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3 Tips for Optimizing Local Search Results

For small to mid-size businesses, showing up as a top result in Google makes a world of difference. However, ranking as a high search in Colorado isn’t going to help increase sales for your company that only serves Rhode Island. Search engines have been revamping their results to be more focused on serving local, relevant results to their users. For local and regional businesses, ranking high on location-based services and review sites is critical.

With three simple tips, you can easily optimize your business’ local search results and boost your rank on Google and other major search engines.

1. Claim and update local business listings and profiles on all major search engines and directories to their full potential.

Updating information on sites like Google My Business, Yelp, etc. will help search engines more easily identify your business and those profiles to your website. Search engines and directories will reward businesses with completed profiles and rank completed listings over partial listings, so make sure to fill out as many required form fields as possible.

2. Ensure your NAP is consistent across all channels.

Not only is it important to keep your business information up to date, but consistency is key. Your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) is used by search engines to make the connection between profiles, directory listings, and your business. If your company goes by various names, keeping to one name across channels will boost your search results. This also applies for addresses and phone numbers, utilize the same format for your contact information (i.e. always using ‘Street’ instead of ‘St.’) for consistency.

Search engines will not be able to identify that XYZ Corporation at 123 Street on LinkedIn and XYZ Corp. on 123 St. on Google My Business are one in the same.

3. Dedicate keyword rich pages to your business locations.

This is especially important for businesses with multiple sites in different geographies. Having a dedicated web page for each of your locations will help those individual pages rank at a local level. This also allows your company to rank in multiple geographies. Make sure to use keywords that apply to your geography throughout the page copy.