Story Based Question
You’ve built a thriving online store selling eco-friendly home goods. You’ve recently opened a physical location in your city to cater to local customers. As your online store continues to grow, you’re starting to wonder: “How do I make sure my physical location gets the attention it deserves from search engines, and how can I optimize my local SEO to attract more customers to both my website and my brick-and-mortar store?”
You realize that just having an address on your website won’t be enough. It’s time to dig into local SEO strategies that help your physical location shine on the local search results.
Exact Answer
To optimize for local SEO when you have a physical location, start by claiming and optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing, ensuring it is complete and accurate. Include your business name, address, phone number, and hours of operation. Encourage customers to leave reviews and engage with them regularly. Also, create localized content, including city or neighborhood-specific keywords on your website, and make sure your site is mobile-friendly to accommodate local searches.
Explanation
Local SEO is essential for businesses that want to attract customers from nearby areas. When you have a physical location, optimizing your site for local searches increases the chances of being discovered by people looking for services or products nearby. Here’s how to approach it:
- Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing:
Google My Business (GMB) is one of the most effective tools for local SEO. It helps your business show up on Google Maps and in local search results. Make sure your listing is complete with accurate information like your address, phone number, website link, hours of operation, and categories. Adding photos and posts regularly also keeps your listing fresh and engaging for customers. - Encourage Customer Reviews:
Positive reviews are crucial for local SEO. They not only improve your credibility but also signal to Google that your business is active and trusted by customers. Encourage your satisfied customers to leave reviews on your GMB listing, as these reviews help improve your local rankings. Responding to reviews—whether positive or negative—also boosts your SEO by showing you care about your customers. - Use Localized Keywords:
Incorporate keywords related to your physical location into your website’s content. For example, if you’re selling eco-friendly home goods in Denver, include keywords like “eco-friendly home goods in Denver” or “sustainable products in Denver.” This helps Google associate your business with the local area, making it easier for local customers to find you. - Create Location-Specific Content:
Write blog posts or create pages that focus on your city or neighborhood. For example, you could create a blog post about “How to Make Your Denver Home More Eco-Friendly.” This kind of localized content boosts your relevance for search queries related to your location. - Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users:
A significant portion of local searches comes from mobile devices. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you could lose potential customers. Ensure your site is responsive, loads quickly, and provides a seamless experience for mobile users searching for local products or services. - Use Structured Data Markup:
Implement local business schema markup on your website. This helps search engines understand your business details, such as your address, phone number, and operating hours, and displays them in a rich format in search results. It’s an extra step that can improve your visibility in local searches.
Example
Let’s say you own a physical store that sells eco-friendly home goods in Denver. Here’s how you can apply local SEO strategies to optimize for your physical location:
- Google My Business:
You claim your GMB listing and fill out all the necessary details, such as “Eco-Friendly Home Goods Store” as your business category, and “Denver, CO” as your location. You upload high-quality photos of your store and products and regularly post updates about new arrivals or special promotions. - Encourage Reviews:
After a customer makes a purchase, you send a follow-up email thanking them for their purchase and kindly ask if they’d leave a review on your GMB listing. You get a handful of positive reviews over time, boosting your credibility. - Localized Keywords:
On your website, you include keywords like “Denver eco-friendly home goods” and “sustainable home decor in Denver” in your product descriptions, blog posts, and category pages. - Location-Specific Content:
You write a blog post titled “Top 5 Eco-Friendly Products for Denver Homes” and another one about “Sustainable Living in Denver.” These posts are not only helpful for locals but also improve your chances of showing up in local search results for customers looking for eco-friendly products in the area. - Mobile Optimization:
Your website is fully optimized for mobile devices, with fast loading times and easy navigation for people who are searching on the go. - Structured Data Markup:
You add structured data for your business name, address, phone number, and hours, ensuring this information is displayed correctly in search engine results.
By applying these strategies, your store is much more likely to show up in local searches for eco-friendly products in Denver, attracting both local customers and online shoppers.