2018 is just around the corner and most of us have already started to plan our steps into the next year. If you are on the run as well, one of the most important things that you should address in that regard is your local SEO strategy. This is because experts in the field of digital marketing claim that approximately half of all Google searches are going to be locally related next year. So to help you out, below are a few local SEO mistakes that you should certainly avoid in the upcoming year, so that you can maximize your digital marketing efforts and steer way ahead of your competitors in 2018.
#1 Paying Zero Attention to Normal SEO Ranking Factors
It is a widely known fact local SEO is quite different when compared to normal SEO, but assuming that they are entirely different is a bad move. This is because there are several factors that influence both local SEO and global SEO and some of them are as follows.
Domain Authority
Not all businesses are equal and the ones with a higher domain authority will always receive a greater ranking on popular search engines like Google. So, put in extra efforts and work to improve the initial domain authority of your business by gaining quality external and internal links.
Search Results in CTR
It is seen that Google keeps a close track on the CTR to your business website from the Google search result page. This is to identify how your business is resonating with your target audience and other web users. Therefore, you need to adjust and maintain the On-Page SEO of your website, be it for local audience or global users.
Backlinks
Another crucial factor that is vital for the success of local SEO is backlinks. Factors such as the quantity and quality of your backlinks will play a critical role in determining the strength of your local SEO. Therefore, if you have not yet created an efficient link building strategy for your local users, it is high time to implement one.
#2 Not Adding Accurate NAP Information
One of the core metrics used by Google to rank websites in the search results page is NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number). This means that you will need to publically display your NAP information consistently across all platforms. Note that search engines refer to the NAP information provided on your site with multiple sites such as Google My Business Page, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and others.
#3 Not Earning Local Reviews
Try to get high quantity, high diversity, and high-quality local reviews, as it can boost your local SEO efforts. Reach out to your existing customers and request them to write a genuine review for your prospective customers. It is significant to note that review signals account for approximately 10 percent of the local ranking factors.
#4 Not Claiming your Google My Business Page
The first and most important thing you should do is to claim your Google My Business page because it accounts for about 15 percent of local ranking signals. A major proportion of the information used by Google to rank your site comes from the Google My Business page and not from the main website.
#5 Ignoring the Negative Local Ranking Factors
The last thing you should note is that there are several negative factors, which may affect the ranking of your local business website. This means that you should try to follow these following tips too.
- Do not list your business in an incorrect category.
- Do not use an inaccurate phone number and business address.
- Avoid the use of UPS mail, PO boxes, and other digital addresses.
Above all, if you wish to lure in more customers to your local business, you will need to hire an expert SEO services provider that can bring you the desired results within the preset deadline.
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