Smartphones are ubiquitous – look out at the street right now if you live in an urban area or are on a busy street or at the mall. You’ll notice cell phones in hand. In addition to texting or posting to social media, many people are searching for where to go. That means that, as a business, you need to make sure you’re keeping local searches in mind when optimizing your site. Is local SEO part of your overall search engine optimization strategy? It should be.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO should be part of your overall optimization strategy. Specifically, it’s making sure you show up tied to specific places. Here’s the breakdown of where you want your biz to show up and why.

Search Engines

Obviously, you want your business to rank in Google, but when it comes to local search engine optimization there is more than your website ranking for your business name. Because people search for things like restaurants or craft supply stores in specific places they are visiting, you must cast a wider net. Think about when you’re traveling and want to stop for lunch at a great local spot. You’ll search “best lunch Tarrytown NY” to get an idea of where to go. And chances are you won’t just look at restaurant websites but the number of review sites that pop up and how many stars they show. When thinking about local SEO it’s more than simply getting your site to show up but more the results that come up and what they say about your business.

Review Sites and Directories

Are you showing up on Yelp, Foursquare, Facebook and your city’s website? Make sure that you’re on these sites and engaged with them to show up whenever someone looks for your type of business in your area. Remember, you aren’t Patty’s Pasteria to tourists – you’re the best deal in Anytown, USA. Claim your business pages on any site where this is available and engage. Also, make sure to offer deals through sites like Yelp, Foursquare and many others so that you also show up locally for searches on “lunch deal Anytown” and other similar searches.

Your Website

You should also optimize your website for your location(s). Remember, people search for the business type and location – so optimize for these. Consider including a page about the history of your business in your town or city to capitalize on this. Whether you’re a bait and tackle shop in Tahoe or an outdoor outfitter in the foothills of the Rockies think about what people are searching for in your location and optimize away.

AR Games

Remember that summer when people were getting hit by cars while playing Pokemon Go? Us to. But we also remember how local businesses capitalized on the game to get players into their businesses. When these apps pop up, whether they are flash in the pan or long-standing games, make sure to create a page for your business including them. Examples include all of the GeoCaches within a ten-minute walk (or a half mile, or however you want to organize it) or live events in Ingress. Be sure to check out our in-depth post on optimizing to attract gamers next week.

Digital Firefly Marketing Knows Local SEO

Worried that local SEO is missing from your strategy? Contact us today for a free audit and help getting your site optimized to show up when people are passing through and need your services.