MSFT Place Business Guide to Ranking Your Local Business

Guide to Ranking Your Local Business



It becomes more difficult to rank each day. There is a reason for this, and it is because of competition. Add to this the fact that search engine algorithms are constantly changing. Google owns the information highway, and the company’s mission is to ensure that users experience the best search results. Thus, it behooves site owners and digital marketers to be aware of updates and to make the necessary marketing adjustments for clients.

Keeping Websites Relevant for Local Search

There are a number of key signals that communicate to search engines the relevancy of a page or website. Millions of people search for local products and services. Up to 50% of local searches end with buyers entering a store. Those companies that plan to optimize for local search are the ones who will reap the benefits. Here are several stats to consider.

  • As much as 70% of all Web traffic transpires on a mobile device
  • Smartphones and tablets account for nearly 60% of all online traffic in America

Selecting Local Categories

One of the key elements to the local ranking is to select the proper “tag” for your business. Consider the categories that best define the business. These can include Google My Business, Yahoo Local, and Bing Places. A business description for either of these tag locations will convey to users the exact nature and offerings of a business.

Website Optimization

Marketers and site owners can optimize their website to increase their relevance through specific keywords. Find out what keywords competitors rank for, and develop unique content. Content should be totally relevant to the information or products that users search for. Content has to match the intent of the user’s original search. Write content in a natural way, and use semantically linked keywords. Marketers should also include long-tail keywords.

Capture Attention with Great Title tags and Meta Descriptions

As in anything, first impressions count. Title tags can incorporate keywords and serves a click-bait as well. With the right title tag, users immediately know what to expect of a page. Write the meta description so that it adds relevance to the title tag. Body tags will get the attention of search algorithms if written correctly. The can also be a tool that encourages visitors to keep reading down the page. Search engines attach a higher relevance to body tags with keywords. Add alt text with images as well.

Link Internally

Internal links can help users to navigate specific website pages. They can also spread link equity through websites. Of course, outbound links can add additional information to important topics. Schema is an additional tool to use that will enable Web pages to rank better in search results.

Provide Relevant Testimonials

Testimonials and reviews can help boost website rankings. The same holds for reviews. Keep in mind that both testimonials and reviews should show relevance to each page’s content.

Off-Page Optimization

Another term for an off-page signal is backlinks. The more relevant backlinks pointing to a site, the more trustworthy and credible the site will appear to search engines. Guest posting can allow marketers and bloggers to share their content with the world. Just remember to make any guest posts completely relevant to the targeted website. Even experts love the idea of linking to highly relevant content. Great content can and does attract inbound links.

One of the most important things to remember with respect to Orlando local SEO is that the right digital marketing team can help businesses stand out from their competition. Trust the experts who can help companies take their online business to its next level of success.