The need for brands – particularly smaller businesses – to reach into new markets has been amplified by the growing competition across all sectors on the web. The need for success via search engines has led to brands targeting smaller and smaller niches, in the pursuit of dominance in at least some particular search queries. As the web continues to become more competitive and mobile devices become the predominant method of browsing the web, it only makes sense that locally-oriented searches would become increasingly more important. In order to take advantage of this burgeoning part of the web, webmasters have to adapt their strategies. Below, we’ll explain how webmasters can do just that with little effort.

Produce Local Content

This act seems simple enough, but all too many brands and businesses simply think that mentioning local words on their main pages is enough to justify ranking in local search results. Content for many localities is lacking in most niches; when you take the time to start pinging search engines with valuable content that relates to one or more SERPs, Google and others will recognize its value. You will need to be sure to mention local keywords in the content in order to associate with it the area, but equally as important is the need for the content to provide true value. As local SERPs are quickly becoming the new frontiers for competition and battle, you won’t be able to rank for long unless the content is good.

Improve Overall Speed

Website speed is an important factor generally speaking, but it is much more important for local SEO. Why is this true? Because local SEO disproportionately relies upon the habits of mobile users. As more mobile users access local search results than search results as a whole, Google and others have made the effects that website speed have on rankings more pronounced than in other areas. There are several things that can cause websites to load more slowly on mobile devices, including pop-ups, too many plugins added to the WordPress infrastructure (or other content management systems) and an abundance of multimedia. By minimizing the instance of these elements – as well as tweaking a variety of performance-related attributes with the hosting provider and theme – you can ensure faster loading times (and higher rankings) in local search over time.

Target Appropriate Keywords

Any website or brand may have dozens of potential keyword pairings to consider, but the process can be made much simpler by the analysis of which keywords are already driving traffic. Not only can specific pairings via analytics shed light on who is finding your website and where, but the type of searches – whether they be purchase-oriented, tutorial-related, or something else – can give you greater ability to perform even better in your categories of strength. Pinging search engines with keywords that infuse local relevance with your pre-existing successes is not only easy, but also highly effective. It is through strategies such as these that basic local keyword combinations can be made to be more valuable than the mere sum of their parts.