The Good Marketing Guide 2019

44 | The Good Marketing Guide Long-tail keywords have the natural advantage of lower competition, meaning less businesses spend resources targeting them in their content (whether in paid or organic search results). When choosing your target long-tail keywords, you should focus on terms with the best ratio of low competition to high search frequency. Credible directory citations Beyond including the right information, consistent formatting and comprehensive coverage are the twin pillars of effective online citations. As a UK business owner, there are more than 50 important listings sites you need to know about (the likes of Yell, Yelp, Bing Places, Thomson Local etc.). You also need to list your NAP (name, address, phone number) information in exactly the same format across all the directories to help Google connect them to your business when it processes searches. It also pays off to list your business in any location- and industry-specific vertical search directories, not least because Google itself is buying so many of these up to maintain its online search monopoly. One great example is vegan- friendly restaurant finder, Happy Cow. Make it mobile-friendly When it comes to local search, making sure your site is mobile-friendly is a must. According to HubSpot, 60% of all local searches are conducted via smartphones. Another important step to firm up your local search footing is optimising mobile search performance. You can quickly run Google’s mobile-friendly test to gauge your current performance on mobile devices. This will highlight any areas that need big improvements. When it comes to mobile searches, user experience is king. Improving overall site speed, implementing responsive design and minimising obtrusive pop-ups are three of the most important ways you can wow mobile users with a seamless browsing experience. How to lead the pack for local search Whichever way you cut it, local search is one of the most important aspects of business How to lead the pack for Google Local Search in 2020 Developing and maintaining a bond of trust with new customers old and new has always been the secret to making small businesses into big businesses. In the internet age, standing out to local consumers remains a top priority for SMEs and online search offers new opportunities to do this. In 2020, over 86% of consumers will consult search engines before making purchases. If businesses want to be in the running, they have to be ranking when Google users run their query. And local search is no exception to the golden rule of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): the higher you rank, the better. At UENI, we’ve optimised the local search performance of over 300,000 small businesses across seven countries, helping them to stand out in the digital sphere. In the process, we’ve gained a thorough grasp of what it takes to top the pack and rise to the top of the Google search rankings. Local search starts and ends with Google My Business Since time immemorial, Google has maintained a mammoth market share and your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has to reflect that. Google owns over 90% of the online search market, so we say that 90% of your search marketing activity should be focused on ranking higher on the search giant. UENI’s first step towards improving local search performance is signing clients up for their very own optimized Google My Business page. That’s because research has repeatedly shown Google My Business listings are one of the top factors determining local search ranking. They’re also a great way that small businesses can leverage their local status to outrank bigger competitors. But what makes a killer Google My Business listing? Filling out a Google My Business page is simple enough: input all the relevant information consumers need to know to visit your business (location, opening hours, web address) and make sure you have some high-quality photos of your shopfront or office. Once you have a Google My Business listing, you start ranking for the top three organic local search results: the Map Pack. When consumers search for local service providers, they see three listings detailing a business information (name, phone number, address), Google rating, and crucially, a click to call icon. 76% of people who search for businesses on their smartphones make a visit to a shop within a day, with as many as a quarter of such visits ending with purchases. Calling directly from a Google search is how some of these shopping journeys begin. Many more navigate straight to their chosen business via the Google Maps app. Generate regular reviews What takes a little more effort is generating the stream of regular Google My Business reviews and engaged customers to help your business website rank higher and drive your conversion rate up. We’ve heard of new businesses offering token product giveaways in exchange for written reviews. In this economy, everybody likes a good deal and if your business cuts the mustard, you’re likely to get a good buzz from this. But for long-term ranking success, you need to know how to direct website visitors to leave those all-important five star reviews. Make sure your best clients are leaving reviews. Take advantage of the good feeling generated by positive customer experiences. You can find your unique Google Place URL here. Place this link on your checkout and booking pages to invite your clientele to leave a Google My Business review. Follow up purchases and appointments with automated emails and SMS text messages asking customers to leave a rating. Sprinkle your website with local long-tail keywords To rank higher in local searches, you need to ensure your web content matches what users are searching for; in other words, you need the right keywords. Never underestimate the power of good long-tail keyword research, especially when it comes to local search. Long-tail keywords are more specific search phrases of three or four more words. Drilling down into these more detailed search terms used by people searching in your local area will quickly pay off. Traffic for these terms might not be as high as headline searches, but their accessibility and strong conversion rate more than makes up for this. When it comes to local search, place names are crucial keywords to target in your content. Conducting keyword research on various permutations of your business products/services in tandem with location will help you identify where you’re performing well and where you could use more effort. Naturally, you’ll need to feed keyword research back into your on-site content to target any new terms you’ve identified and improve your ranking for other keywords. Search & Social