Geo-specific search engine optimization is being targeted as one of the best strategies in doing SEO, both for small and big businesses. Local businesses, in particular, can greatly benefit from practicing geo-specific SEO because it targets their own local areas and improving rankings in local SERPs. For small businesses who offer services and products to a specific area, Kevin Gibbons of SearchEngineWatch.com offers 10 tips on how to conduct geo-specific SEO that will help boost local rankings.
1. Local online communities are the best forums to start with. Search for online communities that are based in the area you are targeting and participate with fellow members in that community. Google will soon acknowledge your local SEO efforts when it realizes your relevance to a specific area, especially if you share links to your website, without spamming of course.
2. Maximize Google Places – It’s free! Registering your local business to Google Places is a great place to start because searchers can find you and look into your company. Not only are the contact details displayed, but users can also view the reviews of your services.
3. To optimize geo-specific SEO efforts, updating the WHOIS information is essential. While it may not be necessarily a big driver in rankings, your domain name should still be registered with your current business address. There is nothing to lose and some SEO experts believe that Google takes this information into account.
4. Boosting rankings involve being involved in online communities, but it is still important to have a physical presence to your customers. Make your company visible by actively participating in local events such as charity events and other campaigns. This will give you local press coverage which can also be shared in their website, making you more relevant to your area.
5. Again, Yahoo! and Bing are still major players in the search engine ballgame. Google does dominate a lion’s share of SERPs but it doesn’t mean local businesses should ignore the two search engines altogether. With SEO, any search engine with a large market audience should be maximized to get better results.
As we continue to put the spotlight on local businesses and how they could improve local SEO rankings and consequently online sales, our next post will conclude this two-part series on practicing geo-specific SEO. Watch out for our next article that will discuss how positive reviews, contact details, and multiple domains can give you more of an advantage than your competitors when it comes to geo-specific optimization.
