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SEO Tips for Local Businesses
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Search engine optimization is the process of improving your website visibility in search engines. Local SEO has become increasingly more popular in the last years. Statistics show that over 97 percent of customers search for local businesses on the Internet. Google, Yahoo and Bing make up over 90 percent of the search engine market. If you can't be found in local searches, you will miss out on a lot of potential business.
Optimize for Local Search Queries
Whether or not you have a brick and mortar store, it is important to ensure that your website ranks well in local search results. For example, if you have a fashion boutique, potential customers will want directions and a map to get to your store.
The first step in promoting your business locally is to provide search engines with information about your location. Add your company to local directories. Yellow Pages are one of the first places where potential customers look when searching for a local vendor. List your business in local directories such as the Chamber of Commerce and tourism sites.
Write informative posts in article directories and include your contact information in the resource box. Use your location in meta tags. Create backlinks with your location as anchor text. Add your address in the footer of your website. Set your geographic location in Google's Webmaster Tools.
Take Advantage of Google Places and Yahoo Local
One of the best ways to improve the visibility of your online business is to add your company to search engine's local listings. Getting on Yahoo Local, Yelp, Ask, and Google Places should be at the top of your list. Describe and categorize your business correctly.
Request Feedback
Ask your customers to write reviews and leave feedback on Google Places or Yelp. These reviews, good or bad, make your company more creditable to potential clients. Your business will rank higher if it has positive reviews.
Create a Professional Website
Hire a web design company to set up your business website. An effective website is a powerful marketing tool. Provide compelling information about your products and services. Get quality backlinks from trustworthy sites. Mention your company's location naturally throughout your website content, so that the search can see that your pages are associated with a specific region. If you belong to professional organization or local business association, request a link to your website. If you company operates in several cities or states, create separate pages for your different locations.
Once you've completed these steps, you can start using different strategies to optimize your website for your target audience. Secure your online brand and promote your business on social media websites. Develop a professional logo and improve the visual design of your website.
An organic SEO service provider can help you build a strong online presence and promote your business locally. By using powerful strategies such as link building and link wheel SEO, a professional company can improve the visibility of your online business and attract new customers to your website.
FG_AUTHORS: Internet-and-Businesses-Online:SEO Articles from EzineArticles.com
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