This coming year we are going to see more changes in the Google updates. With more and more focus on unique content and detailed information for local sites, now is the time to take a hard look at your site and make some changes that can improve your seo.
What types of things are important for your local search optimization in 2016?
There are several important key functions that you need to make sure are included on your local website. Let’s take a deeper look.
- Develop Your About Page – People still want to shop from people they know, especially in a local market. By offering your customers an in-depth look at who you are and why you are in business, you can reach out to those customers personally.
- Develop Your Home Page - Separate yourself from the online retailers with an attractive and personal home or landing page that is inviting and tells the visitor what your site is about. Be welcoming and prepare to fil their needs.
- Make Your Presence Known - Include complete address and phone number on all pages by offering it in the footer or header of your site. Make it easy for visitors to contact you.
- Add Your City and State factors - Include your city and state in your title tags, H1 headers, on your alt tags in your images, scattered in your content, and in your URL, if possible. Make it easy for the search engines to find you to be able to recommend your site to local search responses.
- Prepare for More Mobile Usage – Number 4 above is very important for mobile usage for search referrals but so are keywords. You may need to shift key words or add in new ones that reflect mobile search patterns. Installing and using Google Analytics will help you define what is best for your site. Also, make sure your site is mobile friendly too! You can check it at the Mobile Friendly Test Link.
- Prepare for Voice Enabled Searches– Voice searches are increasing too and that may change the type of keywords you will want to use. Voice searches and mobile searches may be similar - shorter and concise with town and/or street information included. Make sure your site is ready.
Simple but effective tweaks to your small business site are needed in 2016 to make sure that your site is ready for local searches and improved seo. These 6 recommendations will help improve your business’s ability to be found more readily in local search functions.
