Buy Local: 3 Ways to Improve Your Local SEO

From farmers markets to farm-to-table restaurants, buying local is all the rage, and you can harness this trend to improve your brand’s SEO.A lot of people want to optimize their business website for local search, but many aren’t sure where to start. Luckily, the team at PBJ Marketing has years of experience helping our partners optimize their sites for both local and global success.According to Google, 80% of consumers utilize search engines to find information on local businesses, while half of them visited a brick-and-mortar location within 24 hours. With all this in mind, you can start revamping your site’s local angle with the following strategies.

1. Focus on local contentThere are many important aspects of local SEO, but perhaps the most crucial is localized content. Here, we’re referring to content – both copy and graphics – that is specifically tailored to the area around your business while informing consumers of their problems, wants, and needs. Align content with local values. For example, if your run an ice cream shop on Nantucket, share how your products and services connect with the area.
2. Harness Google MapsThe reason so many consumers visit a particular business after conducting a search is because it’s easy to find – literally. Google Maps is a very powerful tool that you can put to work for your company, but there are so many more outlets. Claim and update your business listing in as many legitimate business directories and online map services as you can. Just make sure they’re legitimate sources for information, but start with Google, Bing, Facebook, MapQuest, Yahoo Business, Yelp, and Yellow Pages.
3. Build a network of local linksRegardless of your scope, link building is a crucial part of SEO. Like any link building strategy, it starts with comprehensive research. For local link building, linking to legitimize city-run sites is a great place to lay your foundation. Only link to sites you want to be associated with, and always ensure the links work in context. Think of link building as digital relationship building, and in business, relationships are everything.