How to Optimize Your Website for Local Search

7 SEO Strategies to Optimize Your Local Business Website

In the past year (has it really been a year since we first went into COVID-19-mode?!), we've heard a lot about the #ShopLocal movement. Especially over the holidays, people were focused on buying gifts within the community to support small businesses.

The Retail Council of Canada's (RCC) found that 90% of Canadians intended to shop local during the 2020 holiday seasons, and 83% preferred to purchase items that were also made in Canada.

Now that we're past the holiday season, it's important for small business owners to look ahead and think about ways to keep promoting themselves locally in 2021.

It's so crucial to focus your marketing efforts on getting local website traffic if you run a store-front business or offer a service that is within a specific geographic area.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to increase your visibility and reach your target audience. To help you achieve your goals in 2021, here's how to rank locally:

1. First, make a list of the regions that you want to target.

For example, if you live in the Lower Mainland of BC, you may want to incorporate keywords such as "Langley", "Abbotsford", "Surrey" and so on in your website content.

Include your city, the nearest major metropolitan area and your province. Now, start creating long-tail keyword phrases for each of these. Let's use the example of "interior design." Instead of just using that keyword phrase, you could target "Surrey interior design" and "BC interior designers."

2. Write a web page or blog post dedicated to each local keyword phrase.

Now that you have your list of keywords to target, it's time to start writing!

To optimize your website for local search, sprinkle the keywords and geographic locations throughout your website copy so the search engines will keep you top of mind in their search results. Remember not to stuff your content with keywords.

3. Regularly write and post new local content.

Adding new content to a website, especially as a value-adding blog post, is essential for every website.

When you create new location-based content with your keywords, it makes what you're saying even more valuable-whether it's a press release about something you are doing in the community or a review of a new local service.

4. Add your business address at the footer of your website in text.

If you're wondering how to rank locally, don't forget to include your address on your site! This not only acts as a clue that shows Google you are a local business, but it also shows your website visitors that they are in the right place.

Even better: embed a dynamic Google Map to help customers find your location, display your location with images and build trust and credibility.
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