Local businesses must deal with a lot of competition, and a competitive edge must be gained to succeed. Businesses must learn how to utilize Google’s local and organic search results to flourish in their area today.
Since Google’s algorithms are constantly evolving and upgrading, you might find it challenging to keep up with the latest trends. Here are some local SEO ranking factors you should be aware of:
On-Page
On-page factors are basically website elements that make your business stand out to Google. It includes:
Domain Authority: Estimates how a website will perform on search engine results page (SERPs). The higher the authority, the better the business will perform in terms of visibility.
Name, Address, and Phone Number: This information should be clearly available on your website and match your Google Business Profile.
Quality: If you publish website content, it must be engaging, grammatically correct, and interesting for readers.
Security: Ensure the website is secure, has proper domain certificates, and is free from malware.
Google Business Profile
There are many aspects to any Google Business Profile, but the ones you should take extra care with include:
Your business name
The categories you are including your business in
Your website URL
Review
Reviews written by your customers can make or break your business profitability. You can find Google-based reviews, reviews on third-party sites, and first-party reviews on your site.
Link
Two types of links exist: internal and external. Internal links are those within your website, and external are outbound to other websites and resources. When you link to domains with high authority, your domain authority will likely increase. However, overlinking any content on your website can be marked as spam, so caution must be exercised.
Citation
Citations come in two forms: structured and unstructured. Structured citations are formal listings on platforms such as Yahoo, TripAdvisor, and even Yelp. Unstructured citations are on other platforms, like news outlets, blogs, and others. Google reviews both types of citations.
Behavioral
How internet users interact with your website can also determine how well it ranks on Google. The click-through rate, call-to-action clicks, clicks-to-site, and other performance indicators can show how people behave towards your business. More clicks and interaction can lead to better ranking.
Personalization
Where internet user is located when they are looking for a business can also impact their results page. Other personalization aspects, like what business users tend to look at, can also affect your ranking on Google. You can’t do much about the location, but you can see what locations your business pops up at by physically searching from around your business neighborhood.
Negative Aspects
Some aspects can have a detrimental effect on your ranking, and you should remember what they are to avoid them successfully. Violating Guidelines for representing your business on Google can lead to a lower ranking or removal of your business altogether. Consistent bad reviews can also lead to the removal of your business. If your website is shown to have malware and other dangerous elements, Google may remove you.
Want to Optimize Your SEO? We’re Here to Help
When you want to boost your SEO efforts safely with concrete results, Web and Internet Marketing Studios is here to help. Our experts are well-versed with digital marketing and can help you maximize your profits in no time. Contact us at 888-790-5505 to immediately get started with a consultation!
