The Top Local SEO Tools You Need to Know About - A Comprehensive Guide to Local Optimisation

It's no secret that having a strong online presence is essential for success. And when it comes to attracting local customers, search engine optimisation (SEO) plays a major role in getting you seen. Local SEO helps you rank higher in local search results, driving targeted potential traffic to your website and increasing your chances of converting visitors into customers.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO tools can help you optimise your website for local search results. If you are a gardening business, for instance, chances are you aren't looking to attract customers from all over the world. You need your website to show up on the first page of search results for people searching in your area – and that’s where Local SEO tools come in. They are also important for a business with a physical location in a number of different cities or countries, allowing you to optimise for each one.

Why would you use Local SEO?

• To gain more custom - i.e. generating more leads and sales.
• Make it easier for users to find your business when they are using their phone to search for a local product or service.
• Reviews build trust and reliability with potential customers.
• Increase your local ranking factors and increase website visits.

According to Google:

• 30% of Mobile searches are related to location.
• 78% of people who use their phone to search for something nearby, visit the business within a day.
• 28% of searches for something nearby result in a purchase.

Getting seen on Search Engine Results Pages

SEO tools are designed to help local businesses improve their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Using Location tools provide insights and data that can help you optimise your website, create content for local audiences, and track your progress. Using local SEO tools ensures that you’re targeting the right customers with the right content at the right time.

Local SEO tools can help you identify potential keywords that will drive more local traffic to your site, as well as track what’s working and what isn't. They can also provide insights into how customers are engaging with your website, allowing you to make better decisions on topics such as content creation, local SEO and website optimisation. By leveraging these tools, you can gain a competitive edge by understanding the specific needs and preferences of your local audience. Through data-driven insights, you can identify the most effective keywords to attract local traffic and continuously track the performance of your strategies. With a deeper understanding of customer engagement, you can refine your content creation and local SEO efforts, ensuring that you deliver relevant and valuable information to your target customers at the right time. Stay ahead of the competition and maximise your online visibility with the power of local SEO tools.

But Where Do You Start?

Don't worry, we've got you covered. In this friendly and comprehensive guide, we'll introduce you to the top local SEO tools that are a must-have for optimising your website and improving your local search ranking factors. Plus, we'll provide you with an e-commerce SEO checklist and a local SEO checklist to ensure you cover all the bases. And to top it off, we'll share some real-life examples of off-page SEO tactics that you can implement to boost your local presence.

So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let's dive into the exciting world of local SEO tools!

Off-Page and On-Page SEO

SEO is divided into two distinct categories - off-page and on-page.

Off-Page SEO looks at factors such as social media engagement, link-building campaigns, and other external activities that help you build trust with search engines and customers. A social media campaign that drives traffic to your website, for example, will help you to rank higher in local search results.

On the other hand, On-Page SEO focuses more on optimising your website content for local search. From the structural design of your site to  the content you create, On-Page SEO involves making sure your website is easy to read and navigate, highly relevant to local customers, and optimised for local keywords.

In this guide, we'll explore the various local SEO tools that can help you with both off-page and on-page SEO but remember:

• On-page SEO involves optimising your web pages and content for better visibility in SERPS pages.
• Off-page SEO refers to activities that take place outside your website but significantly impact your search engine placement.

Ecommerce SEO Checklist

When it comes to ecommerce, optimising your website for search engines is crucial to driving traffic and sales. Here's a handy checklist of ecommerce SEO practices to help you get started:

• Conduct Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords with high search volume and optimise your product descriptions, titles, and meta tags accordingly.
• Optimise Product Pages: Write unique and compelling product descriptions, optimise images with alt tags, and ensure a user-friendly navigation structure.
• Improve Page Load Speed: Increase site speed by optimising image sizes, minimising code, and leveraging caching techniques.
• Implement Structured Data Markup: Use schema markup  this is  HTML code)to provide search engines with additional information about your products, such as prices, ratings, and stock availability.
• Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as more and more people are using their smartphones to make online purchases.

Local SEO Checklist

So now your site is running at optimal speed with all issues solved it's time to look at local SEO.

To attract local customers, optimising your website for local searches is essential. Here's a checklist to boost your local SEO efforts:

Claim and Optimise Google My Business:

Create a Google My Business listing, verify your business information, and optimise it with accurate details, high-quality images, and customer reviews.

Localise Your Website Content:

Incorporate localised keywords in your website content, including titles, meta descriptions, headers, and URLs. Research popular localised keywords and incorporate them in your content.

Social Media Marketing:

Social media is an important part of local SEO. Create accounts on popular social media platforms and start engaging with your local followers. Share content related to current events, interesting stories, and helpful tips.

Create Local Content:

Publish unique, high-quality content related to local events, news, and services that appeal to your target audience. This will help you rank higher for local search queries.

Build Local Citations:

Ensure consistent business information across online directories, including your name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Encourage Customer Reviews:

Actively seek and respond to customer reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and industry-specific directories. Customer review sites are a great way to build trust and visibility in local search results and increase referral traffic.  You can encourage buyers to leave reviews by providing incentives or offering discounts.

Utilise Local Backlinks:

Seek opportunities to acquire links from local websites, such as local newspapers, blogs, and community organisations. Link building from local websites will help boost your website’s authority in the eyes of search engines.

A backlink is a link from another website pointing to your site, thus helping improve its rankings. an example would be a link from local events and organisations. Linked articles help boost your site's authority and search engine position. This will increase your website’s visibility in local SERPs, helping drive more traffic to your site.

Maximum or Minimum Values

Ensure that key SEO elements, such as title tags and meta descriptions, don’t exceed maximum or minimum character limits. This will help you ensure your content is optimised for all types of devices and search engine algorithms.

Best Local SEO Tools

Now that you have a better understanding of local SEO and the importance of optimising your website for local search results, it's time to look at some of the best local SEO tools available. Here are our top picks:

• Google My Business: This is Google’s free tool for businesses to manage their presence in SERPs. With Google My Business, you can create and verify your business’s listing, update information such as contact details and opening hours, respond to reviews, and more.
• Moz Local: This tool helps you optimise your website for local search engine results by automatically submitting your data to multiple online directories including Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing. It also provides insights into citations, link counts, SERP visibility, and more.
• SEMrush Local Listings: This tool allows you to track the accuracy of your business’s listing across over 20 directories including Google My Business and Yelp. You can also monitor reviews and reputation management with this tool.
• BrightLocal: This tool offers comprehensive local SEO reports, including citation audit and tracking, local keyword rankings, and online reputation management. It also features a suite of tools for optimising your website’s presence in local search results.
• Whitespark Local Citation Finder: This tool helps you find new citation opportunities by scanning over 50 local directories and providing you with data about your and your competitors’ citations. An SEO citation is a mention of your business name and details (name, address and phone number, or NAP) anywhere outside your own website.

Off-Page Local SEO Checklist

Here are some examples of effective off-site SEO tactics:

Guest Blogging:

Contribute high-quality guest posts to authoritative blogs in your industry, including a link back to your website in your author bio.

Social Media Engagement:

Engage with your audience on social media platforms, share valuable content, and encourage social sharing of your website's pages.

Online Reviews and Ratings:

Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings on platforms like Google, Yelp, and industry-specific review websites.

Influencer Partnerships:

Collaborate with influencers in your niche to promote your products or services, increasing brand visibility and generating backlinks.

Local Events and Sponsorships:

Participate in local events, sponsor community initiatives, and create partnerships with local organisations to enhance your local presence.

Press Releases and PR:

Share newsworthy stories about your business to grab the attention of media outlets, acquiring high-quality backlinks in the process.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You are now armed with the knowledge of the top local SEO tools, e-commerce SEO checklist, local SEO checklist, and off-page SEO examples. Remember, implementing these strategies requires dedication and ongoing effort. By putting these tools and tactics, you'll be well on your way to dominating the local search rankings and attracting more customers to your business. 

Implementing changes to increase your visibility in the local market is not a one-time effort; rather, it's an ongoing process that requires effort and dedication. But by being consistent and staying updated with the latest developments, you can keep your practices ahead of any potential fluctuations and remain competitive in the ever-evolving space of SEO.

If you’re looking for help with managing your local SEO work, then don't hesitate to get in touch with us at PS Website Design. We'll be more than happy to assist you every step of the way with an effective strategy that helps you to reach new customers and grow your business.