Complete List of Local SEO Ranking Factors

In the present time local seo has gained a lot more importance. According to the recent survey it has been found that users now look for results based on the location. The local search results lead to more offline purchases and that is why it is important to do something that can build visibility as well as credibility in your specified location. The current trends show that local search results are bound to increase in near future and will prove to be one of the biggest reasons of higher sales.

Also it is seen that local seo can result in higher traffic and that too in less time as compared to the global traffic. So it would be great if you can start doing local seo and work towards improving your website ranking accordingly. This will not only boost the traffic in the local region but it will be easy for people to find and connect with you. The same will be visible in the sales as people prefer to buy from their local dealers rather than the online option. So it becomes all the more essential to work on local seo for the best outcomes.

Now a question arises that how different is the local seo with the global one or what are the factors that would influence the local search results. If you too are looking for an answer to this question, you have come to the right place. But before going deep into the topic we will first see the difference between local seo and global seo.

Local vs Global Seo

Seo is one of the most amazing marketing approaches that can give your business a new life. If your sales are down and nothing is working then seo is definitely the only way out. It not only helps to bring the business before the people but make it seeks enough traffic to generate sales. Also it is cost effective and gives long lasting results which takes your business ahead. This is the reason that seo is becoming popular day by day with new trends and technologies making its way.

Seo is of two types; one is the local and the other is global. As the name indicates global seo targets people all across the globe. If you wish to establish a global presence then this seo is best suited for the purpose as it will help to get traffic from everywhere. This type of seo is suitable for the businesses which have offices in several countries or have a presence in most of the locations. So if you are targeting worldwide audience then global seo can surely prove to be fruitful in this concern.

On the other hand you have the local seo which is meant only for the specified location. For example if you are using keywords like “dental services in Jaipur” then local seo is what will help you to get traffic? Rather than going for the global seo, you can try local seo which will be more effective and help you to get sales as well. So when you are targeting the people of any specified location, local seo is the solution.

Another thing is that local seo is meant for the small business while the global seo is for the big enterprises. So you need to analyse the different aspects and then decide which kind of seo will be good for your business and result oriented as well.

For now we will focus on the various ranking factors that can have an impact on the local seo search results. So let us get started.

1. Backlinks – Quality links continue to be the most influential factors when it comes to getting links. There are lots of techniques of link building which can be followed to achieve the purpose but it is important that links are quality oriented and natural. Only then you can expect an improvement in the ranking of your business and see a rise in the sales as well. Make sure you adopt the new practices of link building as these will be more effective and beneficial to gain traffic towards your website.
2. Content – Whether it is the local seo or the global seo, content is always the king. With the quality content and right selection of the keywords you can generate a lot of good links that are helpful in getting the traffic. Google loves quality content and if you are able to update your content on a regular basis you be able to generate constant sales funnel. There are different types of content that you can use like blogs, press release, articles, guest blogging and many more. All these are beneficial and can make a big difference to the quality backlinks which you want for your website.
3. Keywords – Again keywords are very important. For local seo, the keywords will be different. To gain more exposure and traffic, go for the long tail keywords which means that there are more than 4 words in it. Such keywords are optimised and is easy to target them because of the low competition. So it would be great if you pick the most suited keyword and insert them at the right places along with the content. There are a number of tools which you can use to get keywords and even gain an insight on their volume, competition etc.
4. Get listed in the local directory – This is yet another way to bring your business before the local people. Make sure your address and other important details are available in the directory so that it is easy for the people to get in touch with you. Local directory submission is very help as it gives a sense of trust and confidence to the users and this pursues them to avail your services. So do keep in mind that local directories are used to get your business listed in the suitable category.
5. Mobile Optimisation – Since 2016 mobile indexing has become very popular and therefore optimising your website for the same can be highly useful. This has become one of the crucial factors for higher ranking and therefore it is must for optimise the content as well as the website for a better user experience. But make sure that you launch the mobile version of your website only when it is complete as broken link can impact the reputation and bring down the rank as well.
6. Website Speed – Every user who visits any website wants to see it loading in just seconds and if it takes more than a second they are sure to move to other sites. This is definitely not good as it can affect the traffic and the sales both. Therefore it is important to ensure high speed of the website and make sure it loads quickly. For this you can make a lot of changes in your website like compress the images etc. Use speed checking tools for the same and make the necessary changes accordingly. If the loading time is good, it will surely attract visitors which is possible with higher ranking.
7. HTTP to HTTPS – HTTPS is said to provide more traffic towards your website, so if you are using http in your web address switch to https which is more secure. Also it helps in bringing up the search ranking which is surely useful to your business.
8. Right use of tags – Apart from the above factors, even tags like H1, H2 etc can have an impact on the visibility of the website. Make sure you use these tags along with meta tags that are beneficial in improving the overall web presence of the website and boosting the credibility too. The correct balance of the tags is necessary to see your business growing by leaps and bounds.
9. Use of GMB – GMB is called as Google My Business Listing and is one of the most effective approaches to reach out to people. It helps the users to find you on three different sources namely Google Maps, Google Search and Google Plus. Thus with one initiative you can easily establish a strong presence on all the three platforms thus driving immense amount of traffic towards your website.

Now the question is which page to link it. Usually the landing page of your website is important and therefore you can link GMB to that page only to boost the traffic. It is pretty easy and you can get started in no time.

1. Blogging – Blogging has always been one of the mediums to promote your business. You can come up with some great stuff that talk about something new you are doing, it can be any activity, news or stuff that brings in curiosity among the people. Linking your website to your blog can help the users to directly reach your website thus getting natural traffic which is useful in ranking of the business.
2. Get in touch with local publications – This is yet another way through which you can create news about your businesses. As it is your local business, let publications write stories about you, the business you do, services, cover up new things and lots more. This will create interest in the minds of the people and they will surely come back to you for more information and sales. Thus local publications can assist you in getting traffic.
3. Customer’s feedback – Nowadays the users have become very smart and therefore check out the reviews before indulging in any kind of purchase. So make an effort to ask your buyers to leave their feedback. This will motivate other who are buying from you for the first time. The positive reviews will give them the confidence to avail your services. Once they try your services they will definitely come to know as why people are appreciating you.
4. Visual content plays a big role – As per the recent survey it has been found that visual content is said to have more users and so if you are able to embed video on your landing page it will surely boost the rank on the search engines. It is found that 40% of the users love visual content and this is what can make a difference to your business. So why not try new approaches which are helpful in bringing up the rank of your website and seeking the attention of more users as well.
5. Keep up with the updates – Seo is improving tremendously with a number of updates from Google so if you want to see your website doing well you need to understand the changes and adopt them in your local seo. Whether it is about using the new tools or the advance technology being updated can give you long lasting results and the difference will be clearly visible. So give time to update yourself and keep integrating new stuff for better outcomes.
6. Track and monitor – Last but not the least you need to keep track of everything you are doing. This is done so that you get an idea as which strategies are working and which not. Thus accordingly you can make the necessary changes and start everything afresh. Tracking and monitoring is highly beneficial as it enables you to see how things are doing and is there is any need of making changes to the current strategy or you should go the planned way. So make sure you devote enough time to this aspect as well because it matters a lot and can prove to be the worth making step for your business.

These are the 15 ranking factors which can have an impact on the local search results. Just like global seo, for local seo too you need to have a plan in mind, frame strategies for it, and try executing it in the right direction. Only then you can look forward to positive results which is the need of the hour. So if you wish to be successful on the local front, you need to ponder over all the aspects which are crucial and can prove very valuable in the long run.

Keep yourself updated with all the latest happening of the seo world so that you are able to employ the new seo tactics which can definitely add a new dimension to your business. So what are you waiting for, just focus on the important aspects of seo and you will certainly be able to see a rise in the ranking thus boosting the traffic as well as the business sales.

For more information, queries and questions write to me or get in touch via emails.

Author Bio: 

Akash Srivastava is an SEO Consultant. He helps people create or revise their SEO plan, implement it and monitors results. He regularly writes about SEO. He has been in this since 2011. He reads books in his spare time. You can hire him for the consultation only or to do everything. Contact him today!