If your business is focused on a local area like Nashville, knowing How to Optimize for Local SEO can be an effective and inexpensive strategy to grow your business.

Join the Nashville Internet Marketing Group on 3/28 and learn how to optimize for Local SEO. We’ll be meeting on campus at Belmont University in McWhorter Hall, Room 114 at 6:30pm. It’s free to attend our monthly gathering.

Come to learn and network with us the last Thursday night of the month.
>> RSVP here: Meetup.com <<

If you’re are already familiar with traditional (or Organic) Search Engine Optimization, you may already know some of the factors that impact Local SEO.

Factors such as Onsite optimization, links, and social signals can play a role in Local SEO but there are other elements that can make all the difference in Local SEO rankings.

Local SEO Ranking Factors

#1 Claim Your Business Listings
Start by claiming the Google Local profile for your business. Google displays your business profile information in many search results so you want it to be accurate and up to date. This is one of the single most important Local SEO ranking factors. It’s free and it doesn’t take much time.

Pay close attention when you enter your company’s Name, Address, and Phone number. Known as your NAP, Google rewards businesses that have consistent NAP listings on many websites.

When Google finds your NAP on other websites, they consider that a citation. Besides rewarding consistency in citations, Google also rewards the quantity and quality of your citations.

It’s a good Local SEO strategy to find citation sources like relevant business directories and review sites. If you come across a citation or NAP that’s not exactly the same, edit it to match all your other citations.

Find a good quality citation site where you’re not listed? Signup and add your listing. It can make a difference in your Local SEO rankings.

#2 Get Consumer Reviews
Reviews are another strong signal for Local SEO.

Get as many reviews as you can (preferably positive ones), but be sure to follow Google’s policies for getting reviews.

Don’t pay for reviews. Don’t make up fake reviews. And don’t believe anyone who says they can remove bad reviews from Google for you.

When you have more than 10 reviews, your Google Local listing will display a score of 0-30 next to your business in search results.

Everybody gets bad reviews sometimes. If you get one, Google lets you respond to the negative comments. A prompt response that reasonably addresses the complaint will help your business’ online reputation. It’s your chance to show the world that your business is proactive and cares about your clients.

#3 Include Your City and State on Your Website
Finally, incorporate your city and state in your on-site SEO. For example, if you own a restaurant in Nashville, TN, then your title tag, meta description, and page content should include the phrase “Nashville, TN.”

Do not go overboard and spam your site with your city and state.

Only include your city and state in your site’s content where it makes sense and feels appropriate. You shouldn’t force it and “over-optimize” your site.

We’ll discuss these Local SEO tips and more at our next meeting.

Join us for the Meetup Thursday, 3/28 at 6:30pm to learn more about How to Optimize Local SEO to get your business found in your area.
RSVP here: Meetup.com.