Location-based SEO

Whether you’re an eager business owner, a budding digital marketing professional, or a veteran advertiser, there’s no denying that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a craft worth learning. Thanks to the art and science of SEO, millions of businesses around the world have grown from complete obscurity to becoming unique success stories with varying levels of impact on the modern business landscape. As essential as SEO is for attaining a significant amount of success nowadays, however, it can be easy to get caught up in all its different forms.

Generally speaking, SEO can take multiple forms, such as a keyword-based approach, web development-oriented strategies, or backlink-heavy efforts. If you’re a beginner who’s looking to jump right into the world of SEO and gain traction and results with your efforts, start with learning location-based SEO.

What is a location-based SEO?

Location-based SEO, to put it simply, is a form of SEO that optimises content to appear in a specific target location. Also known as geo-targeting, location-based SEO allows small to medium-sized businesses to capture a larger part of their target audience or areas without having to shell out a significant chunk of their budget.

Where is location-based SEO usually applied?

With Google paying an even bigger amount of attention towards location-based SEO, it’s easy to see that the search engine giant has gained a better grasp on generating location-based results on even generic topics.

The most significant manifestation of Google’s location-based SEO efforts is when one uses the “[establishment type] + ‘near me’” long-tail keyword that automatically generates local results based on where the searcher is. For example, if you search “shopping malls near me” on Google, you’ll immediately get a list of local results of shopping centres that are actually in your area. This same method goes for anyone who looks for an establishment like yours in the area you operate in.

Ways to easily start on location-based SEO

Fortunately, getting started on location-based SEO isn’t as difficult as it may seem because Google has made it easier for various businesses to hop on the groundbreaking approach. If you want to improve your business’s online visibility and draw more loyal customers to your doorstep, then here are two tips that you should definitely start working on:

1. Start targeting location-specific keywords

The easiest way to harness the power of location-based SEO is to start targeting location-specific keywords that are relevant to your business. Targeting location-specific keywords are vital to any location-based SEO strategy and are absolutely essential in determining the overall long-term success of such endeavours. As simple as it may seem, the ability to target location-based keywords is a skill that shouldn’t be overlooked because it can provide your business with an invaluable advantage.

Generally speaking, using target location-specific keywords entails taking the following search terms into consideration and using them:

• Your postcode
• Your town proper or county
• Your entire area or products’ area scope

For example, you’re a Cornwall-based artisanal baker who’s looking to draw in more paying customers and convert them into loyal patrons. Instead of simply using your bakery name repeatedly in your blog posts and website, you can include other terms such as “Cornwall bakery,” “UK Restaurant,” or “Top restaurants in the Cornwall, UK area!”

2. Use Google My Business (GMB) to your advantage

Another way to effectively harness the potential of location-based SEO is to learn about Google My Business (GMB) and use it to your advantage. GMB, in essence, is one of Google’s free tools that allow any business to manage its online presence across the expansive search engine (extending even to Google Maps!)

Using GMB and optimising it for local SEO entails ensuring that the following requirements are met accordingly:

1. Your location is owner-verified so that Google can start using it accordingly
2. Your GMB information is accurate and filled out in every entry
3. Your listed GMB primary categories associated with your business are consistent with your product offering
4. Your targeted town or city is specifically-mentioned in the GMB landing page title

Location-based SEO is one of the most powerful tools that your business could possibly use to establish your authority online and harness an even larger number of customers along the way. If you aren’t sure how you can use location-based SEO to your advantage, then get in touch with Cornwall’s very own experts at SEO Pilot today!

If you aren’t sure how you can use location-based SEO to your advantage, then get in touch with Cornwall’s very own experts at SEO Pilot today!

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