Top Ranking Parameters for Local SEO according to Google

Top Ranking Parameters for Local SEO according to GoogleAs per Google, the world’s most popular search engine, almost 67% of those using smartphones, will be inclined to buying from businesses which have synced online data with users’ to potential customers’ location. In this digital age or era, exploiting traditional promotional methods will not suffice when it comes to publicizing your trade. You’ll need to bolster your business’s online presence and work out a robust and target-oriented local SEO strategy to tap your niche segment that is increasingly using local search.

To put it simply, your business website has a much better chance of ranking high enough on Google My Business SERPs and consequently being found by prospects if you focus on three key aspects of your trade. These three focus areas related to your business are ‘prominence’, ‘distance’, and ‘relevance’. If you take care of these facets in your Google My Business profile, you could be one of the potential contenders for securing the top three positions in Google’s 3-pack local SEO search results.

However, you’ll first need to design a GMB profile (if you haven’t already) in order to make the most of your listing. There’s no disputing the fact that nowadays, majority of medium and small-scale firms have to do anything and everything possible for featuring in local search so as to stay in business. So, it follows that if you earn your livelihood from a business that relies heavily on local customers and prospects, you’ll need to thrash out a local SEO action-plan for guaranteeing chances of figuring in local search.

  1. Staying relevant on the checklist for local SEO

Talking about relevance, you should always try to develop your GMB account in a way that makes it consistent with what your prospects or potential customers are looking for. For creating a relevant Google My Business profile, go through the following steps:-

  • Ensure that you choose appropriate primary and secondary categories-If you’re a dentist or orthodontist, then make sure you profile your listing under the categories ‘dentist’, ‘orthodontist’ as well as ‘specialized dental services’, ‘dental implants’, and so on. The more specific your listings, the greater is the likelihood of your site ranking high enough in local SEO search result pages.
  • Describe your practice/nature of business-You can describe or elucidate your business without having to worry about the same getting verbose-Google accepts 1000+ words narratives. Make the most of the available space, tempering your content with relevant main keyword and LSI keywords.
  • Maintain NAP consistency-NAP stands for name, address, and phone number(S). Ensure that you key in the correct name, contact number or numbers, and address details of your trade, regardless of whether you’re operating from a single or multiple locations. At the same time, see to it that your NAP is consistent throughout the online realm.
  1. Prominence is all about making your venture stand out from the crowd

Prominence is all about making your business stand out when it comes to local search. There are specific ways and means in which you make your GMB profile one of a kind. Follow these tips:

  • Images and illustrations-Upload multiple images on your profile-the more the merrier.
  • Reviews and feedbacks-The idea here is to maximize reviews and feedbacks not only on your GMB profile but also on other automated social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
  • Capitalize on your brickand-mortar business front– Bolstering your presence in the meatspace will rub off on the business’s online existence.
  1. Distance: Techniques for location-oriented searches

Though Google prefers businesses that are situated nearest to the user or searcher’s location, there’s hardly anything you can do about the same. Yet you can make your practice or trade sound relevant and prominent by developing location-based profiles. For instance, if you’re a divorce lawyer based in Houston, you can use the keyword, “divorce lawyer Houston”.

If you want to more about local SEO, visit www.localseojacksonville.biz or call 904-425-9679.

How Important Are Customer Reviews For Seo?

Why Customer Reviews Are Important for SEOIn order to have a happy life, you shouldn’t care that much about what people say about you. But when it comes to online businesses, this actually matters way more than you can imagine.

Besides trying to come up with new SEO ideas, in order to build some high-quality links and help your website rank well, you should also keep an eye on its day-to-day performance. Specifically, we’re talking about research, product development, sales fulfillment, or even customers service.

Forgetting about these aspects or even not caring about them that much can lead to a series of negative customer reviews, which can make you lose potential customers and even hinder your rankings.

Let’s take a few moments and understand how reviews can affect your SEO efforts, in both negative and positive ways.

They are actually user-generated content!

Just think about it: while you’re trying to integrate some specific keywords into your content, many of them feel very natural to the users who use them in reviews. And Google is seeing them as signals, therefore noticing your online presence.

Whether we’re talking about general keywords in your niche or long-tails, they are all necessary for your SEO strategy. Good reviews can take your ranking scores a bit higher, while negative reviews will bring you down if you are not careful.

They help you compete in your market!

Besides affecting your SERP rank, customer reviews can also affect your overall market performance.
Specifically, when somebody searches for a term in your niche, a list of results will be displayed. Some results have customer reviews, while some of them don’t.  Let’s take things logically: won’t you be tempted to check out the result with reviews, as It looks legit?

It was proven that people are more likely to trust an online business with a mix of reviews, whether they are positive or negative. By displaying these, a company shows that it’s far from being perfect, not to mention that it somehow guarantees that the reviews are real!

They provide a lot of value for local SEO campaigns!

When a user leaves a review, which contains local references, your local SEO efforts receive an unexpected boost. This review is a small piece of organic content, after all. The more you get, the stronger your presence will be in Google’s eyes.
The more positive customer reviews integrating local terms you’re competing for, the better for your business.

They help you establish a relationship with clients

When somebody wants to buy something online, Google offers the information about the product or service they are after, giving the best possible options available. As for customer reviews, these are real deal sealers.

Some people like to go through a couple of reviews before making the final decision, so it’s obvious that what past customers have to say matters a lot. Their opinion makes your business feel genuine and if the reviews are good, potential new clients want to feel the same thing.

Make sure you always answer the reviews, including negative ones, as you will help people know you better.

Keeping up with all reviews can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. If you want to build relationships with your clients, but also improve your presence in Google, SEO Jacksonville is here to help. Competitive search engine optimization packages, able to help you make a difference for your business, are just one call away, at (904) 425-9679.