Local SEO Optimization Checklist 1.0

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimizing) is a process to improve search engine visibility for local businesses. This includes brick-and-mortar establishments. Local SEO best practices can help businesses increase organic traffic from customers searching in the same area.

Local SEO is slightly different than traditional SEO. It includes website SEO optimization, Google My Profile, Citations, and Socials. This document will cover everything you need to know about Local SEO.

Start with the most important factor Google My Business.

Optimize for Google My Business (GMB):

With a free Business Profile, you can turn people who discover you on Google Search and Maps into new customers. Your profile can be personalized with photos, posts, offers, and other details.

These are 13 important points to remember when optimizing GMB.

1. Register for a Google My Business Account

It is important to remember that a Google Business Profile can be used independently of a Google My Business account.

This is used to optimize and gain access to the former. To make the optimizations in this guide, you will need a Google My Business account. After that, tell Google to link it to your Google Business Profile.

Go to Google.com/business to create an account. Sign in using the Google/Gmail account that you use for business purposes (and not your personal Gmail account, if applicable).

2. Each section must be completed

Google will rank your Google Business Profile higher in local searches. It also helps customers take more action when they see your profile. You have a lot to offer, so these are some guidelines to help you prioritize.

These are the most important aspects of your profile and should be done immediately:

Name
Address
Telefon
Website
Hours

These sections require more thought and time.

Category and Attributes
Services and products
From the business
Questions and answers (Owner-generated questions)

These sections are being updated:

Posts
Review
Questions and answers (Consumer-generated)

3. Make sure you are precise with your contact information

These are the steps to optimize your contact information on your Google Business Profile.

Your business name should be the same as the one displayed on your store signage. Also, it should be exactly the same as what you see in real life. Google could penalize you for adding location names (unless it is in your brand name) and keywords.

Make sure your business name and address match all other listings on the internet. This means that you should use “st” instead of “street” or even “co” instead of “company.” These inconsistencies are taken into consideration by Google's algorithm when it assesses your credibility.

Both your holiday and regular hours should be indicated. This will encourage customers to come to you and avoid negative reviews from people who visit your store only to discover it is closed.

4. Your “from the business” description

First, you should note that the short description located just below your business name on your Business Profile is not under your control. Google creates this editorial summary to ensure consistency across its platform.

This description is not in your control. It's a bummer, I know. Google does a great job of coming up with descriptions.

You have some control over the description in the Google My Business dashboard. This section is often located below the reviews section in your profile.

To optimize your Google Business Profile's “from the business” section:

Use all 750 characters. Key information should be in the first 250 characters.
Use content from your mission statement or “About Us” page to repurpose.
To find similar businesses to yours, use keywords that your audience uses.
Do not repeat information that is already available in other sections of the profile. This space is for you to discuss what makes your business stand out from the rest and what customers love about it.
Do not include HTML or links.

5. Choose a category

Optimizing your Google Business Profile is only possible if you choose a category. Here's why:

Find your business in search results. An astounding 84% number of Google Business Profile views are derived from discovery searches. This means that the consumer searched for a product or service, and the profile of the business was displayed. Only 16% comes from direct searches, where the consumer entered the business name or location. This is especially true for businesses that don't have a service name (e.g. Fresh Express or Amelia's Catering).
Highlight specific features that are relevant to a particular category. Google gives you the option to highlight category-specific features. This will make your profile more appealing and effective. Restaurants can have a reservation or menu button, hotel profiles can pull in star ratings, and hair salons can verify that they have experience working with curly or thin hair. These details will help customers choose you over your competitors.

Your category will appear in the top section of your Google Business Profile.

Google has a limited number of categories. It is important to select the right ones. This is how you can optimize your Google Business Profile with categories.

Make sure you are specific. Be specific.
Secondary categories are better. Multiple categories are common for businesses. You can set your primary category as your main offering, for example, “Grocery Shop,” and then select additional categories such as “Grocery Delivery Service” and “Gourmet Grocery store.”
Don't overdo it. Google wants to connect you with people who are interested in your service. So make sure that your categories match what you offer. If you are an appliance repair company, you should select “Appliance Repair” and not “Appliance Parts supplier.” Although technically, you can supply service parts, this is not a separate offering for your business. (Pro tip: Do not confuse categories with attributes or products. They are two different sections

Google may ask you for verification if you add or edit a category. This is to verify accuracy across the platform.

6. Select the appropriate attributes

We just mentioned that Google would provide a list with attributes to help you describe your business once you have chosen a category. Attributes are the special features that potential customers seek out.

These attributes are not limited to Google My Business, but review sites such as Yelp also have them. Google attributes are more specific, such as “good for laptop use” and “popular for travelers.” To see my point, check out this.

7. Photos

Three reasons why it is important to upload photos to your Business Profile via your Google My Business account dashboard:

Ensure quality. Anybody can upload photos to your Business Profile. This means that you will get a variety of quality. You can make your profile look great by adding great photos.
Keep active. Google will notice if you add photos to your profile regularly. This signals that your profile is active and up-to-date. This positively affects your ranking.
Images in search results. Google is making improvements in image recognition. Local results now include photos.
Increase engagement. Google shows that customers are 42% more likely than others to request driving directions from a business whose Business Profile includes photos. Customers also tend to be 35% more likely, according to Google, to click through to the website. A Study found that businesses with 100+ photos receive 520% more calls, 2,717% higher directions requests, and 1,065% more website visits than the average business. Whoah.

You don't have to add 100 images to your profile in one go. These tips will help you optimize your Google Business Profile with photos:

Every seven days, add at least one more photo.
Upload your logo to your thumbnail photo.
Use the best cover photo for your brand. But don't worry about it because Google may display different feature photos depending on your search query.
Other general photos can be found in Google's Photo Guidelines. For specifications, please include happy customers, interior or exterior views, as well as team photos.
There are no stock photos, and there are no photos that have special effects or branding. Google is trying to show your business in the world as it actually appears.
To align with image-enriched results, focus on high-quality images that clearly depict the subject

If the keyword search is met, Google will pull a particular photo from a Business Profile.

To further show Google your prominence in your local area, geo-tag your photos.
You can also add videos!
Google Street View allows you to upload a 360 image to the profile.

8. Google reviews

What business would you choose if you found a list of similar businesses in search results to the one below? Which one has four yellow stars? Or one of the two with no reviews?

Google recognizes that reviews are the #1 factor that influences consumer buying decisions, and this is why they have made it a ranking factor. The impact of reviews on rankings can be seen for yourself. Google's “Local 3-Pack” is a list of the top three local results. These are the ones that have received multiple reviews and have solid star ratings.

Google may also show a Business Profile in search results for keywords that have received reviews.

Google will encourage keywords to be included in reviews to validate relevancy.

These tips will help you stand out among your competitors by optimizing your Google Business Profile with Reviews.

To get the momentum started, start with long-standing loyal customers.
Customers will find it easy to create a review link or use Whitespark’s shortcut linking generator (both are completely free).
Ask! 62% of customers will leave a review if asked. You can do this via email, text, or in-person conversations.
Customers should remember that reviews don't serve only your benefit. They help others who are experiencing the same problems as you to find a solution and make informed decisions.
Create a page called “Reviews” on your website that allows users to leave reviews.
React to customer reviews. This helps to motivate customers to leave reviews. It also reveals a lot to prospects about your business and improves local SEO.

This post on how you can get more Google reviews provides a deeper look into this optimization strategy.

However, it is not permitted to reward reviews with cash, discounts, or gifts.

9. Post to your Google Business Profile

You can also post information about announcements and events to your Google Business Profile, just like with social networking platforms. Your Google My Business dashboard creates posts, and they appear in the “Updates” section at the bottom of the Business Profile. They may be more prominent depending on the search query.

How posts can help you optimize your Google Business Profile

Consumers who discover your profile will take more action if you have posted them.
Regular posting sends positive rankings signals to Google the same way as adding photos.
Search engines have higher intent than other platforms (i.e. Facebook and Instagram, where they are casually scrolling), so consumers are more likely to engage in your Google posts.
Consumers can follow your Business Profile to be notified about new posts and updates.
Your Google My Business posts can be viewed on Maps – it's a free advertisement for your local business.

These are some tips to optimize your Google Business Profile and posts.

Post frequently. Not only to send signals to Google but also because certain types of posts expire every seven days.
Marketing campaigns with a timeline should use events and offer postings. You can select a time period, and the posts will remain live for that duration.
In every post, include CTAs and links.
At the time of writing this article, there was a COVID-19-type post that you can use to communicate effectively with your audience during the pandemic.

10. Ask questions and get answers

Did you know that Amazon has a section where customers can ask questions? Google Business Profiles offers the same feature.

These questions could be what a customer uses to decide to work with your company. This section is especially important to optimize. Not only can anyone ask questions on a business's Google page, but anyone can also answer. This could lead to incorrect information or, worse, a Q&A section on the profile of this pizza restaurant.

You cannot disable the Q&A section of your Business Profile. However, there are many ways to optimize it.

You can set up alerts to keep you informed about questions and answers that are posted to your profile

Start your own Q&A section. Create a list of frequently asked questions for your business. Ask, answer, then upvote the answer you receive on your profile. It is not against Google's terms. In fact, Google encourages it.
Keywords are important. Answers and questions that include keywords can improve your Business Profile's rank for that keyword. When seeding your Q&A section, keep in mind your keyword strategy. However, you should use them organically and not keyword stuff.

Monitoring and seeding your Q&A section will ensure that accurate information is provided, highlight your best qualities, and lower entry barriers.

Notice: In response to COVID-19, Google temporarily removed the Q&A section from most Business Profiles. This may mean that you might not be able to see the option for yours.

11. Add products or services

If your products or services are not clearly stated in your business name, adding products and/or services can be very helpful. This section can also be used to add content to your profile, which can make it rank higher for more relevant searches.

Add the name, description, and price of products or services when adding them. Once a searcher clicks on the product, the full description will be displayed. Google may also link to your products in your category section.

12. Set up messaging

Searchers can send a message to your phone via your Google Business Profile. This is an excellent opportunity for customers to contact you, with 82% of smartphone shoppers (92% of millennials) using their phones for local searches.

You can enable messaging by selecting the “Messaging” tab from your Google My Business dashboard. Then, you can choose to install it via Google Play or Apple App Store.

Two words about Google My Business messaging

It doesn't matter if you don't want to display your personal number. You can use an alternative number through Google's Allo app.
Set up notifications for messages in Google My Business. Go to Settings and select “Customer messages.

13. You can maintain your Business Profile by using a solid Google My Business strategy

A Google Business Profile isn't a one-and-done marketing task. It is a local marketing tool that requires continuous action to improve your online presence and maximize your benefits. This includes

Update information, even minor changes in suite numbers.
Each week, publish posts and upload photographs.
Keep a steady flow of reviews coming in.
Monitor and respond to reviews.
Keep abreast of all new features to ensure that your profile is being used to its maximum potential.

GMB optimization is now complete. Now it's time for other factors. The next step is to optimize Socials for Local SEO.

Local SEO with Social Media Optimization

Local SEO is not affected by social media. It does help in building customer trust. These are some optimizations for Social Media.

Information for businesses that are keyword-rich

Make sure that your About pages and Biography sections include your core keywords. Although it may seem unnecessary, since we just explained that social media does not directly impact SEO, no one knows how Google uses this information. You may want to put your best foot forward, even if Google isn't looking.

Reviews:

Facebook reviews are extremely important. You can see the reviews you leave on Facebook in search results. Don't forget about this feature! You should also make sure to get Yelp and Google reviews, but don't forget Facebook!

Linkinbio and Social Landing Pages

Users should be able to easily access the content that you refer to in your social media posts. These links are not for following, but they will help Google contextualize what you link to, which could impact rankings.

Consistent activity

Be consistent. We mentioned that the more you interact with your audience, then the more likely it is that you will be discussed on the internet. Be consistent!

Let's assume that we have optimized Social Media. Let's now see how to optimize your website for local SEO.

Local SEO Optimization of Website:

While we all know that On-page SEO is important in Local SEO, many people don't realize how important it is. Another guide has been created for On-Page Optimization. .

Here are some other things to consider when optimizing a website for local SEO.

Website Content

Your website should have a contact page, an about page, and a home page.
Include the full name, address, and telephone number (NAP), for each location on the contact page.
All NAP entries should be consistent wherever they are mentioned on this website.
Mobile-friendly website

Make sure your location is mentioned in the following sections of your website

Title tag
Headings
Body: First 150 words
Its meta description

Add Local Business Schema

Multiple business locations for multiple business locations:

Create separate pages
Include contact information and address in your content.

Write a blog post that is relevant to your local business

Citations

Consistent citations are important, which means that your business information, such as your name, address, phone number, and telephone number, is consistent across the internet. This shows Google that these sites are trustworthy.

Submit Citations to High-DA Directories
Compare citations from competitors
Any duplicate citation should be removed
React to reviews
Keep the accurate name, address, and phone number (NAP)

Create relevant backlinks

Backlinks, also known as “inbound,” “incoming” or “one-way links,” are links that connect one website to another site. Google and other search engines consider backlinks to be “votes” for a page. High organic search engine rankings are associated with pages that have a lot of backlinks.

Backlinks can be viewed as votes from other websites. Search engines can tell from each vote that this content is valuable, credible, and useful.

The more votes you have, the higher your website will rank on Google and other search engines.