There is a whole lot of time and attention that goes into search engine optimisation with a company’s ultimate goal of bettering its search ranking in Google. There are plenty of tips and tricks to use along the way, with some being more effective than others. While this is all very important, and shouldn’t be pushed to the side, companies also need to be aware of their ranking as far as the local search goes.

Statistics show that a large amount of people who perform a local search are interested in visiting that business on that very same day. What this means is that if you haven’t spent the time on your local search ranking and results, then you are potentially missing out on a large number of customers/clients. Local searches are particularly common on smart devices, since people tend to do these searches while on the go.

So if you feel like you need to improve your website’s visibility in the local search, but aren’t sure how to go about it, here are some tips that can prove to be extremely useful.

Make Sure Your Keywords Appear on All Listings

One tip is to work on your keywords, making sure that you use them in all your unique descriptions. This will ensure that they are picked up across all the listings. It’s also a good idea to keep your content fresh and updated, which includes fresh videos and photos. You will also need to include your business category in your listing.

Make Sure Your Company Has Local Business Profiles

Your local search ranking will also improve if you take the time to create local business profiles on sites such as Yellow Pages, Yelp, and Google+. You are giving visitors more and more pages to land on, which will increase your odds of being found.

Use Local Keyword with Title Tags

Another way to better your local search results is to start including a local keyword with your title tags. Let’s say that you are a local wedding photographer in the Atlanta area. An example of using a local keyword would be “wedding photography Atlanta”. It makes your services easier to find for those looking for a local company.

Encourage Customers to Leave Online Reviews

Another factor that can increase your local visibility is online reviews. These can have a huge impact on how much business you end up getting. A personal review is much more trustworthy than a promotional ad or marketing campaign.

As for where you want to encourage these reviews to appear, your Google My Business page and your company’s Facebook page should be the top priority. Also, make sure you are engaging with customers when they leave a review – no matter whether it is a positive or negative review.

Just a Small Look

This is, in fact, just a small look at the many ways you can be improving your website’s visibility in local search. Keep in mind that it’s not just a one-time effort, rather it is an on-going process that you will need to stay on top of.