In many ways, local SEO is the new face of SEO. In a world in which search engine optimization is more competitive than ever before, it has become necessary for brands to target specific niches in order to be successful. First, it was specific keywords focused on global audiences. Today and with so much competition everywhere you look, many brands and businesses – irrespective of their actual locations – are focusing on building local SEO juice in a variety of niches. Local SEO can be rewarding, but it can also be tricky. We’ll discuss today some important local SEO mistakes that you must avoid if you want your broader efforts to succeed.

Forgetting to Categorize Your Brand

There are many websites and directories through which you can list your brand and classify it in one way or another. In local SEO, this is immensely important. Perhaps the most important place to categorize your brand is through Google. Its My Business Page service allows you to quickly tell the search engine what type of brand or business you are running, where you are located, and other important details. Without this, you can still rank in search…but forgetting to do this is a big no-no and will only hinder your long-term efforts at exposure when pinging to Google.

Seeking Out Links from Everywhere

Local SEO is unique when compared to other forms of SEO in that it can be remarkably easy to build links in local directories and on local websites. However, local SEO can be a series of pit-falls in this regard: because there is less competition and less expertise in many local search results, there are inherently inferior websites that may either be ranking in SERPs or affiliated with a local community in some way. By seeking out links on these websites, you could be making a tragic mistake. Always be sure to do your research on any website where you’re interested in building links before doing so – especially when the website is relevant to local SEO efforts.

Forgetting Your NAP Information

NAP information is vital to local SEO performance. The big mistake that all too many brands make when first entering their NAP data is…forgetting about it. Unfortunately, many people who are pinging to Google this data do it once and then forget to ever check it again. Have your store hours changed? Did you move to a new facility? Is your phone number still the same? Any changes on your website that differ from NAP data can send conflicting signals to Google and that can result in poorer performance. Because of this, it is always vital that you inspect NAP information on a regular basis as a matter of habit. Even if nothing has changed, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Local SEO requires plenty of time and dedication, but can be rewarding for those who are persistent. You absolutely do not want to forget about your NAP data, you do not want to seek any links you can find from local websites and you do not want to forget about classifying your brand with Google. By avoiding these three common mistakes, you can begin to build a better local SEO presence in any niche.