5 Ways to Kick-start Your Local Search Domination

With the growing number of local businesses in Palm Desert, competing with established businesses can be intimidating for new small businesses. You should not be scared of competing with other businesses as long you have a solid Palm Desert SEO company to back you up and help you kick-start your SEO campaign.

There is only one thing that is certain when it comes to SEO: it changes all the time. For local businesses, it is crucial to optimize your on-site and off-site SEO strategies for customers to easily see you when searching for your business online. Local competition in the SEO in Palm Desert is only getting tougher and if you are not on the top of the SERPs, your competitors are most likely to get ahead of you.

To help you kick-off your SEO campaign, here are 5 local SEO strategies to help you dominate the search results.

Title and meta description tags make a difference

Title and meta description tags represent the content of your page in the search results. These elements should be carefully crafted since these serve as an advertisement for your content.

Google had made significant changes on its display and the currently accepted length for title tags is between 50–60 characters. Be sure to maximize this space and see to it that your titles and descriptions are not getting cut short in the results. If you are unsure of how your title and meta description looks like, try using an emulator to help you check how many characters you can add to your description.

In creating your title and description, make sure to add unique and compelling texts that will stir the interest of the readers. If not done correctly, your click-through rate may suffer. To optimize it to reach your local customers, don’t forget to include the name of the city or area you are servicing. Keep in mind that it only takes a few seconds to convince a searcher that you are worth checking out when you show up in the search results so make use of this space wisely.

Maximize online directories and citations

Nowadays, four out of five customers use search engines for local searches. However, not all small businesses are listed in online directories which could be a huge missed opportunity.

When having your business listed online, consistency is the key to gaining online reputation. Make sure to have your business listed in business directories online like Yelp, Citysearch, etc. and double-check all the information to make sure that they are all the same. You should also look for respectable local directories by checking your Chamber of Commerce and your local paper’s website to see if they have a local business directory where you can be listed on.

You should also get your business name, address, and phone number cited on major citation data aggregators online. Don’t forget to check for consistency on your information since discrepancies may cause Google to display incorrect information or not show your business at all.

Optimize your Google My Business

Google My Business is very important in local SEO. If you haven’t claimed your Google My Business yet, you are certainly missing out on a great opportunity. It’s one of the best ways to give your business an incredible exposure plus, it’s free. Once you have claimed your Google My Business, here are a few steps to help you optimize it:

• Add solid descriptions, categories, your business hours, the type of payments your business accepts, and other relevant information.
• Upload your logo and add at least three photos of your business, products, and services. This is a great way to advertise your business, so get creative.
• Fill in all the relevant section for your listing to be complete.

Value online reviews

Around 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Customer reviews are a great way to establish your reputation as well as attract new customers to your business.

Make use of software and tools to help you track, manage, and solicit reviews from your customers. Also, make use of social media platforms to help you keep track of your brand mentions. For every review, whether positive or negative, make sure to respond to it personally and professionally. This will show the readers that you care about your customers.

One platform to focus on when getting reviews is your Google My Business page since these reviews show up on Google’s search results. Take note that Google values positive reviews and these can significantly help in improving your business’s visibility.

Use a local structured data markup

Schema markup is a structured data markup that can be added to your website’s code for the search engine to further recognize your business. Not all businesses utilize Schema markup so you can help your business stand out by adding it your site.

Structured data markup helps Google better determine what your content is about. Google also offers a Structured Data Testing Tools for you to check if your markup is properly integrated.

Coding may be intimidating for others. Not to worry, professional SEO Palm Desert agencies are equipped with the knowledge of structured data markup to help you maximize its benefits and boost your local SEO rankings.

SEO in Palm Desert is relatively easier with the help of these tips. Take advantage of these local SEO tactics and see how your online visibility improves in no time.