Whenever you visit a new place you do as the locals do. Locals know all of the best places so an ideal business strategy is to optimize your online presence for local search results. Regardless if you have a single brick-and-mortar location, a global chain or an e-commerce website, you are more likely to turn prospects into customers if you increase the chances of them finding you in local search results. The importance of local SEO is made apparent through Go-Globe’s great infographic. We have also listed some helpful tips below on how you can get started.
Source: Verisign
Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs)
ccTLDs are the second largest group of domains registered after .COM but their rate of growth is surpassing that of the Queen Bee extension. ccTLDs offer an advantage that other domain extensions don’t: they are favored in local search results. In order to register, many ccTLDs require proof of the business’ residency in that country, a higher standard that Google recognizes. Citizens in those countries are more familiar with and more trusting of the ccTLD from their region.
Location based nGTLD
As you can also see in the above diagram, New gTLDs are growing tremendously fast. A sub-category of the New gTLDs include city domain name extensions. You can see a full list of them here. With a domain name like YourBusiness.Vegas, YourProfession.Barcelona, or YourName.London, your brand will automatically gain attention of local search users making your brand appear more established. Imagine being the trailblazer in one of these iconic cities with a matching city domain name! Pretty cool, right?
NAP/ Location Pages
Optimize your page for success. It is important to provide the type of information users are searching for in order to make an informed decision. Google needs to be able to know where you are physically located when crawling your page. If your organization has more than one location, create a separate page for each with uniquely tailored content to the local region. Each page needs to include your brand’s name, address and phone number. Another great place for this content is at the footer of your website. You can’t build your website solely around Google’s Local 3 Pack because it depends on the user’s location, but with these tips you can optimize your on-page content to win users over in local search.
Publish locally relevant blog content
Whether you are a just getting started or have an established brand, you can utilize blogging as a resource to present yourself as an invested member in the local community. Collaborate with local events and influencers in your area and build up your website with local backlinks. If your product or brand has a special tie or inspiration behind the local scene, share the influence with your customers. For example, if you use locally grown produce or materials you could write a feature about your unique design process. Establish an emotional connection to the local community and you will turn local search leads into loyal customers.
Mobile and search are undeniably on the rise. Statistics like “78% of local-mobile searches result in offline purchases” can’t, and shouldn’t be, ignored. Get ahead of the competition in your area starting with your new locally branded domain name.
