Local SEO For Small Businesses: Links Or Keywords?
Small businesses trying to gain an advantage with local SEO should think about their efforts in more than simple terms related to keyword usage. Keywords are important, yes, they aren’t the only things that are important.
There are essentially aspects of each web page that you need to consider to improve your local SEO efforts.
- On-page content
- Meta tags
- Internal link structure
In addition, off-page link building should be a serious consideration.
Besides niche-related keywords, it is important to narrow down your geographic place of business. Where do you conduct business. Where are your customers located? Is your business a state-wide business, a regional business, or a city or county business? Make sure you cover that in your local SEO efforts.
When it comes to targeted search engine marketing for local businesses, use your niche-related keywords as primary keywords and the local place names as secondary keywords. The reason is because it’s easier to rank locally than it is nationally or internationally. The competition is stiffer the broader your market. So you want to make those niche-related keywords go further.
Another thing, if you include your a handful of geographic targeting keywords in your keywords meta tags and description then that will go a long way to further your local search engine optimization efforts as well.
Finally, add some geotargeting to your internal link structure with anchor text.
3 Responses to “Local SEO For Small Businesses: Links Or Keywords?”
The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Journal is Written by SEO Expert:
Nick Stamoulis
Tel - 781-999-1222
nick@brickmarketing.com
Brick Marketing - SEO Company
“In addition, off-page link building should be a serious consideration”.
I am not sure about it… After reading Google has completely removed link building from their webmaster guidelines. Though it is not obsolete, but it might not be a main category any more to think about in SEO. I think so…
Google has never really liked SEO experts engaging in link building activities…to artificially increase your rankings.
The to grow relevant links is through quality places that will help generate visitors, sales and will help build your business. For instance, if a business owner joined an industry related association and they get a link in a directory for a year membership, this no only helps that business establish more credibility, lead generation and yes, the relevant link does help since it is not artifitial but is a real source of a great link (not the sole purpose for link building)…
Anyway, this is one example to grow links by using a quality and relevant approach (not trying to trick the system)…
Thanks for your thoughts and reading!
Geographic keyword building is becoming more relevant as linking fades away in SEO priorities.
Seogis.com offers geographic keywords in your neighborhood, so you can get a list of popular geographic placenames near you to use in keyword metatags.