Location Based Keywords for Local SEO

Are you using location based keywords as part of your local SEO strategy. If you are doing SEO for your small local business, then you should be.

Local SEO involves everything from using location based keywords to providing accurate and up-to-date online information about your business.

Optimizing for local SEO helps small businesses such as retail stores, restaurants, and service providers. Can your site be easily found by potential customers in your area? You want them to find you, right?

In this post, our SEO experts get into everything you need to know about location based keywords. Plus, optimizing your website for local SEO and beyond.

What Are Location Based Keywords?

These are location-specific phrases people enter in search engines to find local results. More often than not, people are now using voice search to find what they want. Ranking for keywords based on location helps your business stand out in local search results, which helps drive more customers to your location.

Targeting your keyword search based on locations needs to be an integral part of all your SEO efforts.

Getting website visitors is great, but you know what’s even better? Getting immediate visitors in your area that are searching for businesses like yours. Compared to general SEO tactics, local SEO is specific for businesses with brick-and-mortar locations or a geographic service area.

How Keywords Based On Location Impact SEO

Location based keywords signal your geographic area to the search engines.

Google’s algorithm aims to give users the best possible answer to their queries. When users search for “lunch spots open now,” Google will try to show them restaurants that fit those criteria and answer the search intent: proximity.

If you’re a flower shop in Vancouver, it doesn’t really help your business to show up in search results in Seattle. That’s an awful long drive to pick up a bouquet.

Using keywords that include your location is one of the easiest ways to get started with local SEO.

Where to Start

Start by including location based keywords in your website’s content, meta tags, and structured data.

Let’s use the example we started with, a small flower shop in Vancouver. You might include keywords such as “flower shop in Vancouver” in its content, meta tags, and structured data. This helps Google understand your website’s content and increases your chances of appearing in search results for location based queries.

Another crucial part of local SEO is ensuring your online business information is accurate and up to date. This means your business name, address, phone number, and hours of operation.

How annoying is it to try to go to a restaurant, only to find yourself in front of an empty building because they had moved?

Ensure your business info is updated on your website and other platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. This information must be consistent across all platforms so search engines can easily find and verify it.

Best Ways to Rank for Location Based Keywords

Location based keyword research is highly recommended however, to move the needle on your local SEO performance you need to take a well-rounded approach.

Here are a few easy steps to boost your business in local searches and rank higher for your location based keywords.

Google Business Profile

First, it is essential to claim your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) and keep it updated. This helps you control your business listing on Google and allows you to edit information like locations, hours of operation, and contact information.

Your Google Business Profile directly impacts what appears on Google Maps and what potential customers see when they search for your business.

Reviews

Research has shown that people trust reviews nearly as much as word-of-mouth recommendations. Your Google Business Profile is a great place to show off those glowing customer reports, and it can also improve your visibility in search results!

Try asking happy customers to leave you an online review or include it in your standard customer follow-up service. Make sure to check reviews regularly and respond to every single one!

Location based Content

If your business has multiple areas of operation, try creating location based landing pages that target location based keywords for each location.

You can use these to attract local customers to a specific location by adding information such as the address, phone number, and hours of operation. This can help your businesses appear in local search results and provide a better user experience for potential customers searching for your business in a specific location.

Social Media

Optimize Your local SEO with the power of social media!

Social media is great for connecting with potential customers, engaging with the local business community, and providing business updates like new products, services, and promotions.

Your social media pages can be another avenue to encourage customers to leave reviews. Listing your social media pages on your Google Business Profile can also help reinforce the legitimacy of your local presence and increase your visibility in search results.

Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites to your business’s website. They are SEO gold, so long as they come from authoritative websites.

Try getting backlinks by registering with your community’s local business association and participating in community events. Getting a local news feature is also a great link building strategy. It can also do wonders for brand recognition in your community and get you to the top of local search results.

Technical SEO

Don’t let the technical stuff slide! Ensure your business’s website is properly structured using schema markup.

Schema is a type of structured data that helps Google to better understand your business and website content. This also helps with better indexing and prominence in the search results. It can also help your website appear in rich snippets, otherwise known as “rich results.”

Rich results are special data found in the search results that include additional material about your business, such as reviews, events, or product prices. Also known as rich snippets, they can help a website stand out in search results and make it more likely to be found through location based queries. You might even want to consider having a Technical SEO Audit done on your site to make sure your website is performing optimally.

Does Your Site Need a Local SEO Boost?

Check out our client portfolio page with examples of many of the local businesses we’ve been able to help!

Our team of SEO experts at 1st on the List can help you target your location based keywords ! Together we can give your small business website a makeover to boost your local SEO and get customers into the door!

Contact us online or call us at 1-888-262-6687 to set up a consultation.

Tony Hutchcroft

Tony Hutchcroft is a Professional Writer, Content Optimizer, and Lead Project Strategist at 1st on the List in Abbotsford, BC. With over two decades of experience in search optimization, he is well versed in everything SEO including conversion optimization and improving the user experience. When not drinking coffee or writing music he is hard at work achieving long term growth and results for clients across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Learn more about Tony.

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