We’re about to dive head-first into part three of our local ranking secrets series. But don’t worry – we’re here to help keep you afloat!
In order to capture that local audience and get them to knock on your digital door, you need to understand how they think.
From clicking on your site to find valuable content to using voice search on a mobile device, we are going to unlock what makes users take action.
Showing up in search results is the goal, but how a customer finds you – and understanding their thought process – opens the doors of opportunity. Why? Because all of this also matters to Google, and if Google cares about it – you should too.
So, strap on your floaties and get ready to swim in the uncharted waters of our local ranking secrets 11-15 of our three-part series. Take a deep breath, here we go!
Five Local SEO Ranking Secrets
Secret #11: Capitalize on User Behavior
Getting users to your site is just the beginning. Did you know that Google also tracks everything that users do on your site? How long they are there, what they click, what pages they view – everything. Furthermore, all this data is compiled over time in order to tell Google how valuable users are finding your website.
The more valuable your site is, the more local search traffic you can capture. Start by setting up goals for your site in Google Analytics so you know what users find valuable and where you need to improve.
Improve your conversion rates with the help of our Capitalize on User Behavior guide.
Secret #12: Keep Moving Toward Mobile
How many times a day do you use your phone to search for, well, anything? At this point, nearly 60% of all search traffic is done on mobile devices. This means that if you are not thinking about mobile – you are missing out. Going “mobile-first” with your website should be a priority, especially for local businesses.
Updates from Google prioritize search results by mobile site availability, so if you have an amazing desktop site but not a mobile site, your mobile ranking will drop. The world has moved to mobile, and if you haven’t already, you should too!
Follow our Keep Moving Toward Mobile guide to help create a mobile-first mentality.
Secret #13: Hey Google, What About Voice Search?
Remember when the concept of “talking to computers” was only found in sci-fi movies? Well, welcome to the future. Voice search has exploded in recent years and is not going to slow down anytime soon. From Siri, to Google Assistant, to Alexa, and beyond, voice search is everywhere. And it is getting smarter.
What does this mean for you and local SEO? People searching with their voice use more natural speech patterns that search engines then use to provide results. That means this tone and style needs to be reflected in your content.
Site content written in a more natural way (the way you would talk) is more likely to capture that local traffic. For example: “Hey Google, where can I find a vegan restaurant?” Building this natural language into your content will give you a local SEO advantage that most businesses can (understandably) overlook.
Make your company’s voice heard! Download our What About Voice Search guide for more tips.
Secret #14: Drive Higher Click-Through Rates
One of the reasons that local SEO is a long-term strategy is that search engines use data collected over time to decide where you will show up in the SERPs. One of these data points that is beyond valuable is your click-through rate (CTR) – that is, how many people see you in the search results and decide to click on you.
The way your business shows in the SERPs (title, meta description, site callouts, etc.) can all make a customer pick you or not. The more users that click through to your site over time, the more valuable Google deems you to be. Basically, if Google think people will click on you, they are going to show you more often. Google gives the people what they want – so make sure you’re doing everything you can to draw attention to your brand.
You have the rankings, now make the most of it! Follow the tips in our Drive Higher Click-Through Rates guide to improve your organic CTR.
Secret #15: Consolidate Content for Greater Impact
How much free time do you have in a day? Silly question, right? We all know that free time doesn’t exist anymore. So, the content on your site should take this into account when it comes to capturing local attention.
When we search locally, time is of the essence (usually), so you want your site content to be to the point. What can be trimmed? Can content be made into a video for faster consumption? Think of your content as bite-size pieces of value and you want to feed people faster! Try to give that value faster by consolidating the content on your site.
Not sure how to get started? Download our Consolidate Content for Greater Impact guide to get tips.
Start Today
With that, part three of our local ranking secrets comes to a close. If you missed part one you can access it here and for part two you can get that here.
The good news is we have even more secrets that you can access by downloading our free eBook containing all 21 secrets.
At the heart of all these secrets is an inescapable truth – local search traffic is valuable. We truly want you to make the most of these secrets – pick a few and see how they work. If you need some help along the way, you know where to find us!
