Creating a Winning Marketing Campaign with Local Search Engine Optimization

There are many dimensions and aspects to SEO – from globally-focused SEO campaigns to local search engine optimization. Each strategy has its merits, but local SEO in particular can be very beneficial for most website or blog owners out there who want to maximize their traffic potential.

Local search engine optimization is the process by which a website is optimized for traffic coming from the physical region of the entity. For example, a professional photographer’s website can benefit heavily from local SEO, since most of its customers will come from the surrounding area.

This article will talk about localized SEO and how you can benefit from taking your SEO campaign to the local level.

Local Search Engine Optimization: What Is It?

Local SEO is a lot like “normal” or global SEO in that the goal is to drive as many visitors to a website or blog as possible using organic methods that improve search engine rankings. The key difference is that local SEO is designed to generate a high percentage of its traffic from a local area.

There are a few tools that are used quite often in addition to standard search engines to generate local traffic. One big, must-have tool is Google Places. Google Places offers maps, reviews, and information of area businesses to help locals find businesses what they need. Using Google Places is one of the main way businesses generate local interest.

Other utilized websites are Yelp and YellowPages – really, any website that offers local directories of businesses, especially at the state level. The goal is to generate as much online exposure targeted to a relatively narrow audience – those in the surrounding area.

Using Local Search Engine Optimization in Your Campaign

If you want to use local search engine optimization to start your marketing campaign, you have to create and manage a proper keyword strategy that targets your city, as well as your profile on Google Places. This is a must. Having a link to and from Google Places and your website is also a must.

In terms of content and keyword strategy, utilize keywords that have your city’s name. A local keyword research report service is a must. You also want to optimize your Google Places profile accordingly. For example, if you have, say, a music store based in Orlando, Florida, “Orlando music store” would be a good starting point. This will help prime your actual content for search engine visibility.

Essentially, your campaign will use the same tools and processes that global SEO uses – with the notable addition of a local keyword strategy and directories like Google Places. Directories can be a waste of time for a national, broadly-targeted campaign, but for a local SEO campaign, they’re perfect.

Local search engine optimization can be incredibly powerful if utilized correctly. An SEO company that specializes in local SEO services can be a tremendously valuable asset as well.

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