When you are trying to drive traffic to your website, you will need to focus on an SEO strategy that fits your industry and brand. The goal with all SEO marketing is to increase your visibility and improve your placement on search engine rankings. Google ranks websites based on the quality of content that appears on the website. This means no duplicate content unless sources are properly sourced, regular blog posts, mobile friendly designs, title tags, solid meta descriptions, and more. All of these factors weigh heavily into the overall ranking of your website.
How to improve your local ranking on Google
When someone searches for a business or place near their location, they’ll find local results across Google in places like Maps and Search. For example, you can probably find local results if you search for “Italian restaurant” from your mobile device. We try to show you the kind of nearby restaurant that you’d like to visit.
To improve your business’s local ranking, use Google Business Profile to claim and update your business information. Learn more about how Google sources business information for search results.
Update your business info for better visibility
You may find that your business doesn’t show up for relevant searches in your area. To maximize how often users find your business in local search results, ensure that your business information in Business Profile is accurate, complete, and engaging.
Tip: To edit business information for 10 or more locations at once, you can create a bulk upload spreadsheet.
Enter complete data
Local results favor the most relevant results for each search. Businesses with complete and accurate information are easier to match with the right searches.
Important: Make sure you keep your information up to date as your business changes.
Make sure you’ve entered complete business information in Business Profile so users know what you do, where you are, and when they can visit. Provide information like, but not limited to, your:
- Physical address
- Phone number
- Category
- Attributes
Verify your locations
Verify your business locations so they’re more likely to show in local search results across Google products, like Maps and Search.
Keep your hours accurate
Update your business hours regularly, including when you open and close, and special hours for holidays and events. Accurate hours info lets shoppers know when you’re available and gives them confidence that your business will be open when they arrive.
Manage & respond to reviews
Respond to reviews that users leave about your business. When you reply to reviews, it shows that you value your customers and their feedback. High-quality, positive reviews from your customers can improve your business visibility and increase the likelihood that a shopper will visit your location.
Add photos
To showcase your goods and services, and to tell the story of your business, add photos to your Business Profile. Accurate and appealing pictures may also show shoppers that your business offers what they’re searching for.
Add in-store products
If you run a retail business, you can show nearby shoppers what you sell by adding your in-store products to your Business Profile.
How Google determines local ranking
Local results are based primarily on relevance, distance, and prominence. A combination of these factors helps us find the best match for your search. For example, our algorithms might decide that a business that’s farther away from your location is more likely to have what you’re looking for than a business that’s closer, and therefore rank it higher in local results.
Relevance
Relevance refers to how well a local Business Profile matches what someone is searching for. Add complete and detailed business information to help Google better understand your business and match your profile to relevant searches.
Distance
Distance considers how far each potential search result is from the location term used in a search. If a user doesn’t specify a location in their search, we’ll calculate distance based on what we do know about their location.
Prominence
Prominence refers to how well known a business is. Some places are more prominent in the offline world, and search results try to reflect this in local ranking. For example, famous museums, landmark hotels, or well-known store brands are also likely to be prominent in local search results.
Prominence is also based on information that Google has about a business, from across the web, like links, articles, and directories. Google review count and review score factor into local search ranking. More reviews and positive ratings can improve your business’ local ranking. Your position in web results is also a factor, so search engine optimization (SEO) best practices apply.
SEO Marketing in Houston, TX
If you are not making efforts to optimize your website, you are falling behind because your competitors already have begun implementing SEO design strategies to their websites. As the gap grows between how much effort your competition puts into their online marketing and how little work you put into your website, the more difficult it will become to engage with customers online. The Houston Small Business Marketing team works hard to help your business stay relevant in this online-focused world by tracking the latest strategies in online marketing for businesses.
Stop missing out on potential customers and become a force within your industry! From excellent web design to social media management, the Houston Small Business Marketing team is here to help you broaden your reach and grow your audience! If you are tired of giving away potential customers to your competition, contact us today!
Houston Small Business Marketing
713-492-0025
1415 North Loop West #950
Houston, TX 77008
Google Business Listing
