Have you ever wondered what the ranking are factors search engines like Google use for their local search results? Well, then we have the perfect article for you.
Below is a list of local SEO ranking factors you should take note of. It also includes a few tips on optimizing your website for local SEO, as advised by the best digital marketing company in Los Angeles.
Physical Address
Your physical business address must be seen on your website’s homepage and landing pages. Another thing is that your Google My Business listing should have the same physical address indicated in its info. Make sure that your listing is also verified. This will help Google confirm that your business is, in fact, located at that address you gave.
Accurate Category
When optimizing your business listing in Google My Business, Bing Places, Yellow Pages, and Yelp, make sure that you put in the right category for your business. Pick the most accurate one in the option, so it will be easier for search engines to categorize your business listing and website.
Proximity of Location
When showing directory listings on its search result page, Google determines how close the business location is to the search user. This is why you must include the city, state, and zip code to where your business is located. This makes it easier for Google to show your listing to users looking for your product or service near your area.
Domain Authority
The domain authority is also a crucial factor for Google to determine whether your Google My Business listing or website is worth showing on search results. You can check out your website’s domain authority by using an SEO tool like Moz.
Structured Citations
How many business or directory listings does your business have online? These listings are used by Google as citations, which they use as references to validate the existence of your business’ physical location. Make sure to list your business in the known directory listing sites such as Google My Business, Yelp, Yellow Pages, LinkedIn, etc.
Local Phrases in Meta Content
Your local keyword phrases should be included in your website’s meta content, such as meta title and meta description. This way, Google bots will automatically crawl your website on local search results, especially if your keyword phrases include your city or state.
Good Business Reviews
Having good business reviews in Google My Business and Yelp can help a lot in ranking on top of local search results. The higher rating your listing has, the better. This is because it sends a ranking signal to Google that your business is trustworthy.
NAP Consistency
Last but not least, your business NAP should be consistent in all your directory listings. It should have a format similar to the one your website has. Listing on online directories without using the same information can greatly affect your local search result ranking.
