give you insights into how you can enhance your listing and rank in the top three spots in Google local search.
Using keywords
Your first step should be to determine the keyword that you want to rank for. Using keywords on your pages is the only way to show search engines that your website is relevant for the search.
- Selecting keywords
People search for specific keywords and Google delivers results to fulfil their request. So, when you choose your keywords, it’s essential to focus on long-tail (or keywords that feature three or more words in them). For your local business, it can be something like “real estate blog” or “real estate SEO.” The secret behind long-tail keywords is that they are least expensive and attract qualified leads to your site.
- Integrating keywords
Once you have your keywords in mind, you can add them strategically throughout your website. Experts recommend using them on Meta descriptions, title tags, body copy and headings – but do not overuse the keywords, lest you attract penalties.
Google My Business (GMB)
This account plays a significant role in your local SEO. Many clients will find you because of a GMB listing. So, start by claiming your listing (by searching for it on GMB or creating your listing) and include all relevant data that clients need. Some relevant information consists of a phone number, address and contact (alias PAC), photos, and so on.
- Making the most of your GMB
Improve visibility by integrating plenty of information about your business – including PAC, opening and closing hours. Categorizing your business with different kinds of tags like atmosphere, price range and special events can go a long way. You can also post pictures of your previous works, services, staff, and so on to boost the effectiveness of your listing. Just be sure to stay relevant. Relevance is Google’s staple algorithm – so, you have no way around this but to make your business profile relevant.
Creating Links
Links are relevant in your local and regular SEO strategy. When you have the traffic coming from high authority sites, it sends signals to Google that your website is also reputable and trustworthy, which boosts your rankings. Aside from Google, authority links also give users the impression that you are a credible business.
- Link building
Content is the best way to build links – and this can be anything from videos to blog posts and webinars to infographics and everything in between. For this to happen, you will have to contact relevant sites, bloggers, and editors in your industry and find out whether you can publish at their websites.
- Being strategic
Don’t just build links and leave everything to chance. Use tools to monitor backlinks and internal links. These trackers will even enable you to see those who are linking to your site. In cases where someone mentions your business but don’t link to your website, you can request them to include a link.
Positive user experience
Do not get so lost into ranking aspects and forget the most important aspects of it all – customer experience. Although this may not directly boost our rankings, it can influence how site engines view your site altogether. Think of it this way, when users like your site, they will spend more time in it, and when they do; they may end up buying your solutions or referring to someone. Again, the lower bounce rate signals to Google that your page has something relevant to offer. Your click-through rates, bounce rate, pages per session, organized navigation, page speed, call-to-action, and responsiveness also play a role in user experience.
