Local SEO Checklist: 5 Mistakes to Avoid

If you run a local business, then getting leads via your website can be incredibly important. However, local SEO requires much more than just throwing up a website and calling it a day.

Local SEO isn’t difficult, but it does require time, and you need to be doing the right things. If you take the wrong steps you could end up damaging your rankings and your presence in the search engines.

Below we show you the biggest local SEO mistakes that a lot of business owners make. Fix these mistakes and you’ll start to see your site rise in the local rankings.

1. Incorrect NAP Information

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Wherever your business in listed online you need to have these listings have the exact same information.

If you don’t have this information listed, then you need to list it. If it’s incorrect anywhere online, then you need to update any listing to reflect your current business information.

This information also needs to be consistent, because your visitors might try to contact your business. If you have the wrong information listed, then this is a lost lead.

2. No Local Reviews

The greater the quantity and quality of reviews your company has listed the better your site will perform in the rankings. It’s important to have a system for ensuring a steady supply of reviews.

Take some of the ideas below and add them to your own strategy:

• Reach out to past customers and clients and ask them to leave a review
• Create a social media post asking for reviews and feedback
• Send an email to your current list asking for reviews

Make sure that asking customers to leave reviews is part of your marketing cycle.

3. No Relevant Backlinks

Local SEO is different from regular SEO. But, backlinks still matter. If your site doesn’t have any authoritative backlinks pointing towards it, then you’re doing your site is disservice.

For backlink ideas for your local site you could do some of the following:

• Look for local business listings that are relevant to your niche
• Look for sites in your city that accept guest posts in exchange for a backlink
• Ask suppliers and distributors for a link on their sites
• Look for local media stories and be a source for their story

4. Poor Quality Site

Google won’t rank a low quality site. They have indicators of sites that are low-quality, like having a high bounce rate, and a low time on site.

It can be helpful to work with a website design team to help diagnose and fix issues with your site that are causing your visitors to leave your site. The better experience your visitors have on your website the higher your site will rank in the search engines.

5. No Local Results Optimization

One of Google’s favorite ranking factors is your Google My Business Page. If you don’t have one of the setup, then you need to claim it now. Fill out this page in as much depth as possible.

It’s also important to verify this listing, so another business can’t claim this listing as their own in the future.

As a business owner you need to spend time growing your business, not trying to make it rank. Get in touch with our local SEO team today, if you want a rankings strategy that works.

Photo via Brooke Cagle