Many business owners have heard about blogging and its benefits for their business. However, some may not fully understand how it can help their website show up more in local searches.
If you own a local business and want your website to appear higher in local search results, keep reading. This article might answer some of your questions and doubts about blogging as a way to improve your website’s ranking—and hence visibility—in search engine results.
Blogs are more than just writing stuff for your website. They can provide an edge for local businesses. Having a well-written blog with relevant content can catapult your website to the top of search engine results pages.
Facts to Consider about Local Searches
- 97% of people use the Internet to find local stuff.
- 4 out of 5 people use search engines like Google to find local businesses nearby.
- 95% of people with smartphones look for local info using their phones.
- Half of these people visit a store on the same day they search.
- 18% of people who do local searches buy something on the same day.
Knowing these facts, it’s clear why local business owners try hard to make their websites mobile and search engine-friendly in a bid to be more visible on the SERPs. Basic local SEO strategies include being active on social media, joining local listings and reviewing websites, and writing relevant content pieces.
9 Basic Techniques Using Blogging to Improve Local Searches Rankings
1. Use themes, subject matter, and keywords that are of great interest to your target audience.
Using targeted keywords in your content isn’t as effective as it used to be. Most people now use smartphones and tablets to search the internet. Just putting lots of keywords on your web pages won’t make your website rank higher. As a local business owner and blogger, you should know that smartphone users prefer using normal words when they search, not short phrases. Smart assistants like Siri and Google Now also make it easier for people to use conversational and casual language when looking for information about local establishments.
2. Incorporate landmarks, streets, and names of surrounding areas into your content pieces.
Including specific locations—like landmarks and names of surrounding areas—in your content can make your website more SERP-friendly when it comes to local searches. When people search for local businesses, they often use specific locations to make the SERPs recommend options that are narrowed down to the area they want. By incorporating these terms into your content, you increase the probability of your business showing up on the first search engine result page in such queries.
For example, if you have a restaurant in a particular neighborhood, mentioning that area’s name on your website and in your content pieces can make it quicker for people who are specifically looking for restaurants in that neighborhood to find your business. The same happens when, if you provide services in multiple parts of a locale, listing those specific streets where you have outlets can help potential customers find your branches more easily.
In short, using specific locations in your content can provide you a leg up where SERP visibility is concerned, attracting more potential customers who are looking for the services you provide in the area(s) you’ve incorporated in your content pieces.
3. Take time to write about issues and events happening in your locale.
Writing about local news and events can bring more people to your website. This can make your website more important and help it show up higher in search results. Doing this regularly and well can help with SEO. Also, you’re giving your readers something useful and gaining new followers. Try covering popular events in your town like a pro but from the viewpoint of a local business owner.
4. Host your blogs on your business website’s main domain.
It’s a good idea to keep your blog posts on your main business website. Your blog should have a URL like www.exampleyourbusinesswebsite.com/blog. This way, you’ll get links to both your blog and your main website. Links are important for websites to show up higher in search results. That’s why link building is a big part of SEO; it cannot be understated that when your website ranks higher in the eyes of various search engines, your visibility on their results pages will also rank higher, consequently making your venture more visible to your target market.
5. Be consistent in providing relevant and useful information to your niche.
When writing content for your digital platforms like your website, it’s important that you avoid discussing what you can provide to your potential customers in every post. Writing solely about your venture won’t attract potential clients, much less convert them. Readers want informative pieces that help them with whatever needs or problems they have. Hence, avoid treating your blog like it’s a vehicle for a product catalog replete with prices and codes; your readers can sense this. They are not sales figures and resent being treated as such. Instead, focus on writing content that helps whoever is reading it. Being a reliable source of helpful information in your niche, will build you a loyal following and, consequently, over time, increase inbound links and search engine traffic.
6. Engage in discussions in local discussion forums related to your niche.
To strengthen your following and boost your rankings on the SERPs, it’s important to join discussion forums on digital platforms like other business blogs or social media groups. Find such platforms that are related to your business and leave comments that help your target market. This way, you will engage more potential customers If you find a blog post that you find informative and can prove useful to your following, you can also mention it on your blog. This might be a roundabout method, but it is a tried-and-tested way to get links back to your blog and get noticed by bigger businesses and websites.
7. Make sure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) remain consistent across all your web pages and business listings.
Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) must be correct and the same everywhere. This is how potential customers find you when they need to contact you. Whether you put your contact details on your blog, local directories, or social media, they should be accurate, consistent, and in a format that’s good for SEO. Usually, you’ll find NAP on your website’s contact page, “about us” page, and footer. Make sure they all look the same. This consistency helps customers trust your business and improves your search engine ranking.
8. Utilize the right schema markup for your local business.
Schema markup is another tool that has been recently added to the search engine optimizer’s arsenal. Given its novelty, it might be an underused form of SEO but it’s powerful and especially useful for local searches.
This method helps search engines provide more helpful results to users. Instead of just sifting through the content pieces on your website, due to the backend coding you incorporate into your content pieces, search engines will have an easier time understanding and organizing the various information snippets you’ve put into your content. This comprehensive view you provide search engines adds more value to your content when it shows up on search result pages. With the right schema markup, Google can recognize that your business is local and understand what type of business you are, like a store, restaurant, or car service. This helps your website stand out on the SERPs, netting you more potential customers in your locale.
9. Understand your target audience and build up a persona that appeals to your chosen demographic.
It’s going to be tough writing blogs or articles when you have no idea who you’re writing for. Although you may already have a good understanding of your target audience, you still have to understand the market and your neighborhood/local demographics. You are, after all, trying to optimize your website for local searches. You can do simple research online to figure out the specific demographics in your locale, like the median age, average income, and consumer expenditure. By learning about a few specifics in your area, you can create and deliver your message to your target audience more effectively. Understanding your target market is one thing, knowing the type of consumers you are trying to serve is another.
Using blogs to boost your business website’s local search rankings is highly effective when done the right way. Needless to say, this means putting together relevant and informative content that caters to what your following wants and/or needs. This in turn means you need to produce a content roadmap that you find ticks all the boxes for your following and one that you can stick to. Avoid producing content pieces just for the sake of populating your website. Readers can sense this and instead of converting readers into customers, you might, in all probability, drive away some of your target market.
Conclusion
In conclusion, identifying who your audience is, understanding their needs, and familiarizing yourself with your local area are essential for making your website stand out in local searches. By researching key details of your chosen demographic like age, income, and spending habits in your locale, you can engage with your audience in a more meaningful manner.
While it’s undeniable that blogging can help boost your business website’s visibility on the SERPs, the whole affair has to be done right. Your blogs should not only be interesting to your readers but they should be useful as well. Having a roadmap for your content aimed at engaging your target market helps you stay consistent and provide value to your audience.
Remember, focus on creating content that matters to your readers and addresses their interests. This not only engages and builds trust with your audience but it also helps your website show up better in local searches, potentially increasing your following even more.
So, not just focusing on the technical side of things, make sure to take the time to understand who you’re writing for and what they care about. With thoughtful and engaging content, you can attract more visitors to your website and grow your business in your local community.