We have exciting news! Cube has been acquired by Birdeye [Click here]
11 SEO tips to optimise your website for hyperlocal search
Today’s customers are savvy – they know exactly what they want and they’re just a click away from purchasing!
This year, it’s estimated that over 50 per cent of consumers will buy online using their mobile devices. So, as a business owner, having a strong digital presence has never been more important.
At Cube Online, our team know a thing or two about digital marketing – we’ve helped hundreds of companies grow their digital footprint. Today, we’re sharing some simple tips to help improve your website’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) so you can generate more real customers in local search results.
|
Implementing the following changes on your website will assist your website SEO, and complement your Google Local Search (Maps) results |
1. Increase your site speed
Did you know that most websites lose half of their visitors while loading? This isn’t good for Google or businesses, that’s why the search engines penalise slow-loading sites by ranking them lower.
Luckily, Google offers a free online tool that identifies how you can improve your site’s speed. Elements such as compressing image size, removing unwanted page components, enabling browser caching, and deleting unnecessary plugins are some of the ways you can enhance your site’s speed.
2. Optimise your site for mobile
Approximately 52.2 per cent of all website traffic across the globe is generated through mobile phones!
Having a mobile-friendly website doesn’t just look nice on-screen, it’s a must if you want your customers to have a good experience online. Google prioritises mobile responsive sites in search results, so knowing this, we think it’s probably worth checking how your website looks on a device. Some of the key things to look out for include the position and size of images, buttons, and text.
3. Have efficient functionality and clear Internal linking
Most people would agree, a large textbook requires a clear contents page to help them navigate the information. Google requires the same thing for your website.
The way you can ensure your website is easy to navigate is through efficient functionality and clear internal linking.
The best websites are made through thinking of the end-users needs and wants, and creating a wireframe to appeal to their every behaviour. Once you’ve created your wireframe, your website should flow with ease, and have no broken links that lead to a 404 page.
4. Give content your all
Search engines like Google reward sites that provide new material on a regular basis. Although a question we regularly get asked is: Do blogs help with local SEO?
Yes. In fact, online content like blogs are the perfect way to get your business’s message out there and boost your online activity.
Maintaining a blog on your website has numerous benefits for your local SEO. Every local business has topics worth sharing with their local community, and by blogging regularly about these topics, you'll be able to improve your local SEO success and become an active voice in your community.
When writing your blog, don’t forget to use keywords and search terms within your piece that are relevant to your local audience – if you want to appeal to people in your local area, you must engage in topics that will interest them first.
5. Write keyword-rich page titles and desirable meta descriptions
When we speak to customers about locally marketed websites, what they often don’t realise is that there is a multitude of places you can list local keywords within your website. Two of the most effective ways to do this is through page titles meta descriptions.
Page titles tell your Google and customers page you’re showcasing. Each page of your website should have a unique title and be kept to under 70 characters. Try to avoid generic terms such as “Home” and instead include localised keywords that are applicable to your business such as “Visit the best hair stylists in Rosebery | business name | Home ”.
Meta descriptions feature publically underneath your page titles and tell your customer what the specific page is about to encourage them to click through. Each page should have a unique meta description that includes no more than 160 characters. The purpose of this content is purely used to appeal to your local customer, so make sure you address the benefit your page will bring to them.
6. Get super social
Did you know that social media profiles rank in search engines? It’s a fact that companies with a strong social media presence appear in the top search results. So, if you haven’t already, perhaps consider platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest to get your business’s localised messages out there.
7. Claim your Google Business Page
Your Google Business Page holds the key to your local marketing, so you need to have direct access to your business page if someone else has claimed it.
Inside your Google Business profile, you can provide a link to your website. Google then features your website link along with your phone number, business address (if you are a location-based business), and service areas to your local community of searchers.
Additionally, you can post updates to your Google Business Profile just like a social media account, and include a button that directly links to your website. This is highly effective for your local search visibility as Google rewards businesses that prioritise regular activity on their Google profile, and offers you additional opportunities to increase your website traffic.
8. Create individual location and service landing pages
Separate landing pages offer your local searchers appealing content about your business that is specifically relevant to their needs. If you service multiple suburbs we suggest creating a suburb site map that highlights all the suburbs you are looking to attract customers from.
9. Incorporate local business schema markup
Schema mark-up is a local SEO technique for the technically advanced. Create schema markup for your website around the products or services your business offers and the suburbs you operate in.
The process comprises of implementing separate snippets of code into the HMTL of your website's location and service landing pages. These individual sets of codes mark your pages with a ‘stamp of authority which signals to Google you are worth featuring in their Google Maps pack. As a result, when searchers are trying to discover businesses through certain keywords that are relevant to your business, you are more likely to be featured.
You can find a step-by-step guide here.
10. Add your name, address, phone number, and website to local online directories
Online directory building is one of the best ways to get your business name noticed by Google.
By scanning high-value online directories, Google sources the most relevant businesses in your industry, and features selected Google Business Profiles as a result.
Produce a strong Directory building strategy by:
- Gradually add yourself into high-value online directories
- If you add yourself to too many online directories at once, Google may penalise your business. You need to slowly build your name in directories that Google values as a high citation.
- Keep all information consistent
- If Google sees your information as inconsistent, it may lower your visibility in the maps.
- Ensure you only have one listing in each directory
- duplicate listings confuse Google, and as a result, they may lower your visibility
- Be industry-specific when selecting your directories.
- Google rewards businesses that feature in directories relevant to their industry.
Directory building requires research, time, and skills, although it is one of the most rewarding efforts local businesses can make as it offers them significantly increased exposure in their local areas.
At Cube, we have a team of digital experts who have implemented successful directory building for over 3000 businesses. If you need help, we’ll finalise everything for you.
Book free strategy session
11. Create videos
It’s a fact that 82 per cent of Google search results come from YouTube!
Search engines prioritise video content because it’s valued by audiences, so if you haven’t already, it’s probably a good idea to create a few videos – just don’t forget to make them relevant to your local audience.
It’s important to highlight that Google’s bots ‘read’ your video content, so think about the title and include keywords that describe the video, and entice the viewer to click.
What next?
So, now that you’ve read our tips, you can start implementing them to optimise our website for hyperlocal search results. It’s important to note, sometimes it is in a business’s best interest to start their website from scratch if too many of these points have not been previously actioned.
If you are not happy with your current website or you don’t think it’s converting as well as it could in your local community, please feel free to book a call with one of our digital website experts or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. today.
