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Local SEO and Website Optimization Checklist for Small Businesses

If you are a small business or a startup, chances are that staff members are required to get cross-trained to handle all the required business functions. However, handling SEO is one of those that might quickly become someone’s full-time job in order to be effective. So, here’s a checklist to help you stay on top of SEO and website optimization even with limited resources. SEO might become overwhelming for some. However, focusing on the right branches of it for your particular purpose and business can make it easier for you to know what to look for and how to execute them. In this article, we will discuss utilizing Local SEO to boost search engine rankings on local searches. Local SEO utilizes tools and tactics that essentially tell Google that you sell what you sell in your area and really don’t care much to compete for ranking elsewhere. If you own a local auto mechanic shop, ranking number 1 within your 100-mile radius is probably more than adequate.

What Is Local SEO and Website optimization?

It is the process of optimizing the website so that it starts to rank better on regional searches on all leading search engines including Google, Bing and Yahoo. It is highly important for your business because it helps drive more conversions based on local search and increases brand visibility.

Checklist for Local SEO

  1. Logo Optimization. Logo optimization must be on top of your checklist because, when the Google spiders crawl your websites, one of the first things they crawl through is the logo. Ensure the logo image filename is descriptive and ALT text is incorporated while uploading the logo.
  2. Structured Quality Content. Have properly structured quality content that is relevant to your target market. When writing the titles and Meta descriptions, incorporate the regions you would like to target your business towards. If the same can be incorporated into the URL, it’s just a bonus.
  3. Google My Business. Google My Business is another great factor that can make a positive business impact. Fill the fields up and add as many relevant pictures of your business as possible. Also, add your business location details on Bing places for business too.
  4. Easy-to-Find Contact Info. Optimize your home page with name, address and contact details of the business. For all the other pages, you may have the information visible in the footer but for the home page, make it very visible.
  5. Add Markups. Add schema markup so that the search engines understand the context and so that the content is structured. You could use Data Highlighter function of Google Search Console to help you with this too.
  6. Google Maps (Related to item 3). Optimize your contact page with the Google Map location of your business.
  7. Local Directory Listings. List your business in local directories (such as Yellow Pages, Yelp, Foursquare and many more) and create a local Facebook page as well as a Google plus page too with links pointing back to your website.
  8. Mobile Optimization. Most importantly, the world is shifting mobile and make sure your website is mobile optimized You don’t want to miss out on customers who are searching for your business on their mobile device.

Find out the best strategies adopted by your competitors if they are being ranked better than your website on search engines.