Businesses which rely on local trade to thrive are common across the country. And many organisations may assume that because they are so rooted in a specific geographic location in terms of the products and services they provide, there is no need to worry about search engine optimisation.
The truth is quite the opposite, since search engines have been rolling out algorithms to make it easier for people to find businesses based on their location.
As such, it is entirely possible to harness SEO to make an impact in the nearby area, even if your organisation does not operate on a wider scale.
So what are the best ways to make local SEO work for you, and can you really improve sales as a result? Businesses with any questions about how to improve their site can get in-depth answers and help from firms such as Ryco Dublin Seo Agency, which delivers Dublin SEO services.
Local Search Essentials
There are a number of key SEO tactics to deploy if you want to feature in the local search market, especially if your organisation operates out of multiple locations within a given area or has several bricks-and-mortar stores in different towns and cities.
One of the first things which you will have to consider is the need to generate a number of landing pages, each one of which is intended to represent a given outlet. This will allow you to put down specific information about the store in question so that searchers have all the information they need and the page can attain a solid search rank with Google; images of the store and directions on how to find it can also be beneficial in this respect.
This ties into the need to include a store-finder on your site which will let people input their postcode or the name of the town where they live to identify the outlet which is closest to them.
Many large organisations already offer this kind of functionality, but there is no reason why smaller firms cannot take the same action to achieve SEO excellence on a location-based level.
Mobile Matters
Search optimisation in the modern market cannot neglect the need to embrace mobile-friendly site design. And even a well-put-together site with quality content cannot avoid being penalised if it does not adhere to Google’s rules on mobile-friendliness.
Achieving this is easier than you might think, especially with the contemporary tools that are available. And if you are looking to dominate competitors, even on a local level, then it is foolish to ignore the changes in people’s browsing habits.
In fact, it is a good idea to check out the kinds of sites that your rivals are offering, especially if they currently have a higher search rank than you. This will let you identify what strengths and weaknesses they have in their current approach to SEO. At this point you will be able to formulate your own plans to overtake them.