Since Google’s Pigeon algorithm update back in July of 2014, local search engine optimization has become even more important, especially on mobile devices. If Google explicitly stating the importance of local search with a significant update isn’t enough, take a look at your own search patterns; how often do you search for a local service (restaurant, bar, gym, doctor, retail shop, etc.)?
Unique Content
Below are some potential ideas around creating content at the local level, specifically for Home, About, News, and Contact pages:
Background story of the business owner(s)
Things unique to the local area that are relevant to the business
Customer reviews (quotes, videos, etc.)
Driving directions
Local events
Employee spotlight
Press coverage
Case studies
Local clientele
Putting these fields into a survey-type format for the business owners can help with gathering information to more efficiently and quickly create unique local content.
Hyper Local Optimization
Optimizing each local page’s metadata can also boost local rankings. This should mainly entail updating title and description tags. Keyword research, at the location level, should be performed to find the most relevant keyword phrase(s) to target.
Additionally, competitor landscape for each potential keyword phrase should be examined at the geo level to determine whether or not the page being optimized has a chance to rank organically.
Internal Linking
Internal links, created when one page hyperlinks to another page on the same website, can also help local rankings. These types of links pass on what is called “link juice” in the SEO world. Link juice is equity that a page has based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, other internal links, quality backlinks, unique & engaging content, etc.
The challenge is the time investment. Yes, it’s hard to create unique content for every location. It’s time-consuming to optimize every local page and make sure that all citations are accurate. But if you can get your clients to understand why focusing on local is so important, the payoff is well worth it.
Courtesy of SearchEngineJournal
