What is Local SEO and do you need to do anything about it?

Think of Local SEO as the business directory for the digital age. Local SEO effects where you rank in your local search engine results pages (SERPs), the higher you rank, the more likely you’ll get noticed.

If you want to grow your customer numbers you’ll need to know a little about Local SEO. According to Google 4 in 5 customers use search engines to find local information, so appearing in local search can be an excellent way of finding your next customer.

In this article we’ll share with you:

• How to improve your Local SEO
• How Keywords are key for Local SEO
• How to set-up your Google My Business account
• Where to go for your advice

How do you improve your Local SEO

Google wants to give its users a quick and relevant answer to the questions they write into Google Search. The more clearly you can identify your business to Google as a service provider to a particular market, the more likely you’ll rank high.

Klipboard for example provide Field Service Management Software, helping field service businesses better manage their teams and streamline their processes. That’s why we make sure this is mentioned and made clear in all the content on our website. 

By doing that Google understands the product or service we offer and can direct Field Service businesses in our direction.

Here’s some things Google considers in order to give you a good Local SEO Ranking:

• Whether your business has a Google My Business listing
• The location of the Google user
• Google Reviews
• The relevance of the Keywords used in Google Reviews
• Google Maps rating of the business

Often Google will display the three nearest businesses to the Google user with Map links, rather than necessarily the three largest, or best known businesses.

This is a great leveller for small to medium size businesses and gives you an opportunity to compete without having to spend big on advertising.

Keywords are key for Local SEO

Once you’ve got the basics in place (above) and Google knows the type of business you are and where you’re based, you’ll need to make sure you rank higher than your competitors.

The keywords that people search with are a major part of how your next customer might find you. 

For example if someone Googles ‘HVAC repair near me’ or ‘Fire Safety inspection in Bristol’, you’ll want to make sure your HVAC Service and Maintenance business shows up first, or your Fire Safety Business is found by building owners in Bristol.

There’s plenty of tools you can use to check what’s the most relevant search keywords for your industry, most of these are subscription based services such as Hrefs, SEMrush and Google’s own advert platform is free to use.

You might not be the person responsible for doing the research and updating your website, but a simple way to benefit from this is to form a list of the most searched for and relevant keywords for you and ensure your website has the following:

• Service/Product pages that answer those queries
• Blog content that includes those keywords
• Encourage Reviews on your website directing them to Google Reviews

How to set up your Google My Business account

To rank in local Google search results and Google Maps listings you’ll need to create a Google My Business account. It’s completely free and It’s really simple to set up, it will only take a couple of minutes.

There’s just a few steps to go through:

Click on the link

Head over to the Google My Business page to start the process and create a page, it will also let you know if you already have an account set up.

Enter your business name

Enter your business name here and be sure to use your full business name helping other easily locate you.

Choose a category that best fits your business

You’ll be presented with a long drop down menu of all the different business categories. Don’t panic if you can’t see your specific industry, just find the one that’s closest to your business. You can always change it afterwards.

Pick your location

Here’s where Google will drop a pin on the map for your business. This is mostly relevant for those who have a showroom or retail unit that the public can visit. You can choose where to have this or not.

Enter your full address

Next, enter your full address using all the lines provided. Be as clear as you can so customers find it easier to locate you.

Choose if you wish to service customers outside your location

You may wish to only operate in particular locations. This is where you’ll choose how far you’re willing to travel for your customers. For most field service businesses this can be quite far and wide but if you wish to be specific this will be helpful for potential customers.

Enter your contact information

Add you phone number and your website’s URL. These will also appear on the Google Business Listing and Maps so make sure they are correct.

Finish and Verify

Google will send you ask you to verify your account by an automated phone call (instantly) or by sending a postcard to your address but that could nearly a week. You can choose to verify your account later but you won’t be able to manage your account until it’s verified.

And that’s it, you’re done!

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If you’re interested in more business tips, field service industry news and examples of how Klipboard helps you organise and complete more jobs, more effectively use your time and get paid faster for the work you do, click here to visit our blog.

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