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Published September 12th, 2016 by

How Experts Deal With Local Search Engine Optimization

How Experts Deal With Local Search Engine OptimizationLocal searches hold great potential for actionable purchase intent. However, many small businesses lack the knowledge on how to maximize it – where some have issues over added cost, and others felt that it is too complicated and unnecessary.

It is not surprising that some are skeptical about the importance of local SEO in a small business framework. There were instances that one will come across with an irrelevant result over a search, and was left with wondering how the search engine returned you with such. There are a lot of compelling reasons, but the added frustration with these inaccuracies made businesses avoid investing in local SEO altogether.

Why the Confusion?

First and foremost, search engines do not have the intellectual abilities the way humans do. Basically, search engines just function the way how it is programmed to, and are basing its operation and limitation according to how it was “taught”. In the past, search engines are not as intelligent as it is today, but developers have put a significant amount of research and effort in order to have it evolve and adapt to the changes in the market.

Search engines work by pulling out all the data from a variety of sources on the World Wide Web in relevance to the keyword typed on it. To make things more complex, search engines also consider the data coming from their own databases, and altogether it should intelligently consolidate and index this information, in order to return the best matches.

More complications arise when search engines encounter multiple listings that aren’t exactly the same, or contain some discrepancies to the point that it regards some of the entries as belonging to a different business, or when a majority of the listings agrees with its value, but it was actually the ones that are not updated.

Therefore, local SEO is a mutual responsibility between the search engines and the businesses that enlist themselves in. Search engines must make their algorithm robust and intelligent to recognize and return the best and appropriate match that will fulfill the intent of the user. At the same time, a local business that wishes to maximize his online visibility should supply accurate information about the company, and make sure that all accounts, mentions and citations are consistent and accurate in order for search engines to rank it accordingly.

Even for experts, the local SEO ecosystem can be quite challenging and confusing to understand. However, anything is possible with continuous learning and the right experiences to be able to gain the benefits of online visibility to your business advantage.

Why Online Visibility Is Important?

SEO is all about exposure for your business in the World Wide Web. It deploys strategies and tactics that make your web site or web page stand among similar businesses that utilize the same platform.

It is hard to ignore the influence of internet in the lives of people in general. According to an SEO statistics made by Imforza.com, 93% of experiences online starts by using a search engine. Where does these experiences lead we cannot pinpoint exactly, but we can see a big potential for businesses to turn these online engagements into opportunities for sales and marketing.

Here are some other reasons why online visibility is relative to the greater success of a business:

  1. The internet is utilized by a lot of people. In fact, according to Internetlivestats.com, today there are approximately 3.4 billion internet users (and counting!) today, which is approximately 40% of the world population.
  1. It can remind your audience about the brand and image that your company is building.
  1. You can communicate more information about your company to a wider audience, unlike when using printed collaterals which cannot hold as much information because it entails additional cost.
  1. You can engage more customers using a non-traditional advertising and marketing approach. A business can incorporate multimedia and interactive elements for to promote interest.
  1. Using online methods, a business can render an ultimate customer experience that is not just limited to marketing, but can also directly conduct sales through e-commerce.

A business must take note, however, that online visibility and online presence are different in the context of benefit-returning advantage. Having an online visibility can take your business to places that you cannot even come into physically, and engage people whom you haven’t met in person. These days, consumers are seeing the conveniences that the internet is bringing, that more of them are getting attracted in utilizing it to be part of their everyday lives. It is equally logical that business should take advantage of this opportunity as well.

Myths and Truths About General and Local SEO

As technology is becoming more fast paced and advanced as time passes by, so as general and local SEO strategies are easily turning irrelevant and obsolete of the current trends. Here are some common myths that you may hear along your quest in the world of search engine optimization:

  1. Content is your greatest, and only driver for successful SEO

The value of content marketing is undeniable, that’s why businesses invest on an amazing website and hire professional writers that put a tremendous amount of useful content in it. And then you wait for the traffic to come.

Well, if it is that easy, professional writers alone can make great SEO experts. But general and local SEO isn’t a single, one time strategy to execute and the results just rush in. Content marketing is just a part of the bigger picture of effective general and local SEO techniques, which also needs some technical tactics, links and other methods. Content is a strong base point that should be part of any general and local SEO checklist, but it cannot thrive alone.

  1. Link building is not necessary anymore

Since the rise of social media, everybody thinks that it can alone drive the traffic that link building used to deliver. But search engines are putting emphasis on the value of links over citations and mentions that social media sites give your business. However, since search engine algorithms have changed drastically over the past years, link building is more effective when built from natural or organic links, and not from paid or spam campaigns.

  1. An analytics tool will violate your privacy

The ones that are doing some bad stuff underway should be afraid of violating Google standards for search engine optimization, which is not a case if you are just a regular website that wanted to boost traffic.

An analytics tool such as Google Analytics will actually be more helpful with your general and local SEO efforts than actually invade your privacy. After all, it must be emphasized that it isn’t created just to “spy” on web sites and pages, but rather a useful performance measuring tool. It will actually help you optimize your efforts by providing the same analytic factors that it uses with other web sites and listings it holds within its platform.

  1. Web page ranking is not important

Some businesses focus on driving web traffic alone, and since it deploys a different approach when it comes to increasing its search engine rankings, it rather focuses on the former and neglects the latter.

On the other hand, there is this hidden context behind rankings that should rather be in the limelight instead, which is positioning. As you see, there are ways to put your web site or page on top of the ranks, which is by paying for the spot. However, as a Search Engine Journal SEO statistics said, 70% of those links that users tend to click came from organic results, and not from the paid ones. It is clear that to be safe, businesses should aim both traffic and positioning on the web using more natural means as possible in order to increase the opportunities out of your web visibility.

  1. Social media is the ultimate SEO driver

There haven’t been any news about recent tie-ups or collaboration between search engines and social media sites, so it is only logical to understand that the metrics arising from social media will greatly impact how a search engine will return your site in its SERPs. However, the importance of social media marketing in your general SEO shouldn’t be set aside. The only thing here is it is is more effective as an influence rather than directly affecting the web positioning of a business.

What Are the Benefits of Getting a Local SEO Agency?

Local SEO is on the rise as an important aspect of online visibility. Local businesses can take advantage of the recent updates in search engine algorithms wherein it opened an opportunity to experience the benefits of online visibility even without having a website, by establishing a localized web based business listing. In here, local businesses can make their own accounts and supply the necessary information such as its NAP, and the other important company information that can help users to locate you better. In fact, these web listings are incorporated with location based optimization which can automatically direct you to the company site using a navigational map complete with directions.

Some businesses, however, are not content with just being part of a localized web listing, and wanted to do more aggressive strategies for their general and local SEO. Getting a local SEO agency that will focus on implementing such technicalities can free up the business from allocating too much efforts by leaving the job to the experts. The top local SEO agencies are actually experienced SEO experts themselves, and have formulated different sets of tactics and approaches to help your business achieve its general and local SEO goals.

It is best to do some exhaustive research before getting a local SEO firm that will deem fit your unique business needs. You may check out CrowdReviews.com’s local SEO agency reviews to gain insights from their past and current clients that will help you gauge the best one for your business.

 

Jeev Trika

Jeev is an executive leader with successful experience building research portals which recommend the best products and services in various highly competitive verticals.

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