15 Steps a Local Business Can Take Today to Improve Search Rankings



Here at Mosspaper, we understand how busy you are with your every day-to-day routine. Each day presents it’s own challenges so creating a marketing strategy is probably not on the top of your list, or is it?  Whether you are actively and passively trying to improve your search ranking, here are some things we want to share with you.

With the algorithm update to Penguin 2.0 that Google officially launched last May 22, 2013, various aspects have changed in the search engine and their search results. Penguin 2.0 is particularly focused on the patterns of links, the use of "anchor text" or text link and link building techniques involving the manipulation of results, which end up confusing users.

Many SEO professionals and local business owners fear that it has less impact to their business. But the truth is that now Google will give more importance to local businesses, this is definitely a big advantage for local businesses. These companies will benefit from increased exposure to information queries. Now Google will give more importance to these local businesses when general searches are made ​​for your region.

In our opinion this is a good time for local businesses to begin or intensify their SEO strategies and gain maximum benefit from this update. In this guide we have listed several practices that local businesses should take to ensure that your business to be found in search results on this new "post-Penguin".

1) Get Local Mentions

Quality indications in Penguin were promising and now, it is clear that local or brand mentions are very important.

The entries have a key role in the classification of local searches. This simply means that the longer the name, address and telephone number of your business is mentioned on websites related to your niche and location, the higher your ranking in local searches.

2) Publish it on other blogs - "Guest Blogging"

Now in your seo campaign, it is necessary to focus on brand mentions as we do with local references. So you need to create and distribute relevant and valuable content (including name, address and telephone number of your business) on web sites using natural confidence and quality links to your website.

Write as a guest on other blogs is one of the most beneficial and effective techniques of link building right now.

3) Create a page for each location

After Penguin 2.0, for companies with multiple locations, creating specific pages for each location is required.

4) Local Comments on Google+

Google is giving increasing importance to social cues such as customer reviews on the web to confirm the relevance and position of the company. Search engine optimization is becoming more and more natural, based on what customers have to say about your organization rather than what you say about it, increasingly reflecting what happens in the real world.

5) Enriched labeled fragments

Adding rich snippets is another great idea to improve the presentation and visibility of web pages in your search results. One way to do this is by using structured markup data review to familiarize the search engines with the nature of the content and help them relate to your business.

6) Google+
 Local Page Optimization

Local listings on Google + offer small local businesses a great opportunity to claim a prime location in the local search results. Local listings on Google+ shown in organic search results (with specific keywords of each place) have dramatically increased (currently in the United States) and therefore no local businesses risk can ignore Google+ Local as part of your SEO strategy.

7) Implement Google Authorship

In a video of Matt Cutts and Othar Hansson , you can clearly see that helps Google to determine the credibility of the person who posted a piece of content through the use of structured data with rel = "author." Actually, this helps Google to identify a spammer of an author with authority and credibility.

8) Mobile

With the rapid increase of the local searches on mobile devices, it becomes almost essential for small businesses to optimize their websites for mobile. This is because most of the users who perform these searches end up seeing the website of local businesses. Therefore, search results on mobile devices are more geo-localized.

9) Marketing local content

There are many platforms available, such as search engines, social and mobile media, through which small businesses can make content marketing. The technique here is to first research what your target audience is looking for and then provide relevant information and value through blogs, articles, news, computer graphics, etc.

10) Local Video Marketing

We know that still continues to mystify by now video marketing is a strategy that almost goes unnoticed for local businesses. The video can be a powerful tool for any local seo campaign positioning. The video gives you a unique opportunity to interact with your customers and enables them to better understand your business and become familiar with it. You can upload your videos directly to YouTube or host them on your website.

11) Youtube

Since Google owns Youtube, well-optimized video will have greater opportunities to better position than other sites in their search results.

You must create a YouTube channel for your business and start uploading your videos. Make sure you have optimized your videos providing good local indicators, before making them public. This involves adding an appropriate title to the video including relevant keywords (including the name of your location), a reference to the name, business address and telephone number and a link to the landing page of your website that matches the content of the video. In addition, the video allows mobile users to directly call your company from the search results.

12) Videos hosted on your website

There is nothing wrong with using Youtube to post your videos, however, to host them on your website will have the opportunity to use rich snippets for video and the video will preview in search results that link directly to your website. This will increase the click through rate (CTR), the participation of users and make them stay on your site longer.

13) Business or Corporate Blog

Most local businesses are not using a blog to promote their local seo and sales. You may not know how to operate and therefore do not know their magic, which makes them doubt the ability of blogs to promote online businesses, whether local or not.

14) Local Newspapers
 Notes

The local press notes are the most effective way to get a better position in local searches. They improve the recognition of your brand and make your business more known in your local area. Once you have something to say to provide value, consider creating and distributing press releases. Examples might include special local events, actions that promote the participation of your community, the launch of new products and other important achievements.

15) Social Media

Of course, we cannot forget about social media and its importance. Clearly now social cues play a critical influencing in Google rankings role, and the same will happen all over the web (as happens in the United States) in the case of local searches. To get the social cues you need, you must create a presence and take advantage of the major social sites like Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare, Instagram and Pinterest.

Now, you have some ideas on where to begin. It’s important to always put your best foot forth. Put together a plan and begin implementing these strategies. It may look like a lot of things, but if break everything up into smaller parts, you will get to where you want to go more efficiently.

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